October 17, 2024 • 37 mins
Imagine facing a diagnosis that could change everything you know about life. Join us as we share the inspiring story of Rebecca Byrd, a courageous breast cancer survivor who opens up about her journey with stage three, triple-negative breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In this heartfelt discussion, Rebecca talks about the life-altering moment when she discovered a lump, her intense chemotherapy experience, and the pivotal decisions she made along the way. Her story is a beacon of strength, highlighting the power of unwavering faith and determination in the face of adversity. Clad in her beloved pink apparel, Rebecca embodies hope and reminds us all of the profound importance of representing one's values and faith during life's toughest battles.
Rebecca's journey is not just about survival but about embracing life with renewed vigor and purpose. We explore the challenges she faced, from dealing with the side effects of treatment to making the difficult choice to undergo a double mastectomy. Her experiences shed light on the emotional resilience required to navigate such a profound personal transformation. The conversation underscores the vital role of early detection, the necessity of a strong support system, and the joy of living with gratitude and intent. Tune in to find encouragement, whether you're personally battling breast cancer or seeking inspiration to live life to the fullest.
Thank you for tuning in to "Beyond the Game"! We hope you found valuable insights into the world of sports medicine and the importance of health and wellness in athletics. Remember, whether you're an athlete, a parent, or a sports enthusiast, this podcast is designed for you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (00:00):
Hey everybody, welcome to Beyond the
Game podcast.
This is your host, Ddr BrandonHardin.
I have a very, very specialguest with me today.
She's become more of a friendand I asked her to come on today
to talk about saving the boobsand, realistically, I'm going to
ask her opinion on that,because there are patients out
(00:20):
there who've had radicalmastectomies and, unfortunately,
who couldn't save the boobs,right.
So, in all seriousness, it isOctober, go pink, right.
This is Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth and that's what we're
here to talk about.
I have again my good friend,ebecca Bird here with me today
and she's going to share alittle bit about her experiences
beyond the game of beatingcancer, right?
(00:43):
So, ebecca, how are you?
Rebecca Byrd (00:47):
I'm doing well doing well.
I'm doing well good right nowI'm doing okay right now you're
doing.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (00:52):
Okay, it has its ebbs and flows right up and
down.
Rebecca Byrd (00:55):
Yes, yeah, every day is different.
So, yeah, you take the winswhen you get it.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (01:01):
Yeah, yeah yeah, you got to spread your
wings when you can, that's right.
Right, You're cool with kind ofsharing your story.
You wanted to come on and letpeople know.
One that it's okay, but two,you know you can't really talk
about something unless you'vebeen through it yourself, right?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, you've been through it, right?
So?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (01:20):
that's what we're going to talk about.
So a little bit of introductionand background.
Can you share a little bitabout your life prior to being
diagnosed with breast cancer,like what were your passions and
priorities at that time?
Rebecca Byrd (01:37):
Well, I would like to think that I was just a
normal person.
I exercised, I ate good, I wasprobably in the best health that
I had been in for a long timeand I was still in my honeymoon
phase.
I got married in 2012.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, we're still honeymooning.
Rebecca Byrd (01:58):
It's my first marriage.
That's beautiful, so yeah.
So I mean just spending timewith my husband and doing life
you know yeah.
And, like I said, I wasprobably the healthiest that I
had been.
I was in a good place.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (02:13):
Yeah, and you thought hey life is good.
Rebecca Byrd (02:16):
Life is good Strolling along, yes.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (02:18):
Yeah, yeah.
So what was your initialreaction then when you received
the news that you had breastcancer?
Rebecca Byrd (02:28):
We had just returned from a trip to Florida
for my husband's birthday.
Yeah, so it was a littleweekend getaway trip and I went
into my portal and looked at thereport because I had found a
lump.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (02:44):
So it started with a lump on itself.
I found it.
Rebecca Byrd (02:50):
And so I had gotten a mammogram and gotten
the.
I had to get a diagnosticmammogram because they couldn't
do the regular, because therewas an obvious issue.
So I didn't read the report allweekend but I read it Sunday
night when we were home and itsaid it looked like it appeared
(03:11):
to say that I had breast cancer.
And so I was like you know,talking to my husband, honey, it
looks like you know they'resaying I have breast cancer and
it was like okay.
And so we together was likeokay, god's got a plan and it's
a good plan.
Whether I live or whether I die, I win.
And I just wanted to representGod well through my diagnosis.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (03:35):
Absolutely so.
What did that diagnosis looklike?
What stage were you at whenthey found it?
Rebecca Byrd (03:41):
I was stage three, triple negative, which is the
worst you could get.
Well, stage four would be worse, but you know triple negative
is the kind that spreads fast,that you know it's harder to
treat, there's not a lot ofoptions to treat it and you
(04:03):
can't block it from coming back.
Triple negative means it'snegative for hormones, so I
can't take a hormone blocker toblock it from coming back.
So I just have to be diligentwith my you know scans and
things of that nature too, andchemo and all of that, oh yeah
yeah, yeah, we had to throweverything at it and so triple
(04:24):
negative.
That's what you do.
You throw everything at it.
You know there's only basicallyone treatment for triple
negative.
Right, yeah, so yeah and that'sthe strongest chemo that you
can get.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (04:37):
Which is like I can't ever have that chemo again
, because if I had it again itkill me so yeah yeah yeah, it's
a little scary to think aboutabsolutely you know, but you,
just you do what you have to do.
You, you make the choice.
(04:57):
Do I want to fight it?
Do I want to, you know, do whatI can to live right, knowing
that it's going to be a longroad, knowing that it's going to
be hell to get through.
Yeah, um, and, and it it was,I'm sure it was.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely you didyes glory to god.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (05:19):
That is amazing.
Yeah, she.
You guys can't see her rightnow, but she's wearing a pink
sparkly shirt.
She has pink undertones it'scalled ombre in her hair and
she's got the most sparkly bootsthat I've ever seen.
They're amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Rookie gloves yeah, they're awesome.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (05:39):
So I have to tell you guys, she's in such
great spirits and it's so niceto see that.
And when I asked her to come onthe show, she started in such
great spirits and it's so niceto see that.
And when I asked her to come onthe show, she started crying
and tearing up and she said youknow, god had placed me here to
attest to what I've been through, so that other people can hear
my story, and that is the reasonwhy we're here.
That's the reason why I want tobring this podcast to you guys,
(06:00):
so that you all know what lifeis like beyond the game.
And it really was a game foryou, right?
You didn't know what theoutcome was going to be.
Just like in any football game,I can't predict the outcome.
That's why people bet on it,and you were betting on life.
Rebecca Byrd (06:14):
I was betting on life.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (06:15):
And you were praying hard.
I was betting on God, yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (06:18):
Praying yes.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (06:25):
And I had a lot of people brainwashed.
Absolutely yeah, warrior,that's what I, that's what comes
to mind, you know.
So, through that, that journeyand having that diagnosis, how
did you navigate the emotionaland psychological impact of
being diagnosed with cancerperiod?
Rebecca Byrd (06:39):
Um, well, you know , like, like I said, I, I I went
into it saying that whether Ilive or whether I die, I win
Right this.
Of course, that was before Iknew how bad it was, but I had
already had that mindset.
(07:00):
So when I did figure out allthe ins and outs of you know, oh
, you have triple negative,which means we've got to throw
everything at it.
You know you didn't really havea choice as to what my
treatments were or that kind ofthing, like I had to have the
strongest chemo.
You know I couldn't havesurgery until after the tumors
trumped because they were solarge and just, you know, just
(07:23):
knowing all of that, you have toput in your mind okay, am I
gonna fight it, or am I justgonna live the rest of my life,
which they told me within fiveyears I would be dead if I'd got
no treatment?
right um, and I wanted to live.
