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Yvonne's Brown Eyed Story · The Eye Believe Podcast

0:00
I was reading through
0:00
and I'm not sure if you guys have had a chance to read
0:02
Yvonne’s story yet
0:03
and she's here to talk about
0:05
what is really a rarity in the ocular melanoma world
0:08
where she was diagnosed as a patient with brown eyes
0:12
um she's definitely in the minority here because
0:14
as we know the statistics say blue eyed light
0:17
colored eyed light
0:18
um haired typically or
0:20
you know
0:20
just blue eyed people tend to be the most popular uh
0:24
patients who are diagnosed
0:26
so Yvonne is here all the way from Meridianville, Alabama
0:31
she was diagnosed in 2019 of December
0:34
and she was told that she had choroidal melanoma
0:37
and it was just at an eye exam
0:40
big surprise and she shared a beautifully written story
0:44
if you haven't read it yet
0:45
I would take the time on Facebook or Instagram
0:47
go read her story
0:48
and she volunteered to share her story here with us
0:51
live so we are happy to have you here
0:54
thank you for having me
0:56
yeah thank you for being here
0:57
so Yvonne
0:58
can you tell us a little bit of what led to this
1:00
surprise diagnosis for you
1:03
well um
1:05
well you know
1:06
I was wearing
1:08
OK Dollar Tree glasses
1:10
you know the 1.25s
1:11
for a little while
1:13
and I thought OK
1:14
you know it's just a little bit
1:15
I just need to read a little closer
1:17
and you know
1:18
so I was wearing all these 1.25s and 1.50s and
1:22
and that worked for a little while
1:23
but mentally I said I have to go to the eye doctor
1:28
let me double check this let me get myself together
1:30
and when I did it was quite a
1:34
quite a shock
1:36
um but for the most part
1:38
um and that my right eye was my good eye
1:41
my 2020 eye can you imagine
1:44
so um
1:45
I got checked you know
1:46
went to the eye doctor got checked and
1:49
you know just a regular eye exam
1:51
and they took a picture of my eye
1:53
which I didn't know that even existed
1:55
so that was good and they immediately
1:59
you know he sent me to a retina doctor
2:00
cause he said he saw something and not to get alarmed
2:03
and of course I wasn't but
2:06
you know when I went to the second doctor
2:08
he did tell me that I need for you to go to Nashville
2:12
Birmingham and I thought OK OK
2:14
so that's how my journey began
2:18
you basically had just some
2:19
some kind of gradual vision changes
2:21
that eventually led you to the eye doctor
2:23
and the eye doctor was able to do some tests thankfully
2:27
which is good um yeah
2:29
I'm glad they didn't blow you off
2:30
and so they did these tests
2:32
and they sent you to a specialist
2:34
is that right
2:35
right so I went to an oncologist
2:38
you know first a retina doctor
2:39
and then he immediately
2:40
the next day he set an appointment in Nashville
2:44
and I went and I went through a series of tests
2:47
obviously
2:49
and and then it was told to me that
2:51
you know you have Choroidal melanoma
2:53
and I thought what
2:55
I said wait what
2:56
what is that cause I didn't know what it was
2:58
I never knew about it and that's when
3:00
of course I got Google crazy and had to
3:02
you know it says not to do that
3:04
but you know
3:04
I went everywhere and kind of was like
3:06
oh my goodness let me look
3:08
let me see what's going on
3:09
um overload of information obviously
3:13
um but it it
3:14
it was quite it's
3:15
my journey is so amazing I have to admit
3:18
it's so amazing
3:20
so can you talk to me about um
3:23
what like with the choroidal melanoma
3:26
do you remember uh
3:27
where it was located
3:28
and what treatment options that your doctor offered
3:31
uh definitely
3:32
what so I look back
3:34
let me come back to the beginning
3:36
when the reason why I went to the doctor um
3:38
I could look back now and notice that I had flashes
3:42
and I was like you know
3:43
just blinking blinking
3:44
and I was like okay
3:45
well maybe I looked at the light too long
3:47
or my computer too long cause
3:48
you know we stay on the computer pretty long and
3:51
you know I was trying to blink
3:52
blink look 20 feet
3:53
you know blink
3:54
blink again but that wasn't working
3:55
so I didn't know what that was
3:56
that's why I went to get checked um
3:59
but when I went to Nashville
4:02
of course I had so many tests being done
4:06
and they landed
4:07
telling me that it was in the back of my eye
4:10
in the clear middle of my vision
4:13
so that it was a big concern because
4:17
you know you can
4:17
