October 30, 2025 • 11 mins
We’ve always known Kari’s voice could brighten any day, but hearing her story today made us feel something deeper — hope that shines through even through the toughest times. Read more, here.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
She is here. We are blessed. We are happy to
see your face and your smile. Carrie Steele. Yay, welcome
back to your home, your airways.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm so happy to see you.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You don't even know. This is just one of the
best days ever, certainly in the last within the last
two months.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, let's talk about that. Carrie. You have been am
I a missing in action? Yes, and we are so
happy that you drove yourself here. I did to the
studio to tell us where you've been and what you're
going through.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know, before I left, I think it was the
last couple of days of August, I quickly said on
the air as Evelyn was in the building, because she is.
Thank Goodness for Evelyn, by the way, keeping my seat
warm over there. So I said, I had to deal
with a health issue. Yes, so there's a long part
story to this, but I'm going to try to give
the short one. I like, way too many people got
(00:53):
a cancer diagnosis and I had surgery September. Second. It
the I had through a series of diagnostics, a tumor
was found in my small intestine. Going in, we were
hoping it was localized, that immune wasn't going to be
an easy surgery. It wasn't going to be the easiest recovery,
(01:15):
but you know it's going to be one of those
where we can get this cancer out right. So seventeen
days later, as I'm still in the City of Hope
here in Dwarty, more on that phenomenal facility, the best
doctors in the world, I was in the best hands
and continue to be. I ended up having to have
a full whipple surgery. If that sounds familiar. If you
(01:36):
watch grays Anatomy, they talk about that a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm glad that Grey's Anatomy can tell us too.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And I know I'm making this sound very clinical, but
there's a you know, there's a lot of detail, but
I just I wanted to come in and let everybody know.
It's been hard to talk about because there's so many
questions that I didn't have answers to. But here I am.
I don't think I look different than the day I
left here and said I'll see you soon.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Guys, you do you look amazing?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You would feel amazing. I'm strong, I'm healthy, I'm healing
still and I still have to so post surgery they did,
they had to do a lot. They took part of
my small intestine and the head of my pancreas and
my gallbladder and part of my bile duct and so
all of my digestive system has been kind of rearranged routed,
(02:23):
and as a result, I have a feeding tube, and
I also have a tube that was emptying my stomach contents.
That's all I'm gonna say that that part. I'm not
doing it anymore. So that's the good news. I've been
making really great progress. I won't be feeding through the
tube in just a few more days. That's finally gonna end.
But it's been It'll be like seven and a half
(02:45):
weeks of feeding tube feedings to give me the nutrition,
and I am on the road to recovery. Hallelujah. Every
day is a beautiful day. And I'm mostly here to say,
like I said, far too many people share a story similar,
and there is life after one of the most scariest
diagon diagnosis as.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
You can get.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So you have these tests, you are sitting with the doctor.
Is it just like in the TV and movies? I
know my mother diagnosed twice with cancer where they have
to sit you down. Did you know before they said
the sea word. That it was the sea word.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I think. So I knew something was going on. I
was I knew the end of June, okay, but there
was something going on. We have to listen to our bodies,
that's for sure. And I was working for a couple
of weeks, as you recall, I was on that Alaskan
cruise and I just I was tired. I had to
do some labs because I was seeing an oncologist. You know,
you've heard me speak of my skin cancer stories a lot.
(03:48):
And they did some labs and I was anemic, and
that was the start of it. I was like, oh, well,
at least I know what it is. And then he said, yeah,
we need to do the CT scan and we need
to do this, and we need to do that. And
then there was activity, some lymph node activity. So I
already kind of knew going in. I was like staying hopeful.
But then it was confirmed through an endoscopy, which I
(04:10):
want to say, you know, we're often told got to
do a colonoscopy every so many years once you reach
a certain age. The endoscopy is not part of this
standard diagnostic. That's what saved that's what saved my life.
