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Giving Your Diagnosis Direction with Chris Brotherston & Mike Cornell | The Eye Believe Podcast · The Eye Believe Podcast

0:03
alright everybody
0:04
welcome back to the Eye Believe Podcast
0:05
today we are talking about giving your diagnosis
0:08
with some of the guys in our community
0:09
I'm joined again with Mike and with Chris
0:11
both of whom have been guests on the podcast before
0:14
so say hi Mike from Columbus Ohio
0:16
hello and also Chris from Harrisburg
0:19
Pennsylvania
0:20
and we were just cracking up at my juvenile notice
0:24
of the the two capitals of the states
0:27
that they're both from the capitals
0:28
like it's been a while since I've Learned those um
0:30
but thank you guys for listening and tuning in
0:32
if you're coming in on YouTube or on a podcast platform
0:35
we're so appreciative of our audience
0:37
but before we get into it
0:39
I wanna ask each of you
0:40
what is one thing that you're focused on in your life
0:43
outside of cancer as of like today
0:45
Chris can I have you go first
0:47
sure of course
0:48
I would say that just um
0:50
focusing on work right now
0:51
and in my my personal home life
0:54
I'm trying to have normal
0:55
everyday days as much as I can
0:59
there's a lot of travel that's been involved in what we
1:02
what we have to go through
1:04
and so
1:04
every day that we're at home or able to come into work
1:08
is just a blessing to me
1:09
and so I just focus on the people around me
1:12
and just try to stay positive every day
1:15
awesome okay
1:16
and Mike what about you
1:17
one thing you're focused on
1:19
I think for me right now it's
1:21
I'm in a weird spot right now
1:23
cause I just had a treatment
1:24
so I can't really do anything
1:25
but
1:26
I've been trying to stay as physically fit as possible
1:29
um so it's been a lot of work with
1:32
you know
1:33
I do a lot of running um
1:34
right now I'm in a you can't run stage right now
1:37
cause you just had a treatment uh
1:39
last Monday so whenever I get the all clear
1:41
hopefully within the next few days or so
1:43
I'll start back up again and keep rolling on that
1:46
just to try to maintain a good healthy weight and good
1:50
keep the heart good
1:51
for whenever you have to have a procedure
1:52
and things like that
1:53
so that's what I probably been focused on the most uh
1:56
right now
1:57
I love it okay
1:58
so Mike um
2:00
what kind of running do you do
2:01
do you do do you do uh
2:02
distance or do you do it kind of shorter
2:05
uh I do um
2:06
distance training so like
2:08
I trained to um run in the uh
2:12
Columbus Half Marathon this year
2:13
I didn't run though unfortunately
2:15
the weather was exceptionally bad um
2:18
for the the race
2:19
it was um uh
2:21
like forty five degrees and pouring down rain
2:26
and I was like I've got
2:28
supposed to be a
2:29
have a Hepzato treatment two weeks after that
2:32
and I was like that I I can't afford to get sick
2:34
so I did all the training
2:35
I was ready to go but
2:37
you know just holding off and say
2:39
you know doing the right thing for me
2:40
and the that
2:41
that's the like
2:42
the one part that was a little disappointing
2:43
but you know
2:44
you did the train can't stop the training
2:47
so it's still all good
2:48
you can't say you didn't do something
2:49
you did some really awesome training for it
2:51
um and then Chris
2:52
what do you do for work so I
2:54
I run a a food pantry
2:56
so essentially people who are um
2:59
struggling with food insecurity
3:01
um I manage a center
3:02
we serve about 2500 people a month and um
3:06
I get to work with a lot of really great people um
3:09
who are volunteers of mine
3:11
I have 95 volunteers that work for me in this center
3:14
and um
3:15
they just give me a lot of positive energy
3:17
every time I'm around them
3:19
they're giving back every day and uh
3:21
it makes me feel like I'm able to give back as well
3:23
to the community so it's really important
3:25
um you know I
3:27
I work at a pantry that's sort of in my neighborhood
3:30
so I'm only eight minutes away from home
3:34
and I you know
3:35
these are people that I know in the neighborhood
3:37
who are just struggling right now
3:38
so um
3:39
it's very positively uplifting um
3:42
to work with those individuals
3:44
to see you know
3:45
just how we might be able to support them
3:47
and help them through the troubled times
3:48
they're going through right now
3:49
I think that's so incredible
3:51
and I feel like both of you just have something
3:53
that is really
3:53
specifically giving you purpose and meaning
3:56
outside of cancer right
3:58
even if it's somehow related to it right
4:00
like because Mikey said you're
4:01
you're training but it's also kind of got the
4:03
the extra layer of the the bonus
4:05
that your cardiovascular health is going to be
4:07
up there because you're training like
4:09
for half marathons and so obviously
4:11
your cardiovascular health is gonna be in good shape
4:13
which has a a net benefit for treatment
4:15
but um
4:16
I just I think that it's so important to point out
4:18
to those of you guys listening
4:19
that we're finding things to focus on
4:21
yes like
4:22