of course with eye
4:19
we know that we can become blind
4:21
um so it was a small
4:23
a small tumor
4:25
and I was told whether or not to either
4:29
you know we can
4:30
it was during the holidays
4:31
you know it's December 2019
4:33
yeah December is already an emotional time
4:37
exactly and um
4:39
he said you know
4:40
wait a little while if you
4:42
you know think about it
4:43
it was after the New Year
4:44
and I said okay
4:45
once he told me what it was
4:47
we have an options and those are the Brachytherapy
4:50
if I said that correctly yeah
4:52
Brachytherapy yeah
4:55
so and I said immediately
4:57
as soon as
4:58
what's next cause we've got to take a
5:01
get a handle on this
5:02
I have to definitely know what my way ahead is
5:06
because it's not gonna it's not gonna take me down
5:09
I got this so
5:11
yeah so um
5:14
you know I went through a series of tests
5:16
obviously we know that
5:18
and immediately I was scheduled in March of
5:22
of 2020 and
5:24
you know you remember pandemic
5:27
and I remember
5:29
and I remember landing in
5:31
I was away I had to go my first thing was
5:33
I have to see my new grandbaby
5:35
so me and my husband flew to Arizona
5:38
and so the new grandbaby I know right
5:42
I know come visit
5:44
come hang out so hot
5:46
so hot oh yeah
5:48
that's true it is
5:50
to visit your new grandbaby before your treatment
5:53
exactly okay
5:54
a few days in and uh
5:56
and I was set for surgery
5:57
and it was a hot mess when I say a hot mess
6:01
a hot mess it was a tornado in Nashville when I landed
6:06
so oh
6:07
my goodness I thought my surgery wasn't gonna happen
6:09
but it happened and it was okay
6:11
there was damage in the Nashville
6:13
but the surgery was you know it went well
6:18
okay so you had a smaller tumor
6:20
it was in the back of your eye
6:21
um I guess
6:23
from what I'm recalling from the biology of the eye
6:25
the macula is the field of vision in the very
6:27
very back of your eye
6:29
and so it must have been close to the
6:31
the macula and the optic nerve is what I'm guessing
6:33
the optic nerve absolutely yeah
6:36
but it was small enough and they treated it with plaque
6:38
do you remember
6:39
what was your experience like just in Nashville
6:41
where you were treated did you have to stay in a hotel
6:44
or did you stay in the hospital
6:47
well you know
6:48
when we when we got there
6:49
we actually stayed overnight
6:50
and then the next day
6:51
I had the surgery early in the morning
6:53
and it was I can't believe the technology they have
6:57
I am amazed by it and so
7:00
you know of course
7:00
it's a gold it was a gold
7:03
a gold you know
7:04
kind of plaque and then they put the
7:06
you know the radiation in it
7:07
and I'm telling you I was amazed
7:09
I am still amazed
7:10
of technology that's actually out here
7:12
for this kind of cancer um
7:15
and it's in the back of my eyeball
7:17
so you know
7:17
of course I was like
7:18
how you gonna do that like
7:19
you're gonna turn it around and
7:21
and yes it was incredible
7:23
so it uh
7:25
I had it on for three days
7:27
and I had to go back to get it surgically removed
7:30
so um
7:31
and of course the only thing you think about
7:33
when they're taking off your bandages is
7:35
who am I gonna see first
7:37
cause I know I have to see somebody
7:38
regardless of the lights and the
7:40
and the orange colors
7:42
I need to see somebody making sure that I can have
7:44
you know my sight is there
7:46
because they'll tell you you know
7:47
you may lose your sight
7:49
there's so many things that may come
7:50
you know
7:51
as you're trying to fix this tumor and trying to um
7:55
shrink it something else
7:56
you can lose your sight so it's a chance we all take
7:59
you know whoever's done it
8:01
it's a chance you take
8:02
but you don't want that tumor around
8:04
because it can metastasize
8:06
so my biggest thing is regardless of how this turns out
8:09
I have to get this tumor under control
8:11
I'm not waiting for it to grow
8:13
I'm not waiting for it to spread
8:15
let's take care of this so
8:18
okay well
8:18
so after you had treatment
8:20
and you had um
8:21
the plaque taken out were you able to retain vision
8:23
and it was your right eye that was treated right
8:26
it was my right eye okay right eye buddies
8:30
haha yes
8:31
well I'm half blind in my right eye right now
8:34
okay now it's half blind
8:35
okay yeah
8:36
so what happened was after
8:38
after the surgery I um
8:41
you know I went through a series of struggles
8:44
I didn't know what my eye wanted to do
8:45
that's why I just named her