Is they went, they go down your throat. That's how
she found the tumor in the small intestine and it
was bleeding. So she told me as soon as I
(04:32):
woke up from that that she was concerned that it
was cancer. And I got the pathology the next day.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Carrie, You've been poked and prodded and cut open and
stitched back up and and I know the City of
Hope saved your life, but so did your partner, Neil.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, you know, you guys, I don't know. I met
a lot of people. City of Hope. Dwarty is just
a campus full of people with my story, you know,
a different kind of cancer, a different kind of road
to recovery. But none of it is easy. This is
the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But
I would not be sharing this story with you if
(05:10):
I didn't have someone by my side doing the things
that needed to be done every so many hours. It's
just and I asked my doctors, what do you do
if you don't have someone that can just lovingly do
these things as they're worn out? And they said, well,
they you know, they got to go into different facilities
(05:33):
and yeah, and you know that they're not going to
get the kind of care, so I am beyond blessed
times a bazillion.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, yeah, well you look great, you sound great. You
know your voice it's it's I talked to you even
a while ago and your voice has has never faltered. Yeah,
and it's just so good to see you hear your
body matching your voice. Thank you, And we're so re
(06:00):
leaved really also and thankful and grateful as am I.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
But again, doctor Lalay Melstrom a City of Hope is
top of her game and I am so fortunate that
she was my surgeon, doctor Semenic City of Hope in Newport,
because I'm an oc girl. He is an oncologist and
hematologist extraordinary, that's just and I still do I have Yeah, chemo,
(06:25):
possibly chemo with aminotherapy. That's a whole nother journey. But
he's already told me I've been through the hard part
surviving US surgery, which.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Again behind you.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, so there's more to come. But I've never
been more hopeful and more full of gratitude.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
What would you say to people in the early stages
of fear, who have just been diagnosed, who are looking
for that hope? What would you say, what, what's the
most important thing in your healing? Honest, it's the love, obviously, faith.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Obviously I've felt like you know, and you can believe
in the universe, God, the divine, whatever you call it.
I've felt like God's hand has been all over this
because it shouldn't have been detected again the endoscopy. That's
part of it is always believing that you know, there's
(07:22):
a divine design, and I've always felt supported that way
because otherwise you're powerless, right you really, there's only so
much you can do. And then what I've found to
be the what I wasn't expecting is just I'm sorry,
it's okay. The overwhelming love that I have received from
(07:49):
everyone that I was finally able to kind of let in. Yeah,
and you know, it's so hard for me. You guys
know me. I am so independent and I don't want
to ask anybody for anything, and people kept showing up
for me, saying it was an honor to be able
to love me through this. So, you know, just that
(08:10):
love and support from the people you're closest to. You know,
I'm standing with you, They're standing with you, Your doctors
are standing with you, and you'll find there are so
many resources and people like me and whomever is sharing
this story. We all stand together, truly, we all do
(08:33):
not just hand in hand, but heart and heart. And
you can do this. You know, you hear that. It
sounds cliche. You got this, but oh my goodness, attitude
is everything, and stay positive. I'm the girl again. I
feel like there's a divine design. If you haven't seen me,
I have hope and courage tattooed on my forearms and
(08:53):
I've had this for fifteen years. And I with hope,
all things are possible. Takes a lot of courage, and
you just you. My hardest thing for me is to
stay in today and not get too far ahead of myself.
But it's working. The other thing that's got me through it,
by the way, is I've been binging Gilmore Girls. Oh yeah,
(09:15):
never had seen that show.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I heard it.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You know, a lot of people thought it was a
really entertaining show. I'm in the hospital with like seven channels.
It's one o'clock in the morning and there's Gilmore Girls
and I started watching and Melo from Yeah he's in it,
didn't know it. And I'm like I come home and
I'm like yeah, I'm like, no, we should really watch this.
(09:39):
So I've had nothing but time and it's just been
a lovely distraction and lighthearted entertainment.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So I have a great one for you. And it
also is a hopeful, beautiful, heart tugging but warm. Just
a great movie called Caramelo on Netflix.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Okay, caramel rare.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Brain tumor and he's a hotshot chef and a dog
saves us. He saves his life, and it's just the
sweetest story. This dog sniffed the tumor. Oh my god,
a homeless street dog. So I don't want to say
any more than that. Okay, but it's a it's a
really good one. I told another friend of mine who's
going through chemo right now, I said, watch it, just
(10:21):
watch it. It's it's a guy who's he's at the
he said, his darkest days and he makes it through.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
All right, So good, it's so good. Noted, Let's talk
about the walk.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, this walk is getting bigger by the minute, y'all.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
How about that?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
This is great city of Hope. We love you, Carrie
Steele joins us. Now, Ryan, you are hosting.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yep, it is the Walk for Hope. We're doing our
team Team Coast will be at the Irvine location. That
is Sunday, November two, And my god, was I excited
when Carrie Steele said, Hey, I'm going to be on
your walk.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
You know, I didn't know how strong I'd be, but
I am talking. That's part of what's keeping me going
get continuing to get stronger. But I am hoping to
see so many of you out at this walk for Hope.
I love City of Hope. We are having advanced breakthroughs
all the time, but it's not going to continue unless
people support incredible facilities and doctors like the City of Hope.