(07:44):
And so you know, once youdecide you, once you have that
determination of, okay, I'mgonna do everything I can, yeah,
then that's what helped methrough, especially the hard
days, because there's a lot ofhard days with going through
(08:04):
treatments.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Right.
Rebecca Byrd (08:05):
A lot.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And I just kept telling myself this is just
temporary.
Right, this is just temporary.
Rebecca Byrd (08:11):
You know, I'm going to get past this.
I'm going to get through this.
This feeling that I'm feelingtoday, this is just temporary.
This sickness that I'm feelingtoday, this is just temporary.
This sickness that I'm feelingtoday, this is just temporary,
and and I that's how I made itthrough yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
It's a clever way to make it through.
Rebecca Byrd (08:26):
Yeah.
Day by day, but also hour byhour, like feeling by feeling,
uh, sickness by sickness.
However, you have to do it, you.
You have to focus on just whatyou're going through, right then
, yeah, and you have to do it,you.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (08:43):
You have to focus on just what you're going
through right then, yeah, andyou have to.
What's in front of you, what'sin front of me right now?
Yeah, exactly.
Wow.
So can you walk us through thatprocess of deciding on your
treatment plan like did?
Were there factors of influence?
I know you were newly married,so that probably was at the
forefront.
And then second, I mean, I'mnot really sure of anybody who
just says no, I want to die.
So what were a few factors thatinfluenced your decision to
(09:04):
take on treatment?
Rebecca Byrd (09:06):
My grandkids.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (09:07):
Sure.
Rebecca Byrd (09:08):
I have two grandsons.
I was never able to havechildren just because of other
female issues that I had, and somy husband had two grown
daughters, and one of them hastwo sons, and so I have two
grandsons and I determined thatI wanted to see them grow up.
(09:30):
I wanted to see them getmarried.
I wanted to see them havechildren.
Not only that I'm newly married, in my mind I'm newly married.
I wanted to grow old with mymind.
I'm newly married.
I wanted to grow old with myhusband, and so there was only
(09:52):
either do this treatment,because I didn't have any
options.
I had to do the strongesttreatment or not do anything.
So that was my only choice, andit really wasn't a choice.
I had determined that I wantedto live, and so I chose the
treatment.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (10:06):
Yeah, you want to plug your doctor who
helped you through it.
Rebecca Byrd (10:10):
Dr Minhas is the best doctor ever.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (10:13):
Dr Minhas.
Rebecca Byrd (10:16):
When they first sent me to Dr Minhas I'd never
heard of him before.
You hear of the other bigdoctors at Memorial, the cancer
doctors and I'm not knockinganybody because Memorial has an
awesome cancer facility.
They were wonderful through allthe treatment.
But I'd never heard of DrMenthos.
So I did some research and hehad studied in roswell, new
(10:41):
mexico and I'm like dude, if heworked on aliens, then I am so
good.
Now he said he never worked onaliens but I was like could you
tell me if?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
he did like you know he um.
Rebecca Byrd (10:56):
He's also a hematologist, so yes he, he,
he's also a hematologist.
So, yes, he, he was justwonderful and he is moved away
now he's in Texas.
But he, he was.
He was so up on all of thetreatments and doing research
and and every time I would callhim and have a symptom of this
or that, like we would tweakthings and we would.
(11:18):
You, you know what I mean.
Like he was so up on all of thestuff and so I told him he was
answered prayer and he, you knowhe was, because you know that
night that I found that we readthe report.
I mean we prayed over my team.
And then, you know, when I gotsent to Dr Mennhaus, I knew the
(11:40):
first time that we met that thiswas where I needed to be and
his team and he was wonderfulthrough the whole thing that is
incredible.
I love that, yeah, yeah him, andGod got me through yes, yeah
yeah so what was your experiencelike through the chemotherapy,
through the treatment?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (12:00):
Were there any unexpected challenges that
you faced?
I know you think, oh well, justlike anybody else, I'm going to
be sick, but were thereanything that hit you in the
face?
All of a sudden You're like oh,wasn't expecting that.
How did you navigate throughchemo?
Rebecca Byrd (12:16):
It was tough.
Yeah, it was tough.
I had just about every symptomthat you I mean every side
effect that you can have.
Yeah, um, you know from, I gotheart problems now that I never
had before, stomach issues likegoing through.
You know, chemo did its job inkilling the cancer, but it also
(12:38):
damaged some good stuff insideme too.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (12:40):
Yeah, it's systemic yeah yeah and so, but
I'm alive.
Rebecca Byrd (12:44):
Yeah, I'm not complaining about that.
I'm thankful for what the chemodid right, but it is poison
that you're putting in your bodyyeah and so there are effects.
You know my fingerprints don'twork all the time.
I still have neuropathy in myfingers, you know.
So that with you know just allthe side effects that you have
(13:05):
to deal with, not knowing whichside effects that you're going
to get or that's going to arise,you just have to take it as you
go.
Yeah, um, but one thing I diddo through treatments was I did
my best to get out of bed everyday.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yes, Movement is key.
Rebecca Byrd (13:25):
You know now, there were days that I did stay
in bed.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (13:28):
But most every day I got up, went into work, even
if it was just for an hour ortwo, but I did my best to get
out of bed every day and thathelped me tremendously even if
it was just going into theliving room and sitting in the
living room, like you know,going for a walk outside in the.
(13:52):
You know, of course I had towatch the Sun because you can't
get inside when you're goingthrough chemo because you know
you can get sun damage.
But you know things like that,like you have to find the
strength to do those things, toget out of bed.
Like if you're fighting to tolive, then you need to live yeah
(14:13):
, yeah, yeah.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (14:13):
gotta get up and do it one foot in front of
the other, move forward.
Yeah that's right.
How did you cope with the sideeffects of chemo, both
physically and emotionally, anddid you have a good support
system in place?
Rebecca Byrd (14:27):
Yes, my husband was the best.
Yeah, like he was so good, um,and he helped me tremendously.
Now he was working, you know,through this, so you know he
wasn't at home all the timetaking care of me.
I had friends.
You know one friend inparticular that would call me
(14:48):
every single day and check on mejust to make sure I was okay.
I had friends that would comeand clean my house.
Friends that would, you know,mow my yard Sure, in the house,
friends that would mow my yard.
But the most important was Ihad friends that prayed for me,
(15:10):
prayed for me, and you don'trealize that's what was holding
me up on my hard days.
The Bible says that when we'reweak, god is strong, and I felt
the strength through thosepeople that were praying for me
that's that's yes, that's whathelped me through the the side
(15:32):
effects of the chemo.
Yes, you know not being able toeat.
You know not being able to eat.
You know everything tasted likemetal, things that they don't
tell you.
You know as you're goingthrough it, but you know things
you figure out as you go.
Okay, I can't eat anything Like.
The only things that I wouldeat was like scrambled eggs with
(15:56):
toast, oatmeal and toast, andthe weirdest thing was box
macaroni and cheese likeprocessed, but I don't know if
it was.
You know something in the chemothat called you to cause me to
be able to trade that yeah thecheese, the salt, the something
right, but yeah so just weirdstuff like that.
but yeah, the side effects, likeI, I got just about every side
(16:20):
effect there was and so we hadto tweak things.
We had to add more medicationto counteract the side effects
and that kind of stuff A lot ofZofran, a lot of steroids.
That's what I weigh now, butthat's okay, I'm alive, and so
I'm not complaining about thateither.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (16:41):
Right, I totally get that too.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yes.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (16:44):
In what ways has your perspective on life
changed since being diagnosed?
Rebecca Byrd (16:54):
I appreciate being in the moment, I appreciate
being able to, um, you know,cruising the coast was just this
last week and, um, I was ableto go, and you know, we went to
the concert, the MollyGreenwalds.