8:46
you know my right eye Mama
8:48
because she didn't know where she was going
8:50
she was just there and I'm like okay
8:52
so I can see out my left eye
8:54
but she had a little bit of issues
8:56
you know something where
8:57
you know glasses could fix
8:58
but my right eye she was going every which way
9:01
you know everywhere
9:02
so I I went through double vision
9:04
blurred vision
9:05
um
9:07
I mean trying to get glasses
9:09
I went through four prescriptions
9:11
of different kind of glasses
9:13
just to see if I can even drive
9:15
you know so that was a big deal for me obviously
9:19
you know
9:19
I was on the go working and trying to just maintain um
9:24
so yeah it was a
9:25
it was a series of glasses and trying to see straight
9:28
and the rain and the fog
9:35
and you have a lot more weather in um
9:38
Nashville than I or in Alabama than I do
9:41
like I mean we get
9:42
we get weather in Arizona
9:43
but like not as bad and not as
9:45
not anyways um
9:48
so you had a lot of adjustment in the last
9:51
I guess it hasn't even been a full three years
9:53
it's been basically two years
9:54
since you had your treatment
9:56
and um
9:58
and you've had a lot of vision adjustments to deal with
10:00
which that can be super stressful as all of us know
10:02
whether you're adjusting to a single
10:05
a single eye so
10:05
mono vision because you lost sight
10:07
or you had your eye enucleated um
10:09
or you lose vision on some degree like
10:12
and it changes and it goes up and down like
10:14
can be super disorienting um
10:16
so I'm glad that hopefully it's
10:18
it's settled out a little bit for you right now
10:21
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10:39
after you were diagnosed you said your tumor was pretty small um
10:42
did you during the treatment
10:44
were you given the option to do a biopsy
10:46
and are you comfortable sharing those results
10:50
yes so they did take a biopsy and um
10:55
definitely was cancer and I know the cancers
10:58
a little different than what they say
11:00
as a stage one stage four
11:02
I believe it was a stage one yeah
11:04
okay so there it's usually class 1A
11:07
prame positive or negativre
11:09
class 1B prame positive or negative
11:13
and then you've got class 2
11:14
which are almost always prame positive
11:16
but occasionally you have
11:17
you have a prame negative in there for class 2
11:19
it's a little weird um
11:21
but so you're saying yeah
11:24
one I believe yeah yeah
11:26
that's it was okay
11:28
this category um
11:30
I think if you're prame positive
11:31
it might be up a bit but it's still much
11:34
much lower risk than than if you were
11:37
which is great so with the class
11:39
with the class 1 diagnosis
11:40
um were you able to follow up then
11:42
with a medical oncologist
11:44
to have scans done like
11:45
for watching your liver and your lungs
11:48
oh yes
11:49
you know I've had pet scans
11:50
uh CT scans
11:51
I have one coming up um
11:53
my doctor my oncologist said
11:55
no matter what for the rest of my life
11:56
this is what I need to do
11:57
go every year um
12:00
and then of course
12:00
you know at this point
12:02
I'm taking uh
12:04
EYLEA injections
12:05
and I've been doing that since the fall of last year
12:09
and I'm going every month
12:12
so this is the thing I am half blind right now
12:16
in my right eye I
12:17
I have a a vast shadow over it
12:20
so I can't see like
12:23
I can only see like
12:24
people's waist down if that
12:26
I cannot see every time they tell me
12:29
come on what letters do you see
12:30
when I go for my eye exam
12:31
I'm like I see nothing
12:33
you don't see my fingers hmm hmm nope
12:36
so
12:37
well there's a lot of adjusting with the scans
12:39
and the eye appointments and all of those things
12:42
absolutely so at this point
12:44
that's where I'm standing at
12:46
you know I wear glasses for a distance
12:48
um and you know what I
12:49
we had I land up having onset cataract immediately
12:53
so I had cataract surgery
12:55
and I had laser therapy I'm telling you
12:59
I'm so surprised that my eyeball is still in my head
13:02
because it took a beating
13:05
this poor girl went through so much
13:07
and she's still rocking and rolling with me
13:10
well I think that's a really good way to think of it
13:12
and I love that you kind of have personified your eye
13:16
like in some way
13:17
to kind of just like hey
13:18
like let's be
13:19
let's be on this journey together
13:22
because I think I think sometimes for patients
13:24
it can start to feel like your eye is somehow