(11:21):
So let's do this
She is here. We are blessed. We are happy to
see your face and your smile. Carrie Steele. Yay, welcome
back to your home, your airways.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm so happy to see you.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You don't even know. This is just one of the
best days ever, certainly in the last within the last
two months.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, let's talk about that. Carrie. You have been am
I a missing in action? Yes, and we are so
happy that you drove yourself here. I did to the
studio to tell us where you've been and what you're
going through.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know, before I left, I think it was the
last couple of days of August, I quickly said on
the air as Evelyn was in the building, because she is.
Thank Goodness for Evelyn, by the way, keeping my seat
warm over there. So I said, I had to deal
with a health issue. Yes, so there's a long part
story to this, but I'm going to try to give
the short one. I like, way too many people got
(00:53):
a cancer diagnosis and I had surgery September. Second. It
the I had through a series of diagnostics, a tumor
was found in my small intestine. Going in, we were
hoping it was localized, that immune wasn't going to be
an easy surgery. It wasn't going to be the easiest recovery,
(01:15):
but you know it's going to be one of those
where we can get this cancer out right. So seventeen
days later, as I'm still in the City of Hope
here in Dwarty, more on that phenomenal facility, the best
doctors in the world, I was in the best hands
and continue to be. I ended up having to have
a full whipple surgery. If that sounds familiar. If you
(01:36):
watch grays Anatomy, they talk about that a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm glad that Grey's Anatomy can tell us too.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And I know I'm making this sound very clinical, but
there's a you know, there's a lot of detail, but
I just I wanted to come in and let everybody know.
It's been hard to talk about because there's so many
questions that I didn't have answers to. But here I am.
I don't think I look different than the day I
left here and said I'll see you soon.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Guys, you do you look amazing?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You would feel amazing. I'm strong, I'm healthy, I'm healing
still and I still have to so post surgery they did,
they had to do a lot. They took part of
my small intestine and the head of my pancreas and
my gallbladder and part of my bile duct and so
all of my digestive system has been kind of rearranged routed,
(02:23):
and as a result, I have a feeding tube, and
I also have a tube that was emptying my stomach contents.
That's all I'm gonna say that that part. I'm not
doing it anymore. So that's the good news. I've been
making really great progress. I won't be feeding through the
tube in just a few more days. That's finally gonna end.
But it's been It'll be like seven and a half
(02:45):
weeks of feeding tube feedings to give me the nutrition,
and I am on the road to recovery. Hallelujah. Every
day is a beautiful day. And I'm mostly here to say,
like I said, far too many people share a story similar,
and there is life after one of the most scariest
diagon diagnosis as.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
You can get.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So you have these tests, you are sitting with the doctor.
Is it just like in the TV and movies? I
know my mother diagnosed twice with cancer where they have
to sit you down. Did you know before they said
the sea word. That it was the sea word.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I think. So I knew something was going on. I
was I knew the end of June, okay, but there
was something going on. We have to listen to our bodies,
that's for sure. And I was working for a couple
of weeks, as you recall, I was on that Alaskan
cruise and I just I was tired. I had to
do some labs because I was seeing an oncologist. You know,
you've heard me speak of my skin cancer stories a lot.
(03:48):
And they did some labs and I was anemic, and
that was the start of it. I was like, oh, well,
at least I know what it is. And then he said, yeah,
we need to do the CT scan and we need
to do this, and we need to do that. And
then there was activity, some lymph node activity. So I
already kind of knew going in. I was like staying hopeful.
But then it was confirmed through an endoscopy, which I
(04:10):
want to say, you know, we're often told got to
do a colonoscopy every so many years once you reach
a certain age. The endoscopy is not part of this
standard diagnostic. That's what saved that's what saved my life.
