May 14, 2025 • 28 mins
Have you ever had a nagging feeling something wasn't right with your body, only to have healthcare professionals dismiss your concerns as "normal aging" or "just stress"? In this deeply personal episode, Chrisy and Kerry pull back the curtain on their difficult journeys to diagnosis and the frustrating reality many patients face when seeking answers. Join us this week as we discuss the dysfunction of healthcare.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
DJ Nick (00:07):
Welcome to the Dysfunction Junkies podcast.
We may not have seen it all,but we've seen enough.
And now here are your hosts.
Chrissy and Keri.
Kerry (00:21):
Welcome back, Junkies.
I'm Kerry
Chrisy (00:23):
and I'm Chrissy
All right, Chrissy, you want tolead into what we're going to
talk about today.
Oh boy, this is a subject that is a tough one.
It's about health and healthcare and how we are diagnosed
yes and misdiagnosed.
Kerry (00:40):
Yes, and take forever to get diagnosed.
Chrisy (00:44):
Or led down the wrong path or told it's probably in
our head or probably somethingelse, and it's not that Right.
Kerry (00:51):
Yeah, we just felt like, especially, you know, in our age
.
Now, you know we're early 50s,but things happen and your body
starts changing and acting notquite like it used to, and
you're on that fine line of, oh,is this what aging is, or is
there something else going on?
So, yes, so for me, my firstproblem has always been I've
(01:13):
always had some female issues.
Well, we've talked about thatfrom when I was, you know,
reading in pain when I was 16,at the doctors because I was
having issues, while later foundout that it was my ovaries.
And it was years of going to thedoctors, of trying to figure
out what was going on.
So did all these appointmentsand doctors after doctors, and
(01:34):
painful months after painfulmonths, and emergency room
visits, on and on and on.
They never could figure outwhat it was and literally I
would be in the emergency roomlike passing out with pain, and
then you know they couldn't everfigure out what it was.
And literally I would be in theemergency room like passing out
with pain, and then you knowthey couldn't ever figure out
what it was, what it was, what'sexactly going on, and as quick
as it would come on, it wouldstop.
Well and like, and sometimesI'd still be in the waiting room
(01:56):
, and then it would stop and belike okay, we can go home now.
Chrisy (02:00):
Yeah.
I don't know that.
That's a strange occurrence.
Kerry (02:04):
I mean yeah, Well, what it turned out was is that I was
having a lot of cysts on myovaries and they were actually
torsing, they were flipping, andso it was twisting and that was
causing the pain.
And then, as quickly as itwould twist, it would twist back
and then it would suddenly stop.
Fine, but it took years, ofyears of going to the doctors
(02:26):
and all these things to figureout what was going on.
It was so frustrating and Ikept saying to the doctors I'm
like just take them out, just, Imean they knew it was something
related with my words.
I'm like, just take them out,just, I don't need them.
Take, no, you're too young.
You may want to have a family.
(02:46):
I'm like not at this, you know,not at the cost of this much
pain and everything.
And then, finally, wheneverthey tours, then they were like,
oh, when they figured it out,when it was actively happening
they were like oh yeah.
Well, yeah, we should probablytake those out?
Chrisy (02:56):
I seem to remember mentioning this a while back,
but okay, well, better late tothe party than never.
Kerry (03:02):
Exactly, and it's just, oh, sometimes, our health care
system, it just is so difficult.
Chrisy (03:07):
It is just like everything else in life it's
difficult.
Kerry (03:10):
What do you got going on over there?
Chrisy (03:14):
I always got something going on.
My whole thing is not to harkenback to something that nobody
wants to remember happened.
Kerry (03:23):
Right.
Chrisy (03:23):
I'm going to say the P word right now and that is
pandemic.
No, she said it.
I know.
I'm sorry, but here's the dealwith that.
I mean it happened, Everybodyhad to deal with it.
And for me telling me to haveto stay home and not be around
people, I mean, this is I'm nottelling you anything that's
going to insult you or be asurprise.
I was happy.
Yeah fine, perfect Right, yeah,great, no problem here, no
(03:53):
complaints.
But during that time because Iam somebody who came to the
parent game a little later thanmost people I waited to have my
family.
I know that it's reallyimportant, being an older parent
, that I need to stay as healthyas I can for my kids, and so
during that time period, Idecided I was going to do what I
(04:14):
could to make myself healthier.
So I decided to startexercising Nothing crazy, I just
wanted to incorporate physicalfitness into my daily life.
Wasn't going crazy?
It was doing a bike because I dolove my stationary bikes and I
have a spinning bike now which Ireally love, and I decided to
give rowing a try, yeah, which Ido really like, and I do
recommend rowing.
It's a very just, I think, ingenerally I think it's a whole
(04:37):
body workout.
Kerry (04:38):
It's awesome yeah.
Chrisy (04:40):
But it is not something at least not for me that I can
commit to for a very like thebike, I can stay on for quite a
really long time.
Kerry (04:48):
Yeah, if I wanted to.
Chrisy (04:49):
But the rower 15 minutes and usually that was my
commitment level, but I felt itwas still beneficial.
Yeah, because I was doing itwith the bike, yeah, so I
started exercising and then Istarted I wasn't dieting because
I'll never do that, ever again.
If you listen to our dietepisode, there's just no way I'm
doing any of these crazy things.
(05:10):
The only thing I did try to doand it wasn't even to any sort
of extreme level but I read alot and heard a lot this
intermittent fasting, which Ithink everybody sort of does,
kind of get thrown at them.
And with my type of personality, because I do like to sort of
torture myself a little bit, Idon't want to say intermittent
fasting is torture, but if Ihave to put myself off and say,
(05:32):
okay, you're not going to eatright now, wait and then eat,
and then you're done, no moreeating.
And it was just easy for mymind to sort of wrap it around
that okay, I'm going to havethis six hour window where I can
, within reason, this is whenI'm going to be eating.
So don't eat right away anddon't eat after this time.
(05:54):
And so I was incorporating thatand at my age because when that
hit I was in my late forties itwas working somehow.
And I was told at my age it'snot easy for a woman to.
In general, it's hard Right.
Kerry (06:09):
But when?
Chrisy (06:09):
you're in your late 40s and you're able to somehow make
the weight come off.
It's amazing and I was thrilled, and so I just kept it up.
It was encouraging and I keptexercising.
The one thing I did notice,though, after being committed to
it for so long, was for as fitas I was physically, I was not
feeling the way I felt I shouldfeel, being in better shape,
(06:33):
yeah, and I even brought it upto my husband.
I said you know, I'm reallytired, I don't feel great.
But you know, maybe it's becauseI'm old and everybody would say
, well, you got young kids, yougot a full time job and you're
doing all this stuff, so theywould sort of brush it off as
right.
You just got a full plate.
That's why you're tired, right,and I would go to the doctors
(06:54):
and talk to them.
And you know the weight thing.