13:26
your enemy and really
13:28
you know it's a part of us
13:29
and if you know whether we lose it because of
13:31
we because of enucleation or
13:33
or whether we keep it after treatment
13:35
and we're dealing with all of the
13:37
roller coaster of things that come with
13:38
post treatment um
13:40
I think that if we can really just
13:42
just kind of get to that place where we can embrace our
13:44
embrace our whole selves
13:47
you know whatever aspect of our eye has changed
13:49
and I think that that can be really empowering
13:51
so I I love seeing that you've done that
13:53
because it shows in the way that you talk
13:56
okay so talk to me a little bit about
14:00
I guess just
14:01
your general reaction
14:02
to getting diagnosed with this cancer
14:03
to begin with I know
14:05
like when you wrote um
14:06
in your story you
14:07
you were extremely confused because the doctor told you
14:10
this is something you get if you have blue eyes
14:11
or green eyes like
14:12
not really brown eyes so
14:15
you know what what was like
14:17
how did you how did you cope with
14:18
I guess being
14:20
being one of the minorities
14:22
in the minority like
14:23
we're already a minority
14:25
and having this cancer to begin with
14:27
I was I was in shock
14:29
I have to say um
14:31
like I said I've never even knew
14:32
that you could even have eye cancer
14:33
I'm like what
14:34
eye cancer
14:35
I didn't even know that cancer could go that far
14:37
it's not the ignorance of it
14:38
it's just that I've never known anyone to have it
14:41
so you know
14:42
as you go through it it's
14:43
you're learning um
14:45
that it is out there and I didn't
14:47
I didn't know anyone
14:49
and so that was a lonely journey because I
14:53
you know you always want to compare stories
14:55
oh well
14:55
how did your eye go and where are you at
14:58
and you kind of have a you know
15:00
you both kind of recognize what you're going through
15:02
but I didn't have that option
15:05
I didn't have no one really
15:06
to talk to but my doctor and my nurse
15:09
you know the nurses
15:10
and let me tell you they were fabulous
15:11
they always are um
15:13
cause you kind of like become family with them
15:15
cause you see them more than you see your family
15:16
cause all the appointments
15:17
you know and yeah
15:18
the drive but we'll talk about that one later
15:21
the drive um
15:22
but for the most part um
15:25
so I did a lot of a lot of researching
15:27
as I tell you not to overload
15:29
and Google search and try and not
15:30
but you have to
15:31
because you have to have a better understanding
15:33
because at the end of the day
15:35
your choices I wanted to see my options yeah
15:38
if you were talking to someone in your position
15:40
who is really surprised by this diagnosis
15:43
whether they have blue eyes
15:44
brown eyes green eyes
15:45
like whether they're
15:46
you know wherever they are
15:47
if they're just really surprised
15:49
and they're feeling that inclination to
15:51
want to educate themselves um
15:53
but also
15:53
just kind of feeling the anxiety and the what ifs
15:55
um what would be
15:56
maybe something that you would say to that person
15:58
to help them just to cope
15:59
or just to know that like
16:01
you know they can get through that phase
16:03
because that phase can feel so overwhelming
16:05
and draining at like at the very beginning
16:09
my thing is don't panic
16:13
try your best you know
16:14
my daughter she's in the medical field
16:16
she's like mom
16:17
make sure you have a
16:18
a list of questions for your doctor
16:21
know um
16:23
what you're gonna be faced with
16:25
you know my doctor was a matter of fact
16:26
he wasn't giving me rainbows and stars
16:29
he said this is what you have
16:31
this could happen if you don't do this
16:33
if you choose to do you know
16:35
the Brachytherapy this is what could happen
16:38
so understand that you don't want to give
16:41
no one wants to give you a rainbow and a story
16:44
I want to know what I'm dealing with
16:45
make sure you get your questions answered
16:48
and that you move forward
16:49
cause the real story is you're gonna go through it
16:52
no one else is and you know
16:54
you can have an abundance of family
16:56
and trust me we always love to have family
16:58
support and friends that become families and
17:01
you know but at the end of the day
17:03
you're walking it you're walking through the struggle
17:06
so get your information and um
17:09
make sure you know again ask questions
17:12
very important and know what your options are