Is they went, they go down your throat. That's how
she found the tumor in the small intestine and it
was bleeding. So she told me as soon as I
(04:32):
woke up from that that she was concerned that it
was cancer. And I got the pathology the next day.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Carrie, You've been poked and prodded and cut open and
stitched back up and and I know the City of
Hope saved your life, but so did your partner, Neil.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, you know, you guys, I don't know. I met
a lot of people. City of Hope. Dwarty is just
a campus full of people with my story, you know,
a different kind of cancer, a different kind of road
to recovery. But none of it is easy. This is
the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But
I would not be sharing this story with you if
(05:10):
I didn't have someone by my side doing the things
that needed to be done every so many hours. It's
just and I asked my doctors, what do you do
if you don't have someone that can just lovingly do
these things as they're worn out? And they said, well,
they you know, they got to go into different facilities
(05:33):
and yeah, and you know that they're not going to
get the kind of care, so I am beyond blessed
times a bazillion.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, yeah, well you look great, you sound great. You
know your voice it's it's I talked to you even
a while ago and your voice has has never faltered. Yeah,
and it's just so good to see you hear your
body matching your voice. Thank you, And we're so re
(06:00):
leaved really also and thankful and grateful as am I.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
But again, doctor Lalay Melstrom a City of Hope is
top of her game and I am so fortunate that
she was my surgeon, doctor Semenic City of Hope in Newport,
because I'm an oc girl. He is an oncologist and
hematologist extraordinary, that's just and I still do I have Yeah, chemo,
(06:25):
possibly chemo with aminotherapy. That's a whole nother journey. But
he's already told me I've been through the hard part
surviving US surgery, which.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Again behind you.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, so there's more to come. But I've never
been more hopeful and more full of gratitude.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
What would you say to people in the early stages
of fear, who have just been diagnosed, who are looking
for that hope? What would you say, what, what's the
most important thing in your healing? Honest, it's the love, obviously, faith.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Obviously I've felt like you know, and you can believe
in the universe, God, the divine, whatever you call it.
I've felt like God's hand has been all over this
because it shouldn't have been detected again the endoscopy. That's
part of it is always believing that you know, there's
(07:22):
a divine design, and I've always felt supported that way
because otherwise you're powerless, right you really, there's only so
much you can do. And then what I've found to
be the what I wasn't expecting is just I'm sorry,
it's okay. The overwhelming love that I have received from
(07:49):
everyone that I was finally able to kind of let in. Yeah,
and you know, it's so hard for me. You guys
know me. I am so independent and I don't want
to ask anybody for anything, and people kept showing up
for me, saying it was an honor to be able
to love me through this. So, you know, just that
(08:10):
love and support from the people you're closest to. You know,
I'm standing with you, They're standing with you, Your doctors
are standing with you, and you'll find there are so
many resources and people like me and whomever is sharing
this story. We all stand together, truly, we all do
(08:33):
not just hand in hand, but heart and heart. And
you can do this. You know, you hear that. It
sounds cliche. You got this, but oh my goodness, attitude
is everything, and stay positive. I'm the girl again. I
feel like there's a divine design. If you haven't seen me,
I have hope and courage tattooed on my forearms and
(08:53):
I've had this for fifteen years. And I with hope,
all things are possible. Takes a lot of courage, and
you just you. My hardest thing for me is to
stay in today and not get too far ahead of myself.
But it's working. The other thing that's got me through it,
by the way, is I've been binging Gilmore Girls. Oh yeah,
(09:15):
never had seen that show.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I heard it.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You know, a lot of people thought it was a
really entertaining show. I'm in the hospital with like seven channels.
It's one o'clock in the morning and there's Gilmore Girls
and I started watching and Melo from Yeah he's in it,
didn't know it. And I'm like I come home and
I'm like yeah, I'm like, no, we should really watch this.
(09:39):
So I've had nothing but time and it's just been
a lovely distraction and lighthearted entertainment.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So I have a great one for you. And it
also is a hopeful, beautiful, heart tugging but warm. Just
a great movie called Caramelo on Netflix.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Okay, caramel rare.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Brain tumor and he's a hotshot chef and a dog
saves us. He saves his life, and it's just the
sweetest story. This dog sniffed the tumor. Oh my god,
a homeless street dog. So I don't want to say
any more than that. Okay, but it's a it's a
really good one. I told another friend of mine who's
going through chemo right now, I said, watch it, just
(10:21):
watch it. It's it's a guy who's he's at the
he said, his darkest days and he makes it through.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
All right, So good, it's so good. Noted, Let's talk
about the walk.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, this walk is getting bigger by the minute, y'all.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
How about that?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
This is great city of Hope. We love you, Carrie
Steele joins us. Now, Ryan, you are hosting.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yep, it is the Walk for Hope. We're doing our
team Team Coast will be at the Irvine location. That
is Sunday, November two, And my god, was I excited
when Carrie Steele said, Hey, I'm going to be on
your walk.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
You know, I didn't know how strong I'd be, but
I am talking. That's part of what's keeping me going
get continuing to get stronger. But I am hoping to
see so many of you out at this walk for Hope.
I love City of Hope. We are having advanced breakthroughs
all the time, but it's not going to continue unless
people support incredible facilities and doctors like the City of Hope.
(11:21):
So let's do this
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