They would ask because probably, if I wasn't working out right,
it would have been alarming,right, With the type of weight I
was losing.
But when they would ask me well, what are you doing to lose
this weight?
Kerry (07:06):
Yeah.
Chrisy (07:06):
I would tell them well, I work out five days a week,
this is what I do, I try towatch what I eat, and I guess it
probably should have sent somealarms off, because they just
were like OK, well you're goodjob yeah.
Well, they're like keep it up,yeah, keep it up, good job.
(07:29):
And I'm like okay, so, but oneday I was on my bike and I was
finishing up my workout and Igot a really horrible chest pain
, oh no, and it shot down bothmy arms and I got very scared.
So, I called my husband and Isaid I this is something I
haven't experienced before.
I'm scared.
He said I'll be home, I'll takeyou to emergency.
Before I'm scared, he said I'llbe home, I'll take you to
emergency Cause I do.
I have high blood pressure, soI take medication for that.
And he I really was just wantedto go to like urgent care or
(07:51):
something but, he insisted we goto emergency Cause if with
heart issues yeah, they need todo certain things that you're
not going to want to have to beshifted from one place to
another.
So I went to emergency and theychecked me in and they hooked me
up to the machines and theygave me an IV and they took
blood work and they took testsand they even, I think, did an
(08:12):
MRI and all of this stuff.
And I sat there for a long timeand they finally came in and
she said the doctor said well,everything looks really good,
except your white blood cellsare out the roof.
Wow, and I didn't know whatthat meant.
Right, I'm like.
So what does that mean?
I need to cut something out ofmy debt.
(08:33):
What are you telling me?
Yeah, and she said the onething that nobody ever wants to
hear oh, no, she says well, itusually means cancer.
Oy, and I was thrown so hard.
As if anybody who's had thatword come at them in that way
knows.
And the one thing I used tojoke about with my husband
(08:54):
before any of this, because myhusband is a lover of football
and we do watch football and theone thing I hate is when the
football game goes into overtime.
So I used to joke with him andI used to say two words nobody
in the world ever wants to hearthis game's going into overtime
and you have cancer, oh Christy.
So now I've heard both.
(09:15):
Oh.
So they said, you know, theygot me into an oncologist very
quickly and I met with them andthey had to do the test.
Yes, because the bone marrowtest where they have to take it,
drill into the bone marrow.
Oh, my gosh, which I laid thereand whimpered like a wounded
(09:35):
animal through the whole thingand I think and they were whole
I had like two or three likewomen holding me down.
This may be everyone'sexperience with this, I don't
know.
I stayed still, but it's not apleasant experience.
But I made it through that andthe oncologist was hoping it was
a specific type of leukemiathat he felt was fairly
(09:56):
manageable yeah, if I was at thepoint where it could be managed
.
So after all the tests andeverything like that, he did
confirm that it was this type ofleukemia called CML.
Ok, chronic, don't make me saythe middle thing, leukemia.
Kerry (10:13):
Chronic leukemia Right.
Chrisy (10:17):
And so I just remember leukemia from the past usually
meant like bone marrowtransplant or something like
that, yeah.
But science has come to thepoint where things have changed
so much, yeah and you ever hearthe term.
They're like, oh, if you'regoing to get cancer, this might
be the type you might want toget.
Kerry (10:32):
Not that you ever want to get anything.
Chrisy (10:34):
But it's managed with medication.
Okay, and so, because of courseyour head right away goes to
chemo radiation, you get cancer.
Those are the two things youfeel go hand in hand.
So I have been lucky, good thatI have been able to try and
work on this, uh, withmedication with minimal side
effects.
There are side effects, right,but minimal.
(10:56):
And then the selfish part of meI'm gonna be disgraceful
because I have to be in everyepisode disgraceful.
My concern was, and I asked thedoctor are you was cancer and
not this?
I mean, what's going on here,did I not?
And he said look, he's like youlost a lot.
(11:17):
I mean because I did, andeverybody's like this.
Then he kept saying I thought Ilooked great.
You do look great.
Well, I look really greatBecause you don't want to talk
about cancer and say it.
But I look good, don't I?
For cancer, hi me, cancer andme.
(11:37):
We go hand in hand and we lookgood.
But he said no.
He said you know the majorityof that weight loss from what
you tell me you were doing, itwas you right.
But he said probably the lastso many pounds, yeah, was
probably this kicking in?
So we've been able to fairlymanage it.
Yeah, and I'm optimistic and Ifeel fine and you got to move on
and that's that.
But let me tell you one thingthough, because I want to warn
(11:58):
my people, junkies out there,with this One of the reasons,
some of the side effects or notside effects, the signs that
this could have been the CMLthat I was experiencing but I
was getting brushed off with,was.
It was weird because I did workout a lot.
I didn't sweat a lot for asmuch as I was working out, but I
was getting.
I was sweating in the middle ofthe night.
Kerry (12:20):
Oh, night sweats Like crazy I would wake up drenched?
Chrisy (12:23):
Wow.
And what do they think when awoman is in her late 40s or 50
years old?
What is that?
Kerry (12:29):
Menopause Right.
Chrisy (12:36):
And so that.
I kept getting that conclusionwhen they would say are you
experiencing any?
Kerry (12:38):
of this.
Chrisy (12:38):
Well, yes, I am, once they got my blood work back in
where it needed to be.
I have not had any of that anddo you sweat when you work out.
Now I do.
Kerry (12:45):
Yeah, I do.
Chrisy (12:46):
It's sort of so.
Yeah, I don't want everybodywho's my age, a woman who is
experiencing.
I sweat all of a sudden, thinkthat you have cancer.
Right, but it was just a weirdno.
Kerry (12:57):
But the point is that you listen to your body.
You knew something wasn't right, you felt that something wasn't
right, but every time you wouldbring up the symptoms it was
kind of dismissed of oh it'smenopause, oh it's this, oh, you
have kids.
Chrisy (13:10):
Oh you're, you know, instead of oh yeah, they had an
excuse for everything Exactlyand it sounded all logical to me
which basically made me noteven worry about second guessing
it.
Kerry (13:18):
Correct, and that's exactly one of the things that I
went through I had for years, Imean for the past.
Well, honestly, since I was inmy 20s it actually started, I
would have these all these weirdunrelated things.
So when I was working at amajor theme park and was doing a
lot of scuba diving in verycold water, I would have these
things where I would come out ofthe water for the whole rest of
(13:40):
the day, my hands they would belike dead white.
Like dead white, but only likeyou could draw a line almost
across my hand where myfingertips and everything were
just completely white, and then,like right about the knuckle,
it'd be normal, I mean, it wasthe craziest thing.
And then they would say, ohwell, it's, that's called
Reynolds syndrome and it's justthat, and it was, you know, okay
(14:00):
, whatever.
Then, you know, a couple yearslater, I was having all kinds of
problems where I was just sotired, so tired, all just
constantly fatigued.