17:14
because at the end of the day
17:15
it is your choice it is your choice
17:18
whether or not you wanna take Brachytherapy
17:20
if you wanna take you know
17:22
the laser therapy whatever you choose to do
17:24
it's gonna be your choice
17:25
but you need to know what's um
17:27
the good and the bad that's coming with it
17:29
cause you know no matter what decisions we make
17:33
and whether we keep our eyes
17:34
whether the tumor grows whether it stops growing
17:37
for the rest of our lives
17:38
our lives are changed forever so
17:42
I think that's such a good point um
17:44
and I love that you shared
17:45
like just about advocating for yourself and owning
17:47
owning your journey because that's so important
17:50
absolutely um okay
17:51
so you've mentioned
17:52
a couple of the things
17:53
that have been challenging for you
17:54
like you mentioned all of the vision
17:56
kind of roller coasters um
17:57
what are you dealing with
17:58
I guess today
18:00
kind of in the midst of overcoming these days haha
18:04
well let me just share with you
18:06
because even though you know
18:08
you know as you see my eye
18:10
my glasses are off because close distance
18:13
I can see closer with my glasses
18:15
I I
18:16
it's for distance but it's a hot mess
18:18
cause I could bump into a wall
18:20
I could my perception is way off
18:23
and if I'm grabbing something
18:26
you know those are the things that I'm dealing with
18:28
um and
18:29
you know after being
18:30
we're all independent mommies
18:32
you know we're doing our things women wives
18:35
mothers we're trying to just keep it steady
18:37
and even though in my back of my head
18:39
as I was going through all of this
18:41
I was like OK
18:42
now i'mma go back to my normal
18:43
it's gonna happen I'm
18:44
you know I'm gonna Drive
18:45
i'mma do my thing no
18:47
it did not happen
18:49
like I say a hot mess
18:50
it was a hot mess what I had to do is learn my new norm
18:55
and my new norm is you need to watch where you walking
18:58
girl make sure you don't fall hold on to rails
19:03
don't bump into the you know
19:04
the side of the walls no
19:05
you have to take that extra step while you're driving
19:08
perception park your car
19:10
look around
19:11
you may have to park at the end of the parking lot
19:13
so that you don't hit nobody else so
19:15
or hit you know
19:16
a a car or something to that effect
19:17
but that's the norm so I have to make sure that
19:23
you know even though I'm struggling with it
19:25
um it doesn't make me angry cause
19:27
this is what I have to accept
19:29
um I just have to deal with it and
19:32
you know
19:32
I laugh a lot about things because it's hilarious haha
19:35
to me if I don't laugh I'm
19:38
I'm gonna cry and fall apart
19:39
and it's OK it's OK but not all the time
19:45
well I love that
19:46
I think that's that's a really good perspective to have
19:48
and to keep um
19:50
is just to keep that like
19:51
keep the things light they can be light and
19:54
and also just keep learning as you go because
19:56
because it really is kind of an adjustment
19:58
to whatever expectations have changed
20:01
you know whether it's just that
20:02
you thought you were gonna have vision
20:03
and then suddenly you don't have any vision
20:05
or you have partial or your vision changes all the time
20:09
so I love hearing how you've adjusted to that
20:11
and how you just kind of like
20:12
allow yourself to roll with it
20:45
would you say that you have any
20:48
I guess for like first scan nerves with it that
20:51
that you might have come up when you have um
20:53
appointments for your eye
20:55
do you have any kind of coping techniques that you use
20:57
like anything that is maybe a stress reliever for you
20:59
that you prefer or kind of like fall back on well
21:03
you know driving to Nashville
21:06
I have to say I thank god that I chose Nashville
21:09
because the drive is relaxing every month
21:13
you know thank god
21:15
my husband was taking me
21:16
you know we had to just kind of work our schedules
21:19
where we both are able to get off to drive and
21:22
you know he would drive me to the doctors
21:24
and we would have that sober moment
21:28
you know so spiritually
21:31
I do I'm highly spiritual
21:33
I believe in prayer I believe in staying positive
21:36
I believe in as we got in
21:39
as we get in the car the anxiety for me
21:41
it jumps
21:43
I'm like OK
21:44
here we go what's
21:46
what's gonna happen when I get there
21:47
you know it's not all about the
21:49
you know I'm trying to anticipate what
21:51