We loved Molly Greenwalds, um,and so it's me and my sister and
(17:15):
her husband and my sister'sdaughter, and then her daughter,
and, and you know, we were justall dancing and just having a
good time and I immediatelythought I would not have been
able to do this if I would havedied, you know, and so it just
made me, it makes me appreciatethe times that I have with
(17:38):
friends and family and myhusband and my grandkids, and I
just I'm so thankful to be alive.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (17:46):
So thankful to be able to have those moments with,
with people.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (17:50):
Yeah, Just you know.
So that was my next question.
Yeah, Any lessons or insights,and that's good insight, you
know, for somebody who's thatill to look at things and go, I
am just so thankful to be here.
Yes, you know, I think a lot ofpeople take the simple things
for granted.
Yes, right, yes.
Rebecca Byrd (18:09):
Yeah.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (18:09):
Yes, that's awesome.
Yeah, so what's life like today?
I mean, how are you doing bothphysically and emotionally today
?
Rebecca Byrd (18:18):
I still have a lot of issues with my body.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (18:23):
You know, I have more migraines.
I have just still neuropathy inmy feet and my hands so I'm not
able to exercise like I used to.
I'm not able to go on my longwalks like I used to.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
So it's physically changed you, but physically it
physically changed you.
Rebecca Byrd (18:39):
Physically it has changed me.
Emotionally.
I think I'm stronger.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I believe I'm stronger emotionally yeah sure,
just because you have to be, youhave to be, you know.
Rebecca Byrd (18:54):
I was able to make it when a lot of people don't
Right.
And you know, survivor's guiltis something too that I have had
to struggle with.
Yeah, you know, because there'sa lot of people that had a
lesser diagnosis than me thatpassed away.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (19:16):
And it's like you know you question that in a
sense as to okay, but then youlook at it too and you say, okay
, well, god obviously needed mehere for for more.
So why not appreciate every day?
Why not appreciate life?
Because I'm here for a reason,so god allowed me to to be.
(19:39):
They'll never say I'm cancerfree, but no evidence of disease
in my body.
And so I want to, I want to, Iwant to make sure that I am
(20:00):
using this life yes, for thebetter.
You know what I'm saying Likebecause obviously I'm here for a
reason.
Yeah, that's right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (20:10):
Yeah, you're a tool.
I am a tool, right, god's tool.
He's using you, just like he isright now, to elaborate on
what's going on, how you'redoing today and how it can help
other people yes, especiallythose who have breast cancer.
Rebecca Byrd (20:24):
Yes, yeah, especially those that are going
through the fight right now.
Yes, right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (20:28):
Tell us about your surgical process.
You know, in the beginning Isaid save the boobs.
Yes, talk a little bit aboutthat.
I know that was probably themost radical thing you've had to
go through other than beingtold hey you have triple
negative breast cancer.
Rebecca Byrd (20:48):
Yeah Right, you know I had had a tumor removed
out of each breast back in 2012,which was benign, and I believe
back then I had already in mymind had those come back.
As cancer said we were going totake them both.
(21:13):
They were benign, so we didn't.
You know, we did the gene testback then.
I have no mutation and so,since I had, done that, you know
when I got diagnosed in 2021,.
it was like, okay, well, I hadalready basically said let's
(21:34):
just do it, and so I wasn'tgoing to try and keep one even
though it was only cancer in one.
I wasn't trying to keep theother one.
I didn't want it to because itwas triple negative to come back
easier and go into the otherone.
I just didn't want to give it avessel sure, I mean yeah so I
(21:56):
was like, okay, so I did the thedouble mastectomy after chemo
treatment, the first chemotreatment before radiation, and
I stayed flat for a year.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (22:09):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (22:10):
So I stayed flat for a year.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (22:13):
Did that mess with your psyche at all?
Rebecca Byrd (22:15):
No, actually I thought that it would bother me
more than what it did, but itreally did not.
Um, you know they have so many,like the falsies and that kind
of thing that you can get, and Idid not.
I did not miss them, which isthe weirdest thing.
Um, and so, after, after, aftermy other treatments, the
(22:39):
radiation and the chemo pillthat I had to take, then, once
my body healed, we talked aboutreconstruction.
Yep, and so I decided on thedeep flap reconstruction, which
is where they basically do atummy tuck, they take the skin
and the fat and they recreatethe breast and you did that here
(22:59):
locally and I did that herelocally, and we want to dr mace.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (23:03):
Oh my gosh, love them.
What an incredible circle, ohmy gosh.
Rebecca Byrd (23:07):
Both of them are just incredible doctors yes um,
now I've had some complicationswith that and I said, had I
known how difficult it was goingto be for the reconstruction, I
probably would have just stayedflat.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (23:26):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (23:27):
And it's a choice for people.
I'm not saying everybody needsto stay flat, I'm just saying,
had I known what I know nowabout how I didn't realize I was
going to have to have so manyphases of the reconstruction.
That's right, and I still don'tthink I'm finished.
Yeah, I'm actually seeing Dr.
Tiaz on Monday to talk moreabout what we can do to fix and
(23:51):
tweak and that kind of thing,but nothing against them.
It's just how your body healsafter the trauma of radiation
and you know the mastectomies,you know having to go deep and
this and that, and you knowremove everything right.
So you know there's just a lotto you have to you have to do
(24:14):
your research.
Do your research about what youfeel would be good for you,
because what's good for me maynot be good for the next person.
What works for me may not workfor the next person.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (24:27):
Right.
Rebecca Byrd (24:27):
And so you know, do your research.
But you know I love Dr Diaz andDr Mace.
It's just a lot of surgeries.
It is I've had eight or ninesurgeries.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (24:40):
So this whole thing, yeah, yeah, and I'm
probably not finished yeah, ithas to take a toll on your body,
right, and so that's why youknow with me.
Rebecca Byrd (24:49):
I mean I just turned 57.
I probably would have juststayed flat had I known it was
gonna be this this manysurgeries, but you know what?
I'm alive and I'm able to watchmy grandkids play soccer so you
know it's okay that's right,yeah, so what about community
(25:10):
involvement and advocacy forthose patients?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (25:13):
have you gotten involved in any support
groups or advocacy work sinceyour experience, and what does
that look like for you?
Rebecca Byrd (25:21):
Not really like groups.
I've shared my story atMemorial Hospital.
They did a write-up on me.
I've shared my story with theGulf Coast Women's Magazine,
with the Pink Hearts Fund overin Long Beach and now with the
podcast with you.
(25:42):
You know that's sharing my storywith people you know and my
friends sharing my story whenthey find out.
You know people come to me allthe time and they're like, hey,
I've got a friend that's goingthrough this.
You know, can you help me outwith helping her out?
Or you know whatever it is.
(26:08):
And so for my community that'sbeen a blessing that I've been
able to share and share my storyand be able to help others
through it any way I cannavigating, you know.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (26:14):
So you are an advocate.
Yeah, you are, yes, yes, yeah,absolutely, I mean you really
are.
You are yes, yes, yeah,absolutely, I mean you really
are.
So what message do you hope toshare with others who might be
going through a similar journeytoday?
Rebecca Byrd (26:28):
You know, take it one day.
It's such a weird cliche, sir.
It's such a weird cliche, buttake it day by day.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (26:39):
You know, just like what I was talking about, I
had to look at today, what Iwas going through today.
Okay, this is temporary.
You know I'm going to do thisto help me through this, or
whatever it is, and then listento your doctors.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (26:55):
Like.
You have got to do what yourdoctors tell you to do.
If you start having sideeffects, then tell them and
they'll tweak it.
But they have made this for you, for your cancer diagnosis, for
whatever it is.
They have made this for you.
(27:16):
So do what they say and thentweak the outcomes if you have
to.
You know, listen to yourdoctors, be your own advocate,
to do your research, not just.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Google.
Yeah, you know yeah, that's notthe.
Rebecca Byrd (27:33):
You know the National Cancer Society and see
the different things that youknow doctors have have posted on
that on that website and andjust just be your own advocate,
you know.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Speak up for yourself , yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (27:46):
And find a good support system.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (27:49):
Yeah, no, that's right.