Oh well, you know you probablyhave oh gosh, I can't think of
it now, but it was what you getwhen you have chickenpox, can't
think of the name of it rightnow.
Oh well, if you have chickenpoxvirus and you can get, then this
(14:21):
other thing.
The shingles, not shingles, butit's oh gosh, I can't believe.
I can't remember the name of itright now, but again they pass
it off.
It's like, oh, it's just a kid,you always have that virus in
your system and it's justflaring up and it's just that.
And so it was like one thingafter another, all these things,
and this is like no.
And I kept saying no, somethingis not right, something is not
(14:43):
right.
Then I would have I had theseepisodes where I had all this
pain in my joints.
Oh, they send me to aneurologist, send me.
They kept sending me all thesespecialists and everything was
coming out fine.
Oh, no, you're fine.
It's like I'm not fine, I'mtelling you something is not
fine.
But it was like not, it was allthese unrelated little things
that they kept passing it off,passing off.
(15:04):
Finally, I found this doctor inLas Vegas when we were living
there and he was so sweet, hewas this good old country doc,
and he actually sat and helistened and he listened to all
of these and he said you know, Ithink this might be lupus.
It was like it made sense, youknow, like when you start
looking into it and how it's sohard to diagnose and everything.
(15:26):
Just starting to go through allthat with him and finally be
like, okay, now we might know,you know, so we're gonna have to
go to the rheumatologist, allthis other stuff.
Well then, we moved here to Ohio, had a little bit of setback in
in getting healthcare.
Well then, in 2018, I went tothe eye doctor for my yearly eye
exam and the eye doctor waslooking at my eyes and he was
(15:47):
like there's something I wantyou checked at Cleveland Clinic.
I want you to go up there.
I want them to look at your eye.
I'm not sure if what I'm seeingis what I'm seeing, but you
know I need to look at aspecialist.
So I went to a specialist up atCleveland Clinic and I'm huge
advocate of Cleveland Clinic.
Thank you so much.
I love you guys all up there,beth, health system in the world
.
So, any case, went up there andwhile they were trying to do an
(16:09):
ultrasound of my eye to seewhat this retina issue that they
thought I was having, it wasthe most painful experience.
I mean, I was just in so and Ihave a very high pain tolerance,
really high pain tolerance butI was just like tears running
down my face and they're likelooking at me going.
This eye ultrasound does nothurt, like you shouldn't be in
(16:30):
pain.
And I'm like well it is painful.
Well, here there was a gland inmy eye that was really swollen,
and when they were doing thatultrasound it was touching that
and whatever.
So then that finally led themgoing.
We think you have something.
I ended up being fine.
What my eye doctor originallythought was wrong was nothing
(16:50):
was wrong.
Chrisy (16:51):
It was fine it was just an anomaly.
Kerry (16:52):
That's in my eyes, because of this glam, they sent
me to rheumatology.
Another six months later, gothrough to rheumatology, they
were like, oh, you have lupus.
And it was like, okay, we'vethought this.
My other doctor thought this.
But again, getting a doctor tolisten to you, you know, and
then they finally had thathappen with my eye, that it was
(17:13):
actually something physical thatthey could kind of see.
That allowed them to go thisother route, got me on
medication and you know, yes, Istill have lupus and I
definitely it's something Imanage with every day, but the
medication is just been lifechanging.
But I know what you mean.
It's hard whenever yoursymptoms are dismissed, you know
.
So now it's like living withlupus is?
(17:35):
I find it a lot at the gym, youknow I've mentioned before I go
to orange theory, we do running, rowing and the floor and you
can start in different ordersdepending on the class, but I
always do that order running,rowing on floor because by the
time I get to the floor I'm shotlike that's.
It's very intense and then evendoing this running the marathon
(17:56):
, I have to give myself a passon.
It's okay, I'm not going to bethe first one across the line.
Hopefully won't be the last oneacross the line, but I allow
myself that it's okay not topush myself.
You know.
It's okay because I have thisand I'm mitigating it and I'm
dealing with it.
Gosh, it took so long, so long.
Chrisy (18:14):
Now with lupus, when they finally did realize what it
was if you had somebody earlyon that would have said you know
, I'm thinking it might be this.
Is there a test for that?
Through blood test, or how dothey?
How is that diagnosed usually?
Kerry (18:31):
It's hard because there's no hard and fast.
Oh, we can do this one test andthis is what you got.
There are tests that you canhave that will like, and I I
honestly I don't know all thenames for everything, but there
are certain tests that you couldbe negative or positive for,
and if you're positive it couldmean you have lupus.
But positive people don'tnecessarily have to have it.
(18:53):
So it's really an accumulationof symptoms, specific tests, you
know they can tell by differentblood work when you have flares
, you know how you know so, andfor me it affects my muscles, my
joints and my kidneys.
So the type of lupus I have SLElupus, and so they have to
really monitor my kidneysbecause long term it could
(19:16):
really cause havoc with that.
So, and I'm always borderline,but for me the biggest thing is
the muscle weakness, the muscletiredness, pains in my joints,
inflammation in certain glandsand stuff.
Chrisy (19:27):
So is there a specific type of things they tell you to
stay away from that may flare up, like maybe dietary needs that
you need to watch, or, well,take more you know interest in?
Kerry (19:38):
the thing that hurts me the most is the sun no, I'm not
kidding, that is a cruel.
Isn't that cruel for the sunlover?
Beach lover.
Always want to be outsideperson, like me.
Chrisy (19:49):
Yes, the sun is my worst enemy is there, I is there, I'm
just because I'm totallyunaware of any, the
understanding of this.
I mean, I know, I've heard oflupus, of course, but so why?
Why is the sun such a problem?
Kerry (20:01):
Okay, this is getting into where I'm a very bad lupus
warrior, because I don't know.
I can tell you the genetics ofall of that and why you can give
me the parochial school version.
Chrisy (20:12):
it's good for me.
Kerry (20:13):
Basically, the photosensitivity is definitely a
big thing and being out in thesun it just exasperates it.
My rosacea will flare up oftenif I'm in the sun I'll get so
tired.
It's like brain foggy from whenI'm out in the sun too much and
the joints hurt and everything.
(20:33):
So when I'm at the beach andagain we travel to the Caribbean
a lot, you will see, I'm verycareful about how much I'm in
the sun.
I make sure I have a lot ofshade.
I wear the rash guards that arethe UV protective clothing, so
I try to mitigate that.
And the friends that we travelwith are so great because
(20:55):
they're very watchful of me too.
And that's actually one of thereasons why I kind of lost a
friend is because it was when Iwas in the early stages of
getting diagnosed with lupus andwe were on vacation with
friends and I was having one ofmy worst flares ever.
We were just early gettingdiagnosed and it was like, well,
they didn't understand.
Well, what do you mean?
You have to go take a nap earlygetting diagnosed?