what they might find the tumor is active again
21:53
oh my god the pressure in my eye
21:55
cause that's a big thing with the pressure in the eye
21:57
that could rip my retina I'm gonna go blind
22:00
so you know
22:01
101 things run through my head
22:02
but I take that drive hahaha
22:06
it's smooth sailing and I just
22:09
I pray I pray
22:10
that's my peace and soul my praying
22:13
because if I don't I'll be a hot mess hahaha
22:17
well I love that
22:18
I think that it's
22:19
I think that it's just so important to find
22:21
find the things that you can do consistently
22:23
to kind of fall back on to
22:24
protect your peace so to speak
22:25
so I think that it's great to have um
22:27
to have ways that you kind of like routines almost
22:30
that you fall back on to help you cope
22:32
so how has this kind of
22:34
affected your family relationships
22:35
and the way that you view
22:36
important relationships in your life
22:39
well you know
22:40
so this is another thing that I take
22:44
that I never take for granted
22:45
is sharing
22:47
sharing my diagnosis with my family
22:49
it's not I'm not hiding nothing from my kids
22:51
I have three grown children
22:53
I have we have seven grandchildren
22:56
and our family is big so
22:58
you know what
22:58
I let them know what's going on on a daily
23:00
because I'm not gonna lie to my children and
23:03
you know paint roses and
23:04
and you know
23:05
gardens because this is the reality of it
23:08
and they're grown they understand um
23:11
like I say even the grandbabies chip in and be like
23:13
Wela you want your glasses
23:16
can you see Wela
23:18
I love it you know
23:20
so
23:21
they have been the most supportive family
23:24
that you can ever have because
23:25
you know quick text
23:27
you know hey mom
23:28
how you doing I love that
23:30
um and I'm doing fine
23:32
my kids know that I'll rock and roll at any time
23:34
they know so
23:36
you know just be real
23:38
don't don't
23:39
I was gonna say don't fake it with your family
23:41
tell your family what's going on
23:43
let them know how you feel what you're going through
23:45
because they need to know sometimes
23:47
you know just that I got you makes such a difference
23:52
a text makes such a difference
23:54
because remember when I had it
23:56
I was um
23:57
actually during the pandemic
24:00
I wasn't around nobody you know
24:02
so people would text me family
24:04
you know that meant so much
24:05
I think that makes a difference with the family
24:07
you know to
24:08
or friends anybody
24:10
no I think that's such a good point
24:11
um so
24:13
I guess
24:13
just based on kind of the way that you talked about it
24:15
it's safe to say that you value those relationships a
24:17
maybe a little higher it's taking like
24:19
a deeper meaning I think
24:21
a deeper meaning because it's it's
24:24
it's what it is you know
24:26
yeah
24:27
it's my everyday and
24:29
you know they love Mommy
24:31
they love abuela and they're like OK
24:33
it's OK we got you
24:35
so but
24:36
you know you enjoy every day laughter
24:38
I laugh through the storms
24:40
I will dance through the storms at any time
24:42
and they know it so yeah
24:44
I love that I wanted to just ask you
24:47
your family or maybe other people in your like
24:49
in your space
24:51
you know have brown eyes or who are from
24:54
I think you mentioned like
24:55
the Latina community the African American community
24:58
what would you say to that community of people
25:01
well this is my thing because
25:03
you know here we are as women parents
25:06
and I'm not just gonna say women
25:08
but OK I'm gonna say all women
25:10
most women especially mommies and daddies that are
25:13
you know single dads
25:14
we take care of everybody else in the world
25:16
and we do not take care of ourselves
25:18
and I told people this is about self care
25:20
we have to take account of us
25:23
if you see something funny in your eye
25:25
go to the doctor
25:27
Get your eyes checked get the the
25:29
the picture cause that's what I did
25:30
I got the picture and I was like
25:33
you know
25:33
always have that opportunity to take care of yourself
25:36
because without if you do not take care of yourself
25:38
you can't take care of anyone else
25:40
and those little ones depend on you all the time
25:43
you know so health
25:45
be a little selfish hey
25:46
my eyes are squiggly I'm seeing flashes
25:49
I need to go to the doctor
25:50
can you stay with my babies while I go to the doctor
25:53
yes you can
25:54
and those are the things we have to self care 100%