I mean, support systems arehuge.
Yes, your husband your prayerwarriors, your friends your
family, yeah, warriors, yourfriends, your family, yeah, and
you know, for me, especially inmy office, I love being an
advocate for my patients andhopes that you know, always tell
somebody if.
(28:09):
If you need help other than youknow, I'm just I'm a
musculoskeletal doctor.
If you need help outside ofthat, I can help you get there.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (28:17):
Right, just being an advocate and a friend
to others.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, looking ahead, what areyour hopes and dreams for the
future?
I know you have two awesomegrandkids, yes.
What else do you look forwardto?
Rebecca Byrd (28:29):
You know, I am living my life.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (28:33):
You know, when I first found out that there was
no evidence of disease, I jumpedout of an airplane.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (28:40):
Oh nice no evidence of disease.
I jumped out of an airplane.
Rebecca Byrd (28:42):
Oh nice, like doing things that I've always
wanted to do but have just notdone it for life.
You know right, um, I joinedballet yes I'm 50, I just turned
57 and I just started ballet.
You know, I always wanted to beballet, I mean a ballerina,
when I was, you know, growing up, but we didn't have the money
for all that or all that stuff.
(29:03):
And then life happened, youknow, and so now I'm doing
ballet.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (29:09):
And now you're in the Nutcracker.
Rebecca Byrd (29:10):
I'm going to be in the Nutcracker for.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (29:12):
Christmas.
Rebecca Byrd (29:13):
Like you know, and so just you know, doing things
that I've always wanted to do,not putting things off, yeah,
things that I've always wantedto do, yeah, not putting things
off.
Yeah, you know, biggest lessonuse the, use the, the, the nice
perfume, wear the, the sparklyclothes.
Don't save stuff for specialoccasions.
Every day is a special occasion.
That's exactly right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (29:33):
you know I love that you said that, because
not a lot of people realizethis.
But for me, school and learningand having the ability to learn
has been the greatest gift Godhas given me, because I can help
other people and that's why Ithink there's a book called the
One.
If you read that book, it'llkind of help you explain what
(29:56):
you're here for.
The one thing you're here for,and mine, is to help others.
You know that, aside all ofhaving a family, three boys and
a girl, a wife, extended familyin Texas, and having to not
having to wanting to make surethat they're doing well, make
(30:19):
sure my patients are doing well,I'm back in medical school for
orthopedic surgery.
I know you got to keep living.
You got to keep living.
You don't put it off.
Don't put it off.
Right, yeah, and my wife a nursein school, you know.
So it translates over to whatyou just said Wear the nice
shoes.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (30:36):
Wear the beautiful perfume.
Rebecca Byrd (30:41):
You yeah where the beautiful perfume you live
every day to the fullest yeah, Ilove tomorrow's not promising
it's not given right nobody'sfrom.
I mean, you know it may not becancer that takes you out, but
it could be, you know, a carwreck there, anything, right
like you don't have to be sickto die that's right, so that is
exactly right, so everybodyshould live every day.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (31:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Live live.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (31:05):
I like that you don't have to be sick to die
.
Yeah, so true, so true.
So I noticed, um, you had somenotes in your phone.
I did.
Did you want to say somethingto the listeners and any final
thoughts you have that you'dlike to share that we haven't
covered?
Rebecca Byrd (31:25):
You know, just I think we've covered just mostly
everything.
Sure, I just wanted to justencourage people that you know,
you know your body more thananybody.
So if you feel like something'swrong, like say something yeah
you know, like, go get itchecked out.
It's better to to get itchecked out and it'd be nothing
(31:49):
than not getting checked out,and it'd be something yeah, that
you could have prevented yeahyou know, a lot of stuff is
preventable.
Some stuff isn't Triple negativebreast cancer is not
preventable, but because I didgo and get it checked out, I'm
(32:11):
here today.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (32:11):
That's right .
Rebecca Byrd (32:12):
You know.
So don't wait, don't put off,get your checkups.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (32:19):
Get your yearly checkups, get your mammograms,
get you know, do it and fightfor yourself because I know
insurance companies have, youknow, tried to cut back on
mammograms and tried to comeback on stuff when, when you
know breast cancer is explodingright now, you know they say one
in eight.
I think it might be a littlebit more than that I do too.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (32:39):
Disease is rampant it's, it's.
Rebecca Byrd (32:42):
I hear so often now of people getting breast
cancer so or any kind of cancer.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (32:48):
Um, but just you know, doctors are, are here
to help us yes yes, see yourdoctor yeah, let them be your
advocate, let them let them helpyou.
Rebecca Byrd (32:59):
Yes, absolutely.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (33:00):
You know, I teach for memorial hospital.
I'm on the sports medicine sideof things and they always hear
me telling my patients um theresidency.
They always hear me telling mypatients you have to advocate
for you.
You know what your knee feelslike.
I don't know what it feels like, right?
So when I'm doing this exam,when you let me know how that
feels you, how do you feel goingthrough the therapy you're
(33:21):
going through?
What does it look like?
And we have a psychologist inmy office and she's really good
with head trauma and coachingpatients through.
I'm not going to pretend to knowwhat's going on inside your
head.
I've had patients come to meand say, oh my God, doc, this is
career ending.
I will never get to where Iwant to go because I have and it
could be something as as smallas a knee sprain, but to them
(33:44):
it's huge.
You still have to be anadvocate for them, right.
So, moving forward, right,right.
I'd like to thank you so muchfor coming on and for giving the
value that that it deserves topatients who have either been
through what you've been throughor who are going through what
(34:06):
you're going through, or whohave not been through it and
unfortunately awaited.
Right Right, like you say, youdon't know.
You're on vacation for aweekend.
Come back and bam hit you inthe face.
There it is Bam, there it isyeah.
And bam itch you in the faceand there it is Bam, there it is
yeah.
So how can our listenersconnect with you or support
breast cancer awareness?
Rebecca Byrd (34:29):
What does that look like?
Well, just know that somepeople do not want to celebrate
October.
Right, a lot of people thathave gone through it, want to
forget it?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (34:44):
yeah, and that's okay.
Rebecca Byrd (34:45):
Yep, that's okay.
I'm not that type ofpersonality yeah, of course yeah
, I'm more of a.
I mean I'm very flamboyant, butbut I'm also.
I like to bring awarenessbecause I think that it helps
(35:05):
others to know that it's okay totalk about it.
It's okay to um get checked out.
You know it's okay to to askquestions.
You know especially people thathave friends or family members
that are going through it.
They don't know how to help.
(35:25):
You know there's so many peoplethat would ask me.
You know what can I do to help,what can I do to help, and you
know it's hard to know what toask people to help you with.
Sure, especially amidst chaoshelp you with, sure, especially
amidst chaos, especially in themiddle of it, yeah, and so now I
can see back and say, okay,well, you know, it really helped
when y'all came and cleaned thehouse it really helped when
(35:47):
y'all brought food because youknow I'm not cooking, you know,
um, so things like that, um, youknow.
Those are the kind of thingsthat I think October is good at
bringing awareness, because ithelps people to understand that
it is okay to talk about it.
(36:08):
It is okay, and if people wantto get in touch with me, they
can email me, they can call meor call you and get my
information, I am an open book.
I'll be glad to to talk toanybody or answer any questions
or, you know, help in any waythat I can you may be getting a
(36:30):
thousand phone calls after this.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (36:32):
She said that is fine.
That is fine.
Oh, you're such a beautifulperson.
You know that you really are,and I appreciate you from the
bottom of my heart for coming onto the show and talking about
something so difficult.
But you, triumphantly, wereraised above that and you're
still here and you're stillloving life, love life, yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (36:55):
Loving God, loving people, absolutely Love God,
love people.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (36:59):
That's all we got to do.