And it was like, well, theydidn't understand.
Well, what do you mean?
(21:15):
You have to go take a nap, youknow, or what do you mean you
can't do this.
Well, we wanted to go to dinnerand why?
And it was just like I wasreally sick and my lupus was
interrupting their vacation.
It's just like it really showedme true colors on that
friendship, and it was reallyafter that that I'm like yeah, I
don't think you're really myfriend.
Chrisy (21:31):
You know I would have appreciated you, because if I'm
told I don't care vacation ornot that you know I need to take
a nap because I'm not feelinggreat, I'm like you know what.
That's a great idea, carrie.
Kerry (21:41):
I'm going to take a nap too, yeah.
Chrisy (21:43):
I'm all for planning naps during vacation.
Kerry (21:46):
I love a good nap and I used to feel bad about, I used
to get mad it myself and I feltlike you know I was being lazy
or I didn't want to be perceivedas that because you know I do
need, I do need rest, I do needthat.
And now it's like nope.
And, like I said, our goodfriends that we travel with you.
That went to Friendsgiving withHeather and Andrew, the
(22:06):
pleasure of getting to meetthese lovely people.
They know I'm like OK, yep, naptime for kiri, that's so good,
because you just really need tobe in tune.
Chrisy (22:17):
Yeah to, I mean I, I, I'm glad that?
Kerry (22:20):
yeah, that's awesome.
How has the support for youbeen when you got diagnosed with
your cancer?
Chrisy (22:25):
uh, support.
I don't know the doctorsupports me on my appointments
oh, dj nick just sat back acrosshis arms.
Kerry (22:35):
I don't how do we define support?
Well, because that's just anemotional thing whenever you're
given a long term healthdiagnosis like that.
So how has I mean?
First of all, I want to say Iso appreciate with how
vulnerable you are being today.
I know that you you like tojoke around, you like to laugh
and everything, but you'vereally opened up today and
talked about something verypersonal and very vulnerable.
Chrisy (22:55):
So it is personal and I don't normally want to talk
about it because in my mind,probably if I don't talk about
it then it doesn't exist, typeof thing too, but it does.
Well, I too will go out and saythank you to Cleveland Clinic
when we moved here.
The Cleveland Clinic hasactually got a fairly strong
(23:17):
presence here, which is nice.
I think they are actuallystarting to move into the area
where you are still yeah alittle bit, a little bit, and so
that level of confidence inwhat I'm being offered for care
is helpful, yeah, so when youget that kind of diagnosis, they
(23:37):
do make sure they have peoplewho reach out to you to answer
questions, ask you how you'refeeling.
It's like for the first year inyour care.
They're really strong and theygive you, of course, lots of
things, outlets, that you canlook into if you need it.
Family my husband yeah, I don'tknow to what level my mother
understands right, she knows Ihave it.
(23:59):
Yeah, she's my mom, like shesort of was with.
Uh, yeah, you know.
Okay.
Yeah, that's good, chrissy,you'll manage it.
Yeah I mean I don't want to makeher sound that cold well, no I
think because she's older, yeah,and she does have some memory
issues, right, not that shedoesn't, she doesn't forget, but
and I don't like to really pushit at her right and told some
(24:21):
other family about it and theyyou know reach, I, I guess, and
I wouldn't say that all theblame is on them.
They probably understand I'm atype of person who I mean, yes,
let me know.
Hey, I heard you have thisright.
I'm sorry about that and offerme the.
You know, if you ever needanything right, which I
appreciate right, have thisright.
I'm sorry about that, and offerme the.
You know, if you ever needanything right, which I
appreciate right, chances are.
But I think they kind of knowthe type of person I am.
(24:42):
If I didn't have such a stronghusband, yeah, who's gonna take
care of everything for me aslong as I look to him and he
says it's gonna be okay, thenyou're that's the only word that
I believe in right, I knowother people believe in other
things.
I believe, in the world,according to Nick.
The world, according to Nick.
Yeah, so and I do usually putthe pressure on him for all
(25:05):
kinds of situations Please tellme this is going to be okay,
right, yes, and I almost forcedhim because I my in my mind, if
he says it'll be fine, it willbe, it will be.
Yes.
I should probably take stats onwhether or not that's always
come through.
I am not sure.
Kerry (25:21):
I bet you it has.
Chrisy (25:22):
I feel like it has yeah.
Kerry (25:24):
Having a good spouse is huge.
It really is In our situation.
I was diagnosed with cancervery early on in our marriage.
I remember that yeah, I mean hehad stage four colon rectal
cancer.
Oh boy, and that was a longbattle, oh sure.
So I know what you mean whenyou're there for each other, but
the biggest thing I can say isit's made our relationship
(25:46):
stronger.
It's made it better, you know.
But I know what you mean, likeit's going to be okay because we
have each other, right, yeah,so Yep, it is.
Chrisy (25:54):
But everybody, please, if anything comes out of this
that Carrie and I would bothtell you is to know your body,
know how you feel.
Don't back off with yourmedical team general doctors,
any type of doctor and if theydon't come up with anything for
you and they kind of brush youoff, remember you have the right
(26:15):
to a second opinion or a third.
Kerry (26:17):
maybe I don't know and don't ignore symptoms.
No, you know, that was thebiggest thing with Jim.
He ignored his symptoms for somany years and it was literally
the strangest thing how it allhappened.
We'll talk about that onanother episode.
But he ignored his symptoms tothe point that he, you know,
another month he would have beendead.
Chrisy (26:34):
Oh my gosh yeah.
Kerry (26:36):
So he is a big avid of don't and it's embarrassing
sometimes to talk about thingsyou know and what's going wrong
with your body.
You know, so, but talk to yourdoctors.
Don't ignore the symptoms anddon't let them ignore your
symptoms when you tell themabout it, don't let them sweep
it under.
Chrisy (26:56):
If you feel like it's something wrong, you keep
pushing it.
So, yeah, yeah, usually saysomething that's going to really
catch their attention.
First like something horribleand say now you have to pay
attention to me.
I'm going to tell you this.
You need to listen to what I'mgoing to say, and then you can
tell me I'm not in the rightplace or I am, yeah.
Yeah, make sure you get theirattention.
Absolutely Not, not any time tobe shy when it comes to your
health.
Kerry (27:15):
No, because we need you out there listening to us.
That's right.
Chrisy (27:19):
I don't want to hear about anybody not feeling good
out there.
Kerry (27:22):
So get to their doctor and tell them to get you on the
straight path to feeling goodevery day.
Hey, but if you want to reachout to us, you know you can even
reach out to us privately.
Chrissy and I love to heareveryone's stories and you know,
maybe this helped you go seethe doctor or helped your family
members, or just if you want toshare your story, please feel
free to reach out to us.
You can reach out to us on ourFacebook page, send us an
(27:43):
instant message.
Heck, you can even send us aGmail.