25:58
especially during this pandemic as well
26:00
you know we take too much for granted
26:02
our health without it
26:03
we will not be able to take care of no one else
26:06
so that's important so that goes with the Latinas
26:09
the African Americans it goes with anybody
26:12
get your eyes don't take that for granted
26:14
it's so important
26:16
I know you're coming up on two years and your scan
26:18
so I'm sure with the anxiety of that
26:20
that can that can feel a little funky sometimes
26:24
but we are definitely like
26:25
rooting for you and hoping that things turn out well
26:28
for the rest of the year and moving forward
26:30
do you have anything I guess
26:32
maybe to kind of close this out
26:33
that you would would want to share with our audience
26:36
well you know
26:37
I am trying to come together and do a walk uh
26:41
down in Big Spring Park in Huntsville
26:43
Alabama
26:44
and we're working on that for the ocular melanoma
26:47
of course we're doing donations all to A Cure In Sight
26:51
I will definitely let you everyone know
26:54
moving forward how that would work
26:56
but I'm trying my best to get that started
26:58
for the first time in Huntsville
27:00
that Alabama that anybody would know
27:02
or even have a walk for ocular melanoma
27:04
so we're hoping and praying that works out well
27:07
you know so moving forward
27:09
um and I'm also gonna try to get with eye doctors
27:11
to see if we could do a free screening
27:13
for the communities that are not able to go out there
27:16
and get their eyes checked
27:18
so those are my goals moving forward
27:20
and to just be use my platform at this moment
27:24
to share my story cause
27:26
I'm okay with sharing my story cause
27:27
guess what I can't sit back and say
27:30
oh it
27:30
why did it happen to me mm hmm
27:32
why why it could happen to me
27:35
why am I special I'm not special
27:37
it could happen to anybody
27:38
so why not so
27:40
moving forward I'm gonna use my platform for that
27:43
no I love that
27:44
using what has happened to you to do something
27:47
like do something with it and share
27:49
whether it's with we even
27:51
even if all it is that you feel like making an impact
27:54
if if you feel like making an impact
27:56
is to share with five people
27:58
then I say do it if you feel like making an impact
28:01
is to go and host a walk and do a 5K
28:03
or a fundraiser
28:04
or whatever it is that you feel like you wanna do
28:06
for awareness then go do that
28:08
because I think that
28:08
if we can find purpose in what we're going through
28:12
it makes it just that much more doable to like
28:15
be in it right
28:17
and to be surrounded by people
28:19
supporting us along the way
28:20
so I just I applaud you for that Yvonne
28:22
for for getting to that space so quickly um
28:25
and also for just having that strong desire
28:27
you know get this out in the world and talk about it um
28:30
in your community so I really hope that goes well
28:32
and we would love to help you in any ways that we can
28:34
with you know
28:35
resources linking you up with people
28:37
this is the last question just wanted to ask
28:39
do you have maybe a a Bible verse
28:41
an affirmation
28:42
or a favorite song that you would love to share
28:45
like just kind of that
28:46
that you kind of fall back on
28:48
I guess
28:49
well haha
28:51
I know I just opened a can of worms
28:53
I can tell yeah yeah
28:54
it can be a bunch of stuff
28:55
but my main thing is it you know
28:58
we love music salsa
28:59
merengue we love music
29:00
so I just say that um
29:02
the biggest song that I know my family enjoys too
29:04
is Marc Anthony's Vivir mi vida
29:07
which means like
29:08
live your life
29:09
and if you actually translated in English
29:11
if anybody was to really listen to that music
29:14
you'll dance anyway you're gonna dance
29:16
put it on for the babies they will dance
29:18
but it's saying
29:19
live your life and enjoy every moment of it
29:21
because you know what we only have one
29:23
so let's make the best one eye
29:25
no eye two eyes
29:28
okay we can do this
29:29
I don't have any other major questions for you
29:32
but I just want to thank you again for being here
29:34
um
29:35
time and for your vulnerability and for everything
29:39
just to be open with your story and um
29:42
and just
29:43
help us in raising awareness for ocular melanoma
29:45
and for all the patients like you
29:46
like me
29:48
like one um
29:49
so I'm gonna let Yvonne go
29:50
and we're gonna end the recording
29:52
bye thank you
29:54
goodbye bye thank you