maybe distractions for sure
4:23
but also
4:24
this is something that gives you meaning and purpose
4:26
and it doesn't have to be complicated
4:28
doesn't have to be this grandiose thing
4:30
um okay
4:31
so we're gonna get a little bit more into that as we go
4:34
but I wanted to talk a little bit more
4:35
you know kind of about the diagnosis journey
4:38
um so Mike
4:39
how long has it been since you were diagnosed
4:40
in your eye wow
4:42
it's been eight years okay
4:45
and Chris
4:45
how about you it's been eight years
4:47
July 24 um
4:48
so it's just been a year and a half
4:51
man yeah
4:53
man Chris
4:54
you're the baby I am the baby
4:56
I hear it all the time I've been through a lot though
4:58
in that year so yeah
5:00
I know it's a lot it's for sure a lot
5:02
um so Chris
5:03
I'm gonna actually have you go first on this question
5:05
but what do you remember most
5:06
about the day that you found out
5:07
that you had ocular melanoma
5:09
um I remember
5:11
my biggest concern was that I might lose vision
5:15
um even though I was already blind
5:17
I couldn't see out of my right eye
5:18
but I was concerned that it might be permanent
5:21
that wasn't repairable I didn't even know
5:24
um it didn't even strike me as being a dangerous cancer
5:28
um the doctor told me that there's a lesion in my eye
5:31
and when I talked to Shields about three weeks later
5:34
I understood a little bit more about it
5:36
and how serious it was but initial diagnosis was
5:41
am I gonna lose my eye or not
5:42
and I'll I'll deal with it if I lose my eye
5:45
didn't realize it was a lifetime journey
5:47
that we have to go through
5:49
yeah absolutely
5:50
Mike I know it's been a little while for you but um
5:52
what do you remember
5:53
about the first day that you found out
5:54
um and if you would rather
5:55
we can actually focus on the first day you found out
5:57
about metastatic disease if that's a little easier
5:59
uh what's interesting is like
6:01
I remember the the
6:02
I remember the first one a bit more
6:04
um okay
6:05
but it it's
6:06
it's interesting um
6:09
on that one because I it was like
6:10
I remember going to a just a regular optometrist
6:14
and them telling me I had a detached retina
6:15
which was true but that wasn't the
6:17
the problem right
6:19
detached retina caused by the tumor
6:21
um and then the person who I went the
6:24
the ophthalmologist they referred me to
6:26
getting in there
6:26
and seeing that guy on an emergency basis
6:28
thinking that
6:29
I'm going to have to deal with one type of surgery
6:31
only to find out that no
6:32
no you have a different problem
6:35
um that's the big one
6:36
I remember just how quickly it went from one problem
6:39
to a different more serious problem
6:42
you need to go see this doctor to get
6:44
get it confirmed and that happened two days later
6:46
and everything was confirmed
6:48
um when I went in
6:49
it was found I was metastatic
6:51
it was like um I
6:53
I read the scan before I went in
6:56
and I remember thinking oh
6:58
that's not great let's see how
7:00
is this what I think it is
7:01
and you know
7:02
they came in and told me yeah
7:03
it's exactly what you what it is
7:04
so it's like the next day
7:06
I got I think I got a preview like
7:07
a week or a day prior and
7:09
I knew exactly what was gonna happen
7:11
when I got in there and it wasn't
7:12
wasn't fun but I was also like um
7:16
mentally prepared already
7:18
kind of like hey
7:20
what are what's my plan gonna be
7:21
what am I gonna do and we were already like
7:23
using the resources that are available online
7:27
from groups like A Cure In Sight
7:28
and other places out there to figure out hey
7:30
where can I go what can I do
7:32
um which was useful um
7:34
versus like
7:35
you know we have to advocate for ourselves a lot
7:36
so I remember that like
7:38
it was like one of the first times I was really like
7:40
hey it's time to advocate again um
7:42
which you know
7:43
I did earlier you know
7:45
earlier on but this was like
7:47
the first time was really
7:48
like getting to use those muscles
7:50
I suppose
7:51
yeah absolutely
7:52
I think you make a really good point
7:54
kind of between the two of your stories is that like
7:56
Chris you
7:57
you express that the primary diagnosis
7:59
I mean you're just kind of thrust into this
8:01
like it just you
8:02
you go to an eye visit and then like
8:04
all of a sudden you're being given a cancer diagnosis
8:06
yeah and then the dust settles
8:08
so to speak
8:09
and you learn more over time from your doctor
8:12
or from being referred to a medical oncologist
8:14
whatever the journey might look like for you
8:16
maybe you have some period of stability
8:18
like Mike did where there's nothing really going on
8:20
but you're just continuing monitoring
8:22
and then if the metastatic bomb kind of lands in
8:24
your lap hopefully
8:26
you've had a little bit of time
8:27
to garner some knowledge and to learn from your doctor
8:30
or learn from other patients
8:32
um and it doesn't
8:33
like Mike said it doesn't make it more fun
8:35
not it's never fun
8:36
but it doesn't make it um
8:38
easier so much as
8:39
it just makes it something that you're
8:41
maybe a little better equipped for
8:42