So in closing, guys, as Ialways say, life is a sport.
It truly never ends.
The journey truly never ends.
So stick with us on the nextpodcast, please.
We will have a politician, ifwe can use that word super
loosely.
She is a great friend of mine.
(37:19):
Do not consider her apolitician.
Consider her more like we justtalked about a confidant or an
advocate for other people.
She is Judge Jennifer Schlobel.
She's a Chantry Court judgehere in Harrison County who is
running for Court of Appeals.
So you definitely don't want tomiss this one, guys.
Stay tuned, and we hope to seeyou next time.
(37:41):
This one, guys.
Stay tuned and we hope to seeyou next time.
Hey everybody, welcome to Beyond the
Game podcast.
This is your host, Ddr BrandonHardin.
I have a very, very specialguest with me today.
She's become more of a friendand I asked her to come on today
to talk about saving the boobsand, realistically, I'm going to
ask her opinion on that,because there are patients out
(00:20):
there who've had radicalmastectomies and, unfortunately,
who couldn't save the boobs,right.
So, in all seriousness, it isOctober, go pink, right.
This is Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth and that's what we're
here to talk about.
I have again my good friend,ebecca Bird here with me today
and she's going to share alittle bit about her experiences
beyond the game of beatingcancer, right?
(00:43):
So, ebecca, how are you?
Rebecca Byrd (00:47):
I'm doing well doing well.
I'm doing well good right nowI'm doing okay right now you're
doing.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (00:52):
Okay, it has its ebbs and flows right up and
down.
Rebecca Byrd (00:55):
Yes, yeah, every day is different.
So, yeah, you take the winswhen you get it.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (01:01):
Yeah, yeah yeah, you got to spread your
wings when you can, that's right.
Right, You're cool with kind ofsharing your story.
You wanted to come on and letpeople know.
One that it's okay, but two,you know you can't really talk
about something unless you'vebeen through it yourself, right?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, you've been through it, right?
So?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (01:20):
that's what we're going to talk about.
So a little bit of introductionand background.
Can you share a little bitabout your life prior to being
diagnosed with breast cancer,like what were your passions and
priorities at that time?
Rebecca Byrd (01:37):
Well, I would like to think that I was just a
normal person.
I exercised, I ate good, I wasprobably in the best health that
I had been in for a long timeand I was still in my honeymoon
phase.
I got married in 2012.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, we're still honeymooning.
Rebecca Byrd (01:58):
It's my first marriage.
That's beautiful, so yeah.
So I mean just spending timewith my husband and doing life
you know yeah.
And, like I said, I wasprobably the healthiest that I
had been.
I was in a good place.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (02:13):
Yeah, and you thought hey life is good.
Rebecca Byrd (02:16):
Life is good Strolling along, yes.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (02:18):
Yeah, yeah.
So what was your initialreaction then when you received
the news that you had breastcancer?
Rebecca Byrd (02:28):
We had just returned from a trip to Florida
for my husband's birthday.
Yeah, so it was a littleweekend getaway trip and I went
into my portal and looked at thereport because I had found a
lump.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (02:44):
So it started with a lump on itself.
I found it.
Rebecca Byrd (02:50):
And so I had gotten a mammogram and gotten
the.
I had to get a diagnosticmammogram because they couldn't
do the regular, because therewas an obvious issue.
So I didn't read the report allweekend but I read it Sunday
night when we were home and itsaid it looked like it appeared
(03:11):
to say that I had breast cancer.
And so I was like you know,talking to my husband, honey, it
looks like you know they'resaying I have breast cancer and
it was like okay.
And so we together was likeokay, god's got a plan and it's
a good plan.
Whether I live or whether I die, I win.
And I just wanted to representGod well through my diagnosis.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (03:35):
Absolutely so.
What did that diagnosis looklike?
What stage were you at whenthey found it?
Rebecca Byrd (03:41):
I was stage three, triple negative, which is the
worst you could get.
Well, stage four would be worse, but you know triple negative
is the kind that spreads fast,that you know it's harder to
treat, there's not a lot ofoptions to treat it and you
(04:03):
can't block it from coming back.
Triple negative means it'snegative for hormones, so I
can't take a hormone blocker toblock it from coming back.
So I just have to be diligentwith my you know scans and
things of that nature too, andchemo and all of that, oh yeah
yeah, yeah, we had to throweverything at it and so triple
(04:24):
negative.
That's what you do.
You throw everything at it.
You know there's only basicallyone treatment for triple
negative.
Right, yeah, so yeah and that'sthe strongest chemo that you
can get.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (04:37):
Which is like I can't ever have that chemo again
, because if I had it again itkill me so yeah yeah yeah, it's
a little scary to think aboutabsolutely you know, but you,
just you do what you have to do.
You, you make the choice.
(04:57):
Do I want to fight it?
Do I want to, you know, do whatI can to live right, knowing
that it's going to be a longroad, knowing that it's going to
be hell to get through.
Yeah, um, and, and it it was,I'm sure it was.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely you didyes glory to god.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (05:19):
That is amazing.
Yeah, she.
You guys can't see her rightnow, but she's wearing a pink
sparkly shirt.
She has pink undertones it'scalled ombre in her hair and
she's got the most sparkly bootsthat I've ever seen.
They're amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Rookie gloves yeah, they're awesome.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (05:39):
So I have to tell you guys, she's in such
great spirits and it's so niceto see that.
And when I asked her to come onthe show, she started in such
great spirits and it's so niceto see that.
And when I asked her to come onthe show, she started crying
and tearing up and she said youknow, god had placed me here to
attest to what I've been through, so that other people can hear
my story, and that is the reasonwhy we're here.
That's the reason why I want tobring this podcast to you guys,
(06:00):
so that you all know what lifeis like beyond the game.
And it really was a game foryou, right?
You didn't know what theoutcome was going to be.
Just like in any football game,I can't predict the outcome.
That's why people bet on it,and you were betting on life.
Rebecca Byrd (06:14):
I was betting on life.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (06:15):
And you were praying hard.
I was betting on God, yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (06:18):
Praying yes.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (06:25):
And I had a lot of people brainwashed.
Absolutely yeah, warrior,that's what I, that's what comes
to mind, you know.
So, through that, that journeyand having that diagnosis, how
did you navigate the emotionaland psychological impact of
being diagnosed with cancerperiod?
Rebecca Byrd (06:39):
Um, well, you know , like, like I said, I, I I went
into it saying that whether Ilive or whether I die, I win
Right this.
Of course, that was before Iknew how bad it was, but I had
already had that mindset.
(07:00):
So when I did figure out allthe ins and outs of you know, oh
, you have triple negative,which means we've got to throw
everything at it.
You know you didn't really havea choice as to what my
treatments were or that kind ofthing, like I had to have the
strongest chemo.
You know I couldn't havesurgery until after the tumors
trumped because they were solarge and just, you know, just
(07:23):
knowing all of that, you have toput in your mind okay, am I
gonna fight it, or am I justgonna live the rest of my life,
which they told me within fiveyears I would be dead if I'd got
no treatment?
right um, and I wanted to live.
(07:44):
And so you know, once youdecide you, once you have that
determination of, okay, I'mgonna do everything I can, yeah,
then that's what helped methrough, especially the hard
days, because there's a lot ofhard days with going through
(08:04):
treatments.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Right.
Rebecca Byrd (08:05):
A lot.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And I just kept telling myself this is just
temporary.
Right, this is just temporary.
Rebecca Byrd (08:11):
You know, I'm going to get past this.
I'm going to get through this.
This feeling that I'm feelingtoday, this is just temporary.
This sickness that I'm feelingtoday, this is just temporary.
This sickness that I'm feelingtoday, this is just temporary,
and and I that's how I made itthrough yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
It's a clever way to make it through.
Rebecca Byrd (08:26):
Yeah.
Day by day, but also hour byhour, like feeling by feeling,
uh, sickness by sickness.