All of that's on our website,dysfunctionjunkiesbuzzsproutcom,
and we will see you next week.
Bye, everybody, bye, stayhealthy.
We will see you next week.
Bye everybody, bye, stayhealthy.
Welcome to the Dysfunction Junkies podcast.
We may not have seen it all,but we've seen enough.
And now here are your hosts.
Chrissy and Keri.
Kerry (00:21):
Welcome back, Junkies.
I'm Kerry
Chrisy (00:23):
and I'm Chrissy
All right, Chrissy, you want tolead into what we're going to
talk about today.
Oh boy, this is a subject that is a tough one.
It's about health and healthcare and how we are diagnosed
yes and misdiagnosed.
Kerry (00:40):
Yes, and take forever to get diagnosed.
Chrisy (00:44):
Or led down the wrong path or told it's probably in
our head or probably somethingelse, and it's not that Right.
Kerry (00:51):
Yeah, we just felt like, especially, you know, in our age
.
Now, you know we're early 50s,but things happen and your body
starts changing and acting notquite like it used to, and
you're on that fine line of, oh,is this what aging is, or is
there something else going on?
So, yes, so for me, my firstproblem has always been I've
(01:13):
always had some female issues.
Well, we've talked about thatfrom when I was, you know,
reading in pain when I was 16,at the doctors because I was
having issues, while later foundout that it was my ovaries.
And it was years of going to thedoctors, of trying to figure
out what was going on.
So did all these appointmentsand doctors after doctors, and
(01:34):
painful months after painfulmonths, and emergency room
visits, on and on and on.
They never could figure outwhat it was and literally I
would be in the emergency roomlike passing out with pain, and
then you know they couldn't everfigure out what it was.
And literally I would be in theemergency room like passing out
with pain, and then you knowthey couldn't ever figure out
what it was, what it was, what'sexactly going on, and as quick
as it would come on, it wouldstop.
Well and like, and sometimesI'd still be in the waiting room
(01:56):
, and then it would stop and belike okay, we can go home now.
Chrisy (02:00):
Yeah.
I don't know that.
That's a strange occurrence.
Kerry (02:04):
I mean yeah, Well, what it turned out was is that I was
having a lot of cysts on myovaries and they were actually
torsing, they were flipping, andso it was twisting and that was
causing the pain.
And then, as quickly as itwould twist, it would twist back
and then it would suddenly stop.
Fine, but it took years, ofyears of going to the doctors
(02:26):
and all these things to figureout what was going on.
It was so frustrating and Ikept saying to the doctors I'm
like just take them out, just, Imean they knew it was something
related with my words.
I'm like, just take them out,just, I don't need them.
Take, no, you're too young.
You may want to have a family.
(02:46):
I'm like not at this, you know,not at the cost of this much
pain and everything.
And then, finally, wheneverthey tours, then they were like,
oh, when they figured it out,when it was actively happening
they were like oh yeah.
Well, yeah, we should probablytake those out?
Chrisy (02:56):
I seem to remember mentioning this a while back,
but okay, well, better late tothe party than never.
Kerry (03:02):
Exactly, and it's just, oh, sometimes, our health care
system, it just is so difficult.
Chrisy (03:07):
It is just like everything else in life it's
difficult.
Kerry (03:10):
What do you got going on over there?
Chrisy (03:14):
I always got something going on.
My whole thing is not to harkenback to something that nobody
wants to remember happened.
Kerry (03:23):
Right.
Chrisy (03:23):
I'm going to say the P word right now and that is
pandemic.
No, she said it.
I know.
I'm sorry, but here's the dealwith that.
I mean it happened, Everybodyhad to deal with it.
And for me telling me to haveto stay home and not be around
people, I mean, this is I'm nottelling you anything that's
going to insult you or be asurprise.
I was happy.
Yeah fine, perfect Right, yeah,great, no problem here, no
(03:53):
complaints.
But during that time because Iam somebody who came to the
parent game a little later thanmost people I waited to have my
family.
I know that it's reallyimportant, being an older parent
, that I need to stay as healthyas I can for my kids, and so
during that time period, Idecided I was going to do what I
(04:14):
could to make myself healthier.
So I decided to startexercising Nothing crazy, I just
wanted to incorporate physicalfitness into my daily life.
Wasn't going crazy?
It was doing a bike because I dolove my stationary bikes and I
have a spinning bike now which Ireally love, and I decided to
give rowing a try, yeah, which Ido really like, and I do
recommend rowing.
It's a very just, I think, ingenerally I think it's a whole
(04:37):
body workout.
Kerry (04:38):
It's awesome yeah.
Chrisy (04:40):
But it is not something at least not for me that I can
commit to for a very like thebike, I can stay on for quite a
really long time.
Kerry (04:48):
Yeah, if I wanted to.
Chrisy (04:49):
But the rower 15 minutes and usually that was my
commitment level, but I felt itwas still beneficial.
Yeah, because I was doing itwith the bike, yeah, so I
started exercising and then Istarted I wasn't dieting because
I'll never do that, ever again.
If you listen to our dietepisode, there's just no way I'm
doing any of these crazy things.
(05:10):
The only thing I did try to doand it wasn't even to any sort
of extreme level but I read alot and heard a lot this
intermittent fasting, which Ithink everybody sort of does,
kind of get thrown at them.
And with my type of personality, because I do like to sort of
torture myself a little bit, Idon't want to say intermittent
fasting is torture, but if Ihave to put myself off and say,
(05:32):
okay, you're not going to eatright now, wait and then eat,
and then you're done, no moreeating.
And it was just easy for mymind to sort of wrap it around
that okay, I'm going to havethis six hour window where I can
, within reason, this is whenI'm going to be eating.
So don't eat right away anddon't eat after this time.
(05:54):
And so I was incorporating thatand at my age because when that
hit I was in my late forties itwas working somehow.
And I was told at my age it'snot easy for a woman to.
In general, it's hard Right.
Kerry (06:09):
But when?
Chrisy (06:09):
you're in your late 40s and you're able to somehow make
the weight come off.
It's amazing and I was thrilled, and so I just kept it up.
It was encouraging and I keptexercising.
The one thing I did notice,though, after being committed to
it for so long, was for as fitas I was physically, I was not
feeling the way I felt I shouldfeel, being in better shape,
(06:33):
yeah, and I even brought it upto my husband.
I said you know, I'm reallytired, I don't feel great.
But you know, maybe it's becauseI'm old and everybody would say
, well, you got young kids, yougot a full time job and you're
doing all this stuff, so theywould sort of brush it off as
right.
You just got a full plate.
That's why you're tired, right,and I would go to the doctors
(06:54):
and talk to them.
And you know the weight thing.
They would ask because probably, if I wasn't working out right,
it would have been alarming,right, With the type of weight I
was losing.
But when they would ask me well, what are you doing to lose
this weight?
Kerry (07:06):
Yeah.