However, you have to do it, you.
You have to focus on just whatyou're going through, right then
, yeah, and you have to do it,you.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (08:43):
You have to focus on just what you're going
through right then, yeah, andyou have to.
What's in front of you, what'sin front of me right now?
Yeah, exactly.
Wow.
So can you walk us through thatprocess of deciding on your
treatment plan like did?
Were there factors of influence?
I know you were newly married,so that probably was at the
forefront.
And then second, I mean, I'mnot really sure of anybody who
just says no, I want to die.
So what were a few factors thatinfluenced your decision to
(09:04):
take on treatment?
Rebecca Byrd (09:06):
My grandkids.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (09:07):
Sure.
Rebecca Byrd (09:08):
I have two grandsons.
I was never able to havechildren just because of other
female issues that I had, and somy husband had two grown
daughters, and one of them hastwo sons, and so I have two
grandsons and I determined thatI wanted to see them grow up.
(09:30):
I wanted to see them getmarried.
I wanted to see them havechildren.
Not only that I'm newly married, in my mind I'm newly married.
I wanted to grow old with mymind.
I'm newly married.
I wanted to grow old with myhusband, and so there was only
(09:52):
either do this treatment,because I didn't have any
options.
I had to do the strongesttreatment or not do anything.
So that was my only choice, andit really wasn't a choice.
I had determined that I wantedto live, and so I chose the
treatment.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (10:06):
Yeah, you want to plug your doctor who
helped you through it.
Rebecca Byrd (10:10):
Dr Minhas is the best doctor ever.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (10:13):
Dr Minhas.
Rebecca Byrd (10:16):
When they first sent me to Dr Minhas I'd never
heard of him before.
You hear of the other bigdoctors at Memorial, the cancer
doctors and I'm not knockinganybody because Memorial has an
awesome cancer facility.
They were wonderful through allthe treatment.
But I'd never heard of DrMenthos.
So I did some research and hehad studied in roswell, new
(10:41):
mexico and I'm like dude, if heworked on aliens, then I am so
good.
Now he said he never worked onaliens but I was like could you
tell me if?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
he did like you know he um.
Rebecca Byrd (10:56):
He's also a hematologist, so yes he, he,
he's also a hematologist.
So, yes, he, he was justwonderful and he is moved away
now he's in Texas.
But he, he was.
He was so up on all of thetreatments and doing research
and and every time I would callhim and have a symptom of this
or that, like we would tweakthings and we would.
(11:18):
You, you know what I mean.
Like he was so up on all of thestuff and so I told him he was
answered prayer and he, you knowhe was, because you know that
night that I found that we readthe report.
I mean we prayed over my team.
And then, you know, when I gotsent to Dr Mennhaus, I knew the
(11:40):
first time that we met that thiswas where I needed to be and
his team and he was wonderfulthrough the whole thing that is
incredible.
I love that, yeah, yeah him, andGod got me through yes, yeah
yeah so what was your experiencelike through the chemotherapy,
through the treatment?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (12:00):
Were there any unexpected challenges that
you faced?
I know you think, oh well, justlike anybody else, I'm going to
be sick, but were thereanything that hit you in the
face?
All of a sudden You're like oh,wasn't expecting that.
How did you navigate throughchemo?
Rebecca Byrd (12:16):
It was tough.
Yeah, it was tough.
I had just about every symptomthat you I mean every side
effect that you can have.
Yeah, um, you know from, I gotheart problems now that I never
had before, stomach issues likegoing through.
You know, chemo did its job inkilling the cancer, but it also
(12:38):
damaged some good stuff insideme too.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (12:40):
Yeah, it's systemic yeah yeah and so, but
I'm alive.
Rebecca Byrd (12:44):
Yeah, I'm not complaining about that.
I'm thankful for what the chemodid right, but it is poison
that you're putting in your bodyyeah and so there are effects.
You know my fingerprints don'twork all the time.
I still have neuropathy in myfingers, you know.
So that with you know just allthe side effects that you have
(13:05):
to deal with, not knowing whichside effects that you're going
to get or that's going to arise,you just have to take it as you
go.
Yeah, um, but one thing I diddo through treatments was I did
my best to get out of bed everyday.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yes, Movement is key.
Rebecca Byrd (13:25):
You know now, there were days that I did stay
in bed.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (13:28):
But most every day I got up, went into work, even
if it was just for an hour ortwo, but I did my best to get
out of bed every day and thathelped me tremendously even if
it was just going into theliving room and sitting in the
living room, like you know,going for a walk outside in the.
(13:52):
You know, of course I had towatch the Sun because you can't
get inside when you're goingthrough chemo because you know
you can get sun damage.
But you know things like that,like you have to find the
strength to do those things, toget out of bed.
Like if you're fighting to tolive, then you need to live yeah
(14:13):
, yeah, yeah.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (14:13):
gotta get up and do it one foot in front of
the other, move forward.
Yeah that's right.
How did you cope with the sideeffects of chemo, both
physically and emotionally, anddid you have a good support
system in place?
Rebecca Byrd (14:27):
Yes, my husband was the best.
Yeah, like he was so good, um,and he helped me tremendously.
Now he was working, you know,through this, so you know he
wasn't at home all the timetaking care of me.
I had friends.
You know one friend inparticular that would call me
(14:48):
every single day and check on mejust to make sure I was okay.
I had friends that would comeand clean my house.
Friends that would, you know,mow my yard Sure, in the house,
friends that would mow my yard.
But the most important was Ihad friends that prayed for me,
(15:10):
prayed for me, and you don'trealize that's what was holding
me up on my hard days.
The Bible says that when we'reweak, god is strong, and I felt
the strength through thosepeople that were praying for me
that's that's yes, that's whathelped me through the the side
(15:32):
effects of the chemo.
Yes, you know not being able toeat.
You know not being able to eat.
You know everything tasted likemetal, things that they don't
tell you.
You know as you're goingthrough it, but you know things
you figure out as you go.
Okay, I can't eat anything Like.
The only things that I wouldeat was like scrambled eggs with
(15:56):
toast, oatmeal and toast, andthe weirdest thing was box
macaroni and cheese likeprocessed, but I don't know if
it was.
You know something in the chemothat called you to cause me to
be able to trade that yeah thecheese, the salt, the something
right, but yeah so just weirdstuff like that.
but yeah, the side effects, likeI, I got just about every side
(16:20):
effect there was and so we hadto tweak things.
We had to add more medicationto counteract the side effects
and that kind of stuff A lot ofZofran, a lot of steroids.
That's what I weigh now, butthat's okay, I'm alive, and so
I'm not complaining about thateither.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (16:41):
Right, I totally get that too.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yes.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (16:44):
In what ways has your perspective on life
changed since being diagnosed?
Rebecca Byrd (16:54):
I appreciate being in the moment, I appreciate
being able to, um, you know,cruising the coast was just this
last week and, um, I was ableto go, and you know, we went to
the concert, the MollyGreenwalds.
We loved Molly Greenwalds, um,and so it's me and my sister and
(17:15):
her husband and my sister'sdaughter, and then her daughter,
and, and you know, we were justall dancing and just having a
good time and I immediatelythought I would not have been
able to do this if I would havedied, you know, and so it just
made me, it makes me appreciatethe times that I have with
(17:38):
friends and family and myhusband and my grandkids, and I
just I'm so thankful to be alive.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (17:46):
So thankful to be able to have those moments with,
with people.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (17:50):
Yeah, Just you know.
So that was my next question.
Yeah, Any lessons or insights,and that's good insight, you
know, for somebody who's thatill to look at things and go, I
am just so thankful to be here.
Yes, you know, I think a lot ofpeople take the simple things
for granted.
Yes, right, yes.
Rebecca Byrd (18:09):
Yeah.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (18:09):
Yes, that's awesome.
Yeah, so what's life like today?
I mean, how are you doing bothphysically and emotionally today
?
Rebecca Byrd (18:18):
I still have a lot of issues with my body.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (18:23):
You know, I have more migraines.
I have just still neuropathy inmy feet and my hands so I'm not
able to exercise like I used to.
I'm not able to go on my longwalks like I used to.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
So it's physically changed you, but physically it
physically changed you.
Rebecca Byrd (18:39):
Physically it has changed me.
Emotionally.
I think I'm stronger.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I believe I'm stronger emotionally yeah sure,
just because you have to be, youhave to be, you know.
Rebecca Byrd (18:54):
I was able to make it when a lot of people don't
Right.
And you know, survivor's guiltis something too that I have had
to struggle with.
Yeah, you know, because there'sa lot of people that had a
lesser diagnosis than me thatpassed away.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (19:16):
And it's like you know you question that in a
sense as to okay, but then youlook at it too and you say, okay
, well, god obviously needed mehere for for more.
So why not appreciate every day?
Why not appreciate life?
Because I'm here for a reason,so god allowed me to to be.
(19:39):
They'll never say I'm cancerfree, but no evidence of disease
in my body.
And so I want to, I want to, Iwant to make sure that I am
(20:00):
using this life yes, for thebetter.
You know what I'm saying Likebecause obviously I'm here for a
reason.
Yeah, that's right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (20:10):
Yeah, you're a tool.
I am a tool, right, god's tool.
He's using you, just like he isright now, to elaborate on
what's going on, how you'redoing today and how it can help
other people yes, especiallythose who have breast cancer.
Rebecca Byrd (20:24):
Yes, yeah, especially those that are going
through the fight right now.
Yes, right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (20:28):
Tell us about your surgical process.
You know, in the beginning Isaid save the boobs.
Yes, talk a little bit aboutthat.
I know that was probably themost radical thing you've had to
go through other than beingtold hey you have triple
negative breast cancer.
Rebecca Byrd (20:48):
Yeah Right, you know I had had a tumor removed
out of each breast back in 2012,which was benign, and I believe
back then I had already in mymind had those come back.
As cancer said we were going totake them both.
(21:13):
They were benign, so we didn't.
You know, we did the gene testback then.
I have no mutation and so,since I had, done that, you know
when I got diagnosed in 2021,.
it was like, okay, well, I hadalready basically said let's
(21:34):
just do it, and so I wasn'tgoing to try and keep one even
though it was only cancer in one.
I wasn't trying to keep theother one.
I didn't want it to because itwas triple negative to come back
easier and go into the otherone.
I just didn't want to give it avessel sure, I mean yeah so I
(21:56):
was like, okay, so I did the thedouble mastectomy after chemo
treatment, the first chemotreatment before radiation, and
I stayed flat for a year.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (22:09):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (22:10):
So I stayed flat for a year.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (22:13):
Did that mess with your psyche at all?
Rebecca Byrd (22:15):
No, actually I thought that it would bother me
more than what it did, but itreally did not.
Um, you know they have so many,like the falsies and that kind
of thing that you can get, and Idid not.
I did not miss them, which isthe weirdest thing.
Um, and so, after, after, aftermy other treatments, the
(22:39):
radiation and the chemo pillthat I had to take, then, once
my body healed, we talked aboutreconstruction.
Yep, and so I decided on thedeep flap reconstruction, which
is where they basically do atummy tuck, they take the skin
and the fat and they recreatethe breast and you did that here
(22:59):
locally and I did that herelocally, and we want to dr mace.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (23:03):
Oh my gosh, love them.
What an incredible circle, ohmy gosh.
Rebecca Byrd (23:07):
Both of them are just incredible doctors yes um,
now I've had some complicationswith that and I said, had I
known how difficult it was goingto be for the reconstruction, I
probably would have just stayedflat.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (23:26):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (23:27):
And it's a choice for people.
I'm not saying everybody needsto stay flat, I'm just saying,
had I known what I know nowabout how I didn't realize I was
going to have to have so manyphases of the reconstruction.
That's right, and I still don'tthink I'm finished.
Yeah, I'm actually seeing Dr.
Tiaz on Monday to talk moreabout what we can do to fix and
(23:51):
tweak and that kind of thing,but nothing against them.
It's just how your body healsafter the trauma of radiation
and you know the mastectomies,you know having to go deep and
this and that, and you knowremove everything right.
So you know there's just a lotto you have to you have to do
(24:14):
your research.
Do your research about what youfeel would be good for you,
because what's good for me maynot be good for the next person.
What works for me may not workfor the next person.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (24:27):
Right.
Rebecca Byrd (24:27):
And so you know, do your research.
But you know I love Dr Diaz andDr Mace.
It's just a lot of surgeries.
It is I've had eight or ninesurgeries.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (24:40):
So this whole thing, yeah, yeah, and I'm
probably not finished yeah, ithas to take a toll on your body,
right, and so that's why youknow with me.
Rebecca Byrd (24:49):
I mean I just turned 57.
I probably would have juststayed flat had I known it was
gonna be this this manysurgeries, but you know what?
I'm alive and I'm able to watchmy grandkids play soccer so you
know it's okay that's right,yeah, so what about community
(25:10):
involvement and advocacy forthose patients?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (25:13):
have you gotten involved in any support
groups or advocacy work sinceyour experience, and what does
that look like for you?
Rebecca Byrd (25:21):
Not really like groups.
I've shared my story atMemorial Hospital.
They did a write-up on me.
I've shared my story with theGulf Coast Women's Magazine,
with the Pink Hearts Fund overin Long Beach and now with the
podcast with you.
(25:42):
You know that's sharing my storywith people you know and my
friends sharing my story whenthey find out.
You know people come to me allthe time and they're like, hey,
I've got a friend that's goingthrough this.
You know, can you help me outwith helping her out?
Or you know whatever it is.
(26:08):
And so for my community that'sbeen a blessing that I've been
able to share and share my storyand be able to help others
through it any way I cannavigating, you know.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (26:14):
So you are an advocate.
Yeah, you are, yes, yes, yeah,absolutely, I mean you really
are.
You are yes, yes, yeah,absolutely, I mean you really
are.
So what message do you hope toshare with others who might be
going through a similar journeytoday?
Rebecca Byrd (26:28):
You know, take it one day.
It's such a weird cliche, sir.
It's such a weird cliche, buttake it day by day.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (26:39):
You know, just like what I was talking about, I
had to look at today, what Iwas going through today.
Okay, this is temporary.
You know I'm going to do thisto help me through this, or
whatever it is, and then listento your doctors.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (26:55):
Like.
You have got to do what yourdoctors tell you to do.
If you start having sideeffects, then tell them and
they'll tweak it.
But they have made this for you, for your cancer diagnosis, for
whatever it is.
They have made this for you.
(27:16):
So do what they say and thentweak the outcomes if you have
to.
You know, listen to yourdoctors, be your own advocate,
to do your research, not just.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Google.
Yeah, you know yeah, that's notthe.
Rebecca Byrd (27:33):
You know the National Cancer Society and see
the different things that youknow doctors have have posted on
that on that website and andjust just be your own advocate,
you know.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Speak up for yourself , yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (27:46):
And find a good support system.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (27:49):
Yeah, no, that's right.
I mean, support systems arehuge.
Yes, your husband your prayerwarriors, your friends your
family, yeah, warriors, yourfriends, your family, yeah, and
you know, for me, especially inmy office, I love being an
advocate for my patients andhopes that you know, always tell
somebody if.
(28:09):
If you need help other than youknow, I'm just I'm a
musculoskeletal doctor.
If you need help outside ofthat, I can help you get there.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (28:17):
Right, just being an advocate and a friend
to others.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, looking ahead, what areyour hopes and dreams for the
future?
I know you have two awesomegrandkids, yes.
What else do you look forwardto?