Chrisy (07:06):
I would tell them well, I work out five days a week,
this is what I do, I try towatch what I eat, and I guess it
probably should have sent somealarms off, because they just
were like OK, well you're goodjob yeah.
Well, they're like keep it up,yeah, keep it up, good job.
(07:29):
And I'm like okay, so, but oneday I was on my bike and I was
finishing up my workout and Igot a really horrible chest pain
, oh no, and it shot down bothmy arms and I got very scared.
So, I called my husband and Isaid I this is something I
haven't experienced before.
I'm scared.
He said I'll be home, I'll takeyou to emergency.
Before I'm scared, he said I'llbe home, I'll take you to
emergency Cause I do.
I have high blood pressure, soI take medication for that.
And he I really was just wantedto go to like urgent care or
(07:51):
something but, he insisted we goto emergency Cause if with
heart issues yeah, they need todo certain things that you're
not going to want to have to beshifted from one place to
another.
So I went to emergency and theychecked me in and they hooked me
up to the machines and theygave me an IV and they took
blood work and they took testsand they even, I think, did an
(08:12):
MRI and all of this stuff.
And I sat there for a long timeand they finally came in and
she said the doctor said well,everything looks really good,
except your white blood cellsare out the roof.
Wow, and I didn't know whatthat meant.
Right, I'm like.
So what does that mean?
I need to cut something out ofmy debt.
(08:33):
What are you telling me?
Yeah, and she said the onething that nobody ever wants to
hear oh, no, she says well, itusually means cancer.
Oy, and I was thrown so hard.
As if anybody who's had thatword come at them in that way
knows.
And the one thing I used tojoke about with my husband
(08:54):
before any of this, because myhusband is a lover of football
and we do watch football and theone thing I hate is when the
football game goes into overtime.
So I used to joke with him andI used to say two words nobody
in the world ever wants to hearthis game's going into overtime
and you have cancer, oh Christy.
So now I've heard both.
(09:15):
Oh.
So they said, you know, theygot me into an oncologist very
quickly and I met with them andthey had to do the test.
Yes, because the bone marrowtest where they have to take it,
drill into the bone marrow.
Oh, my gosh, which I laid thereand whimpered like a wounded
(09:35):
animal through the whole thingand I think and they were whole
I had like two or three likewomen holding me down.
This may be everyone'sexperience with this, I don't
know.
I stayed still, but it's not apleasant experience.
But I made it through that andthe oncologist was hoping it was
a specific type of leukemiathat he felt was fairly
(09:56):
manageable yeah, if I was at thepoint where it could be managed
.
So after all the tests andeverything like that, he did
confirm that it was this type ofleukemia called CML.
Ok, chronic, don't make me saythe middle thing, leukemia.
Kerry (10:13):
Chronic leukemia Right.
Chrisy (10:17):
And so I just remember leukemia from the past usually
meant like bone marrowtransplant or something like
that, yeah.
But science has come to thepoint where things have changed
so much, yeah and you ever hearthe term.
They're like, oh, if you'regoing to get cancer, this might
be the type you might want toget.
Kerry (10:32):
Not that you ever want to get anything.
Chrisy (10:34):
But it's managed with medication.
Okay, and so, because of courseyour head right away goes to
chemo radiation, you get cancer.
Those are the two things youfeel go hand in hand.
So I have been lucky, good thatI have been able to try and
work on this, uh, withmedication with minimal side
effects.
There are side effects, right,but minimal.
(10:56):
And then the selfish part of meI'm gonna be disgraceful
because I have to be in everyepisode disgraceful.
My concern was, and I asked thedoctor are you was cancer and
not this?
I mean, what's going on here,did I not?
And he said look, he's like youlost a lot.
(11:17):
I mean because I did, andeverybody's like this.
Then he kept saying I thought Ilooked great.
You do look great.
Well, I look really greatBecause you don't want to talk
about cancer and say it.
But I look good, don't I?
For cancer, hi me, cancer andme.
(11:37):
We go hand in hand and we lookgood.
But he said no.
He said you know the majorityof that weight loss from what
you tell me you were doing, itwas you right.
But he said probably the lastso many pounds, yeah, was
probably this kicking in?
So we've been able to fairlymanage it.
Yeah, and I'm optimistic and Ifeel fine and you got to move on
and that's that.
But let me tell you one thingthough, because I want to warn
(11:58):
my people, junkies out there,with this One of the reasons,
some of the side effects or notside effects, the signs that
this could have been the CMLthat I was experiencing but I
was getting brushed off with,was.
It was weird because I did workout a lot.
I didn't sweat a lot for asmuch as I was working out, but I
was getting.
I was sweating in the middle ofthe night.
Kerry (12:20):
Oh, night sweats Like crazy I would wake up drenched?
Chrisy (12:23):
Wow.
And what do they think when awoman is in her late 40s or 50
years old?
What is that?
Kerry (12:29):
Menopause Right.
Chrisy (12:36):
And so that.
I kept getting that conclusionwhen they would say are you
experiencing any?
Kerry (12:38):
of this.
Chrisy (12:38):
Well, yes, I am, once they got my blood work back in
where it needed to be.
I have not had any of that anddo you sweat when you work out.
Now I do.
Kerry (12:45):
Yeah, I do.
Chrisy (12:46):
It's sort of so.
Yeah, I don't want everybodywho's my age, a woman who is
experiencing.
I sweat all of a sudden, thinkthat you have cancer.
Right, but it was just a weirdno.
Kerry (12:57):
But the point is that you listen to your body.
You knew something wasn't right, you felt that something wasn't
right, but every time you wouldbring up the symptoms it was
kind of dismissed of oh it'smenopause, oh it's this, oh, you
have kids.
Chrisy (13:10):
Oh you're, you know, instead of oh yeah, they had an
excuse for everything Exactlyand it sounded all logical to me
which basically made me noteven worry about second guessing
it.
Kerry (13:18):
Correct, and that's exactly one of the things that I
went through I had for years, Imean for the past.
Well, honestly, since I was inmy 20s it actually started, I
would have these all these weirdunrelated things.
So when I was working at amajor theme park and was doing a
lot of scuba diving in verycold water, I would have these
things where I would come out ofthe water for the whole rest of
(13:40):
the day, my hands they would belike dead white.
Like dead white, but only likeyou could draw a line almost
across my hand where myfingertips and everything were
just completely white, and then,like right about the knuckle,
it'd be normal, I mean, it wasthe craziest thing.
And then they would say, ohwell, it's, that's called
Reynolds syndrome and it's justthat, and it was, you know, okay
(14:00):
, whatever.
Then, you know, a couple yearslater, I was having all kinds of
problems where I was just sotired, so tired, all just
constantly fatigued.
Oh well, you know you probablyhave oh gosh, I can't think of
it now, but it was what you getwhen you have chickenpox, can't
think of the name of it rightnow.
Oh well, if you have chickenpoxvirus and you can get, then this
(14:21):
other thing.
The shingles, not shingles, butit's oh gosh, I can't believe.
I can't remember the name of itright now, but again they pass
it off.
It's like, oh, it's just a kid,you always have that virus in
your system and it's justflaring up and it's just that.
And so it was like one thingafter another, all these things,
and this is like no.
And I kept saying no, somethingis not right, something is not
(14:43):
right.
Then I would have I had theseepisodes where I had all this
pain in my joints.
Oh, they send me to aneurologist, send me.
They kept sending me all thesespecialists and everything was
coming out fine.
Oh, no, you're fine.
It's like I'm not fine, I'mtelling you something is not
fine.
But it was like not, it was allthese unrelated little things
that they kept passing it off,passing off.
(15:04):
Finally, I found this doctor inLas Vegas when we were living
there and he was so sweet, hewas this good old country doc,
and he actually sat and helistened and he listened to all
of these and he said you know, Ithink this might be lupus.
It was like it made sense, youknow, like when you start
looking into it and how it's sohard to diagnose and everything.
(15:26):
Just starting to go through allthat with him and finally be
like, okay, now we might know,you know, so we're gonna have to
go to the rheumatologist, allthis other stuff.
Well then, we moved here to Ohio, had a little bit of setback in
in getting healthcare.
Well then, in 2018, I went tothe eye doctor for my yearly eye
exam and the eye doctor waslooking at my eyes and he was
(15:47):
like there's something I wantyou checked at Cleveland Clinic.
I want you to go up there.
I want them to look at your eye.
I'm not sure if what I'm seeingis what I'm seeing, but you
know I need to look at aspecialist.
So I went to a specialist up atCleveland Clinic and I'm huge
advocate of Cleveland Clinic.
Thank you so much.
I love you guys all up there,beth, health system in the world
.
So, any case, went up there andwhile they were trying to do an
(16:09):
ultrasound of my eye to seewhat this retina issue that they
thought I was having, it wasthe most painful experience.
I mean, I was just in so and Ihave a very high pain tolerance,
really high pain tolerance butI was just like tears running
down my face and they're likelooking at me going.
This eye ultrasound does nothurt, like you shouldn't be in
(16:30):
pain.
And I'm like well it is painful.
Well, here there was a gland inmy eye that was really swollen,
and when they were doing thatultrasound it was touching that
and whatever.
So then that finally led themgoing.
We think you have something.
I ended up being fine.
What my eye doctor originallythought was wrong was nothing
(16:50):
was wrong.
Chrisy (16:51):
It was fine it was just an anomaly.
Kerry (16:52):
That's in my eyes, because of this glam, they sent
me to rheumatology.
Another six months later, gothrough to rheumatology, they
were like, oh, you have lupus.
And it was like, okay, we'vethought this.
My other doctor thought this.
But again, getting a doctor tolisten to you, you know, and
then they finally had thathappen with my eye, that it was
(17:13):
actually something physical thatthey could kind of see.
That allowed them to go thisother route, got me on
medication and you know, yes, Istill have lupus and I
definitely it's something Imanage with every day, but the
medication is just been lifechanging.
But I know what you mean.
It's hard whenever yoursymptoms are dismissed, you know
.
So now it's like living withlupus is?
(17:35):
I find it a lot at the gym, youknow I've mentioned before I go
to orange theory, we do running, rowing and the floor and you
can start in different ordersdepending on the class, but I
always do that order running,rowing on floor because by the
time I get to the floor I'm shotlike that's.
It's very intense and then evendoing this running the marathon
(17:56):
, I have to give myself a passon.
It's okay, I'm not going to bethe first one across the line.
Hopefully won't be the last oneacross the line, but I allow
myself that it's okay not topush myself.
You know.
It's okay because I have thisand I'm mitigating it and I'm
dealing with it.
Gosh, it took so long, so long.
Chrisy (18:14):
Now with lupus, when they finally did realize what it
was if you had somebody earlyon that would have said you know
, I'm thinking it might be this.
Is there a test for that?
Through blood test, or how dothey?
How is that diagnosed usually?
Kerry (18:31):
It's hard because there's no hard and fast.
Oh, we can do this one test andthis is what you got.
There are tests that you canhave that will like, and I I
honestly I don't know all thenames for everything, but there
are certain tests that you couldbe negative or positive for,
and if you're positive it couldmean you have lupus.
But positive people don'tnecessarily have to have it.
(18:53):
So it's really an accumulationof symptoms, specific tests, you
know they can tell by differentblood work when you have flares
, you know how you know so, andfor me it affects my muscles, my
joints and my kidneys.
So the type of lupus I have SLElupus, and so they have to
really monitor my kidneysbecause long term it could
(19:16):
really cause havoc with that.
So, and I'm always borderline,but for me the biggest thing is
the muscle weakness, the muscletiredness, pains in my joints,
inflammation in certain glandsand stuff.
Chrisy (19:27):
So is there a specific type of things they tell you to
stay away from that may flare up, like maybe dietary needs that
you need to watch, or, well,take more you know interest in?
Kerry (19:38):
the thing that hurts me the most is the sun no, I'm not
kidding, that is a cruel.
Isn't that cruel for the sunlover?
Beach lover.
Always want to be outsideperson, like me.
Chrisy (19:49):
Yes, the sun is my worst enemy is there, I is there, I'm
just because I'm totallyunaware of any, the
understanding of this.
I mean, I know, I've heard oflupus, of course, but so why?
Why is the sun such a problem?
Kerry (20:01):
Okay, this is getting into where I'm a very bad lupus
warrior, because I don't know.
I can tell you the genetics ofall of that and why you can give
me the parochial school version.
Chrisy (20:12):
it's good for me.
Kerry (20:13):
Basically, the photosensitivity is definitely a
big thing and being out in thesun it just exasperates it.
My rosacea will flare up oftenif I'm in the sun I'll get so
tired.
It's like brain foggy from whenI'm out in the sun too much and
the joints hurt and everything.
(20:33):
So when I'm at the beach andagain we travel to the Caribbean
a lot, you will see, I'm verycareful about how much I'm in
the sun.
I make sure I have a lot ofshade.
I wear the rash guards that arethe UV protective clothing, so
I try to mitigate that.
And the friends that we travelwith are so great because
(20:55):
they're very watchful of me too.
And that's actually one of thereasons why I kind of lost a
friend is because it was when Iwas in the early stages of
getting diagnosed with lupus andwe were on vacation with
friends and I was having one ofmy worst flares ever.
We were just early gettingdiagnosed and it was like, well,
they didn't understand.
Well, what do you mean?
You have to go take a nap earlygetting diagnosed?
And it was like, well, theydidn't understand.
Well, what do you mean?
(21:15):
You have to go take a nap, youknow, or what do you mean you
can't do this.
Well, we wanted to go to dinnerand why?