Rebecca Byrd (28:29):
You know, I am living my life.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (28:33):
You know, when I first found out that there was
no evidence of disease, I jumpedout of an airplane.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (28:40):
Oh nice no evidence of disease.
I jumped out of an airplane.
Rebecca Byrd (28:42):
Oh nice, like doing things that I've always
wanted to do but have just notdone it for life.
You know right, um, I joinedballet yes I'm 50, I just turned
57 and I just started ballet.
You know, I always wanted to beballet, I mean a ballerina,
when I was, you know, growing up, but we didn't have the money
for all that or all that stuff.
(29:03):
And then life happened, youknow, and so now I'm doing
ballet.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (29:09):
And now you're in the Nutcracker.
Rebecca Byrd (29:10):
I'm going to be in the Nutcracker for.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (29:12):
Christmas.
Rebecca Byrd (29:13):
Like you know, and so just you know, doing things
that I've always wanted to do,not putting things off, yeah,
things that I've always wantedto do, yeah, not putting things
off.
Yeah, you know, biggest lessonuse the, use the, the, the nice
perfume, wear the, the sparklyclothes.
Don't save stuff for specialoccasions.
Every day is a special occasion.
That's exactly right.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (29:33):
you know I love that you said that, because
not a lot of people realizethis.
But for me, school and learningand having the ability to learn
has been the greatest gift Godhas given me, because I can help
other people and that's why Ithink there's a book called the
One.
If you read that book, it'llkind of help you explain what
(29:56):
you're here for.
The one thing you're here for,and mine, is to help others.
You know that, aside all ofhaving a family, three boys and
a girl, a wife, extended familyin Texas, and having to not
having to wanting to make surethat they're doing well, make
(30:19):
sure my patients are doing well,I'm back in medical school for
orthopedic surgery.
I know you got to keep living.
You got to keep living.
You don't put it off.
Don't put it off.
Right, yeah, and my wife a nursein school, you know.
So it translates over to whatyou just said Wear the nice
shoes.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (30:36):
Wear the beautiful perfume.
Rebecca Byrd (30:41):
You yeah where the beautiful perfume you live
every day to the fullest yeah, Ilove tomorrow's not promising
it's not given right nobody'sfrom.
I mean, you know it may not becancer that takes you out, but
it could be, you know, a carwreck there, anything, right
like you don't have to be sickto die that's right, so that is
exactly right, so everybodyshould live every day.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (31:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Live live.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (31:05):
I like that you don't have to be sick to die
.
Yeah, so true, so true.
So I noticed, um, you had somenotes in your phone.
I did.
Did you want to say somethingto the listeners and any final
thoughts you have that you'dlike to share that we haven't
covered?
Rebecca Byrd (31:25):
You know, just I think we've covered just mostly
everything.
Sure, I just wanted to justencourage people that you know,
you know your body more thananybody.
So if you feel like something'swrong, like say something yeah
you know, like, go get itchecked out.
It's better to to get itchecked out and it'd be nothing
(31:49):
than not getting checked out,and it'd be something yeah, that
you could have prevented yeahyou know, a lot of stuff is
preventable.
Some stuff isn't Triple negativebreast cancer is not
preventable, but because I didgo and get it checked out, I'm
(32:11):
here today.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (32:11):
That's right .
Rebecca Byrd (32:12):
You know.
So don't wait, don't put off,get your checkups.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (32:19):
Get your yearly checkups, get your mammograms,
get you know, do it and fightfor yourself because I know
insurance companies have, youknow, tried to cut back on
mammograms and tried to comeback on stuff when, when you
know breast cancer is explodingright now, you know they say one
in eight.
I think it might be a littlebit more than that I do too.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (32:39):
Disease is rampant it's, it's.
Rebecca Byrd (32:42):
I hear so often now of people getting breast
cancer so or any kind of cancer.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (32:48):
Um, but just you know, doctors are, are here
to help us yes yes, see yourdoctor yeah, let them be your
advocate, let them let them helpyou.
Rebecca Byrd (32:59):
Yes, absolutely.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (33:00):
You know, I teach for memorial hospital.
I'm on the sports medicine sideof things and they always hear
me telling my patients um theresidency.
They always hear me telling mypatients you have to advocate
for you.
You know what your knee feelslike.
I don't know what it feels like, right?
So when I'm doing this exam,when you let me know how that
feels you, how do you feel goingthrough the therapy you're
(33:21):
going through?
What does it look like?
And we have a psychologist inmy office and she's really good
with head trauma and coachingpatients through.
I'm not going to pretend to knowwhat's going on inside your
head.
I've had patients come to meand say, oh my God, doc, this is
career ending.
I will never get to where Iwant to go because I have and it
could be something as as smallas a knee sprain, but to them
(33:44):
it's huge.
You still have to be anadvocate for them, right.
So, moving forward, right,right.
I'd like to thank you so muchfor coming on and for giving the
value that that it deserves topatients who have either been
through what you've been throughor who are going through what
(34:06):
you're going through, or whohave not been through it and
unfortunately awaited.
Right Right, like you say, youdon't know.
You're on vacation for aweekend.
Come back and bam hit you inthe face.
There it is Bam, there it isyeah.
And bam itch you in the faceand there it is Bam, there it is
yeah.
So how can our listenersconnect with you or support
breast cancer awareness?
Rebecca Byrd (34:29):
What does that look like?
Well, just know that somepeople do not want to celebrate
October.
Right, a lot of people thathave gone through it, want to
forget it?
Dr. Brandon Hardin (34:44):
yeah, and that's okay.
Rebecca Byrd (34:45):
Yep, that's okay.
I'm not that type ofpersonality yeah, of course yeah
, I'm more of a.
I mean I'm very flamboyant, butbut I'm also.
I like to bring awarenessbecause I think that it helps
(35:05):
others to know that it's okay totalk about it.
It's okay to um get checked out.
You know it's okay to to askquestions.
You know especially people thathave friends or family members
that are going through it.
They don't know how to help.
(35:25):
You know there's so many peoplethat would ask me.
You know what can I do to help,what can I do to help, and you
know it's hard to know what toask people to help you with.
Sure, especially amidst chaoshelp you with, sure, especially
amidst chaos, especially in themiddle of it, yeah, and so now I
can see back and say, okay,well, you know, it really helped
when y'all came and cleaned thehouse it really helped when
(35:47):
y'all brought food because youknow I'm not cooking, you know,
um, so things like that, um, youknow.
Those are the kind of thingsthat I think October is good at
bringing awareness, because ithelps people to understand that
it is okay to talk about it.
(36:08):
It is okay, and if people wantto get in touch with me, they
can email me, they can call meor call you and get my
information, I am an open book.
I'll be glad to to talk toanybody or answer any questions
or, you know, help in any waythat I can you may be getting a
(36:30):
thousand phone calls after this.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (36:32):
She said that is fine.
That is fine.
Oh, you're such a beautifulperson.
You know that you really are,and I appreciate you from the
bottom of my heart for coming onto the show and talking about
something so difficult.
But you, triumphantly, wereraised above that and you're
still here and you're stillloving life, love life, yeah.
Rebecca Byrd (36:55):
Loving God, loving people, absolutely Love God,
love people.
Dr. Brandon Hardin (36:59):
That's all we got to do.
So in closing, guys, as Ialways say, life is a sport.
It truly never ends.
The journey truly never ends.
So stick with us on the nextpodcast, please.
We will have a politician, ifwe can use that word super
loosely.
She is a great friend of mine.
(37:19):
Do not consider her apolitician.
Consider her more like we justtalked about a confidant or an
advocate for other people.
She is Judge Jennifer Schlobel.
She's a Chantry Court judgehere in Harrison County who is
running for Court of Appeals.
So you definitely don't want tomiss this one, guys.
Stay tuned, and we hope to seeyou next time.
(37:41):
This one, guys.
Stay tuned and we hope to seeyou next time.
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