And it was just like I wasreally sick and my lupus was
interrupting their vacation.
It's just like it really showedme true colors on that
friendship, and it was reallyafter that that I'm like yeah, I
don't think you're really myfriend.
Chrisy (21:31):
You know I would have appreciated you, because if I'm
told I don't care vacation ornot that you know I need to take
a nap because I'm not feelinggreat, I'm like you know what.
That's a great idea, carrie.
Kerry (21:41):
I'm going to take a nap too, yeah.
Chrisy (21:43):
I'm all for planning naps during vacation.
Kerry (21:46):
I love a good nap and I used to feel bad about, I used
to get mad it myself and I feltlike you know I was being lazy
or I didn't want to be perceivedas that because you know I do
need, I do need rest, I do needthat.
And now it's like nope.
And, like I said, our goodfriends that we travel with you.
That went to Friendsgiving withHeather and Andrew, the
(22:06):
pleasure of getting to meetthese lovely people.
They know I'm like OK, yep, naptime for kiri, that's so good,
because you just really need tobe in tune.
Chrisy (22:17):
Yeah to, I mean I, I, I'm glad that?
Kerry (22:20):
yeah, that's awesome.
How has the support for youbeen when you got diagnosed with
your cancer?
Chrisy (22:25):
uh, support.
I don't know the doctorsupports me on my appointments
oh, dj nick just sat back acrosshis arms.
Kerry (22:35):
I don't how do we define support?
Well, because that's just anemotional thing whenever you're
given a long term healthdiagnosis like that.
So how has I mean?
First of all, I want to say Iso appreciate with how
vulnerable you are being today.
I know that you you like tojoke around, you like to laugh
and everything, but you'vereally opened up today and
talked about something verypersonal and very vulnerable.
Chrisy (22:55):
So it is personal and I don't normally want to talk
about it because in my mind,probably if I don't talk about
it then it doesn't exist, typeof thing too, but it does.
Well, I too will go out and saythank you to Cleveland Clinic
when we moved here.
The Cleveland Clinic hasactually got a fairly strong
(23:17):
presence here, which is nice.
I think they are actuallystarting to move into the area
where you are still yeah alittle bit, a little bit, and so
that level of confidence inwhat I'm being offered for care
is helpful, yeah, so when youget that kind of diagnosis, they
(23:37):
do make sure they have peoplewho reach out to you to answer
questions, ask you how you'refeeling.
It's like for the first year inyour care.
They're really strong and theygive you, of course, lots of
things, outlets, that you canlook into if you need it.
Family my husband yeah, I don'tknow to what level my mother
understands right, she knows Ihave it.
(23:59):
Yeah, she's my mom, like shesort of was with.
Uh, yeah, you know.
Okay.
Yeah, that's good, chrissy,you'll manage it.
Yeah I mean I don't want to makeher sound that cold well, no I
think because she's older, yeah,and she does have some memory
issues, right, not that shedoesn't, she doesn't forget, but
and I don't like to really pushit at her right and told some
(24:21):
other family about it and theyyou know reach, I, I guess, and
I wouldn't say that all theblame is on them.
They probably understand I'm atype of person who I mean, yes,
let me know.
Hey, I heard you have thisright.
I'm sorry about that and offerme the.
You know, if you ever needanything right, which I
appreciate right, have thisright.
I'm sorry about that, and offerme the.
You know, if you ever needanything right, which I
appreciate right, chances are.
But I think they kind of knowthe type of person I am.
(24:42):
If I didn't have such a stronghusband, yeah, who's gonna take
care of everything for me aslong as I look to him and he
says it's gonna be okay, thenyou're that's the only word that
I believe in right, I knowother people believe in other
things.
I believe, in the world,according to Nick.
The world, according to Nick.
Yeah, so and I do usually putthe pressure on him for all
(25:05):
kinds of situations Please tellme this is going to be okay,
right, yes, and I almost forcedhim because I my in my mind, if
he says it'll be fine, it willbe, it will be.
Yes.
I should probably take stats onwhether or not that's always
come through.
I am not sure.
Kerry (25:21):
I bet you it has.
Chrisy (25:22):
I feel like it has yeah.
Kerry (25:24):
Having a good spouse is huge.
It really is In our situation.
I was diagnosed with cancervery early on in our marriage.
I remember that yeah, I mean hehad stage four colon rectal
cancer.
Oh boy, and that was a longbattle, oh sure.
So I know what you mean whenyou're there for each other, but
the biggest thing I can say isit's made our relationship
(25:46):
stronger.
It's made it better, you know.
But I know what you mean, likeit's going to be okay because we
have each other, right, yeah,so Yep, it is.
Chrisy (25:54):
But everybody, please, if anything comes out of this
that Carrie and I would bothtell you is to know your body,
know how you feel.
Don't back off with yourmedical team general doctors,
any type of doctor and if theydon't come up with anything for
you and they kind of brush youoff, remember you have the right
(26:15):
to a second opinion or a third.
Kerry (26:17):
maybe I don't know and don't ignore symptoms.
No, you know, that was thebiggest thing with Jim.
He ignored his symptoms for somany years and it was literally
the strangest thing how it allhappened.
We'll talk about that onanother episode.
But he ignored his symptoms tothe point that he, you know,
another month he would have beendead.
Chrisy (26:34):
Oh my gosh yeah.
Kerry (26:36):
So he is a big avid of don't and it's embarrassing
sometimes to talk about thingsyou know and what's going wrong
with your body.
You know, so, but talk to yourdoctors.
Don't ignore the symptoms anddon't let them ignore your
symptoms when you tell themabout it, don't let them sweep
it under.
Chrisy (26:56):
If you feel like it's something wrong, you keep
pushing it.
So, yeah, yeah, usually saysomething that's going to really
catch their attention.
First like something horribleand say now you have to pay
attention to me.
I'm going to tell you this.
You need to listen to what I'mgoing to say, and then you can
tell me I'm not in the rightplace or I am, yeah.
Yeah, make sure you get theirattention.
Absolutely Not, not any time tobe shy when it comes to your
health.
Kerry (27:15):
No, because we need you out there listening to us.
That's right.
Chrisy (27:19):
I don't want to hear about anybody not feeling good
out there.
Kerry (27:22):
So get to their doctor and tell them to get you on the
straight path to feeling goodevery day.
Hey, but if you want to reachout to us, you know you can even
reach out to us privately.
Chrissy and I love to heareveryone's stories and you know,
maybe this helped you go seethe doctor or helped your family
members, or just if you want toshare your story, please feel
free to reach out to us.
You can reach out to us on ourFacebook page, send us an
(27:43):
instant message.
Heck, you can even send us aGmail.
All of that's on our website,dysfunctionjunkiesbuzzsproutcom,
and we will see you next week.
Bye, everybody, bye, stayhealthy.
We will see you next week.
Bye everybody, bye, stayhealthy.
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