it's not so much of a surprise like
8:45
because you've been warned right
8:46
like versus with ocular melanoma
8:48
the first time you get the eye diagnosis
8:50
like nobody warns you like hey
8:51
you might be able to get cancer in your eye
8:53
just a heads up yeah
8:54
like right
8:55
nobody tells you that
8:56
when you walk into the eye doctor's office
8:57
like that's not what's on anybody's mind
8:59
that's like I need glasses
9:01
help make sure that I can see
9:02
that's it I was going in for cataract surgery
9:06
when they diagnosed me um
9:08
because I couldn't see out of my right eye
9:09
and they said I had a very dense cataract
9:12
um so that's how that came about
9:14
was the ophthalmologist was the one who identified it
9:18
not my optometrist my optometrist said
9:20
you have a cataract
9:20
so let's get you scheduled for an ophthalmologist
9:23
to have the cataract removed
9:25
and that's when we discovered
9:27
that it was a very large tumor
9:28
that was causing the cataract
9:30
so
9:31
man that's crazy
9:33
yeah like
9:34
that's absolutely crazy um okay
9:37
well
9:37
we talked a little about kind of this initial diagnosis
9:39
but like we said the dust settles eventually
9:42
whether it's with metastatic disease
9:44
or with your primary eye diagnosis
9:46
and so you know
9:47
for those of our listeners who are
9:48
maybe in the beginning of one of those phases
9:52
when the dust settled for you
9:53
what helped you to start moving forward
9:55
good question um
9:57
I feel like so how do I wanna phrase this
10:00
I I'm
10:01
I have a strong personality wise
10:04
I have a bias towards action
10:06
so I'm not a big waiter like I I
10:09
I was in the midst of like
10:12
the dust never really settled because I was always like
10:14
trying to figure out okay
10:14
what's going on here so like
10:16
I remember when I was first diagnosed um
10:19
I posted something on Facebook
10:22
and got reached out to somebody from my past
10:25
who's like hey
10:27
you know you remember my father had this
10:29
and I'm like how
10:30
how the heck do you know does this happen right
10:32
like I just
10:33
random connection from my past
10:36
and he's like you need to go see Shields
10:38
and I was like cool
10:40
I've already I was already planning on asking
10:42
because I have family in Philadelphia
10:43
maybe I should just go there
10:45
he's like you need to go there and get it done
10:46
he's like
10:47
my father's been alive for 15 years since diagnosis
10:49
and still swimming in the Pacific or something
10:52
and I was like okay cool
10:53
so there was a there was some stuff there
10:55
because there was some some hope
10:57
because I had obviously done all the reading
11:00
that you did when you start and you're like
11:02
this is not great not feeling so positive right now
11:05
and you're in that you know
11:06
fighter flight panic mode
11:08
uh happened to have that connection
11:10
and it was like
11:11
a little bit soothing where I was like okay
11:14
I'm gonna go talk to my doctor
11:16
we're gonna talk about what's going on here locally
11:19
I'm gonna ask her
11:20
to see if she can put in a feeler for me
11:23
down in Philly see if they can see me sooner
11:25
because she Doctor Sibel
11:27
Ohio State she's great
11:28
but she was like it'll take
11:29
you know four to six weeks to get the plaque ready
11:31
and do all this and be with a bias to action
11:32
I'm like that sounds like torture
11:34
so I was like what can I do to accelerate things
11:39
and I remember still remember being in Home Depot
11:42
I was just at the Home Depot today
11:44
down there at Home Depot and they were
11:46
I got a call from Doctor Sibel at 5:00 on Saturday
11:49
saying be in Philly on Monday
11:51
you have an appointment right
11:52
so it was like she made the call
11:54
we got the appointment I was
11:56
and I was on a plane on Sunday going back out there to
12:00
you'll get started with the process
12:02
and that to me
12:03
was the that bias towards action was like
12:06
really really what helped me get through
12:08
like past any dust settling
12:10
it was more like yeah
12:12
the dust is behind me
12:13
to keep the metaphor in phrase like
12:15
that dust is going to be my feet moving uh
12:18
towards the next piece
12:19
did a similar type of thing with my metastatic um where
12:23
uh when I found out about that
12:26
I was like
12:27
talking to a friend
12:28
who actually knows the folks at the Philly clinic
12:32
she works in the same hospital
12:34
who said you let me know if you need me to
12:37
you know put in a rep
12:38
a call and it
12:39
24 hours later I said hey
12:40
make that call for me so she did
12:43
and then I was out there doing a treatment
12:45
because Hepzato was in the state of um
12:47
not being approved yet it was like
12:48
approved but you couldn't get it anywhere
12:50
so they had something I could do
12:52
so I went and did that versus
12:55
immediately starting a you know
12:58
Kimmtrak which I was luckily eligible for
13:01
but you know
13:02
that I was like what can I do
13:04
I'm gonna go do something
13:05
so that's like to me
13:06
the dust is always back there somewhere
13:08
to keep it from settling
13:09
and I just wanna keep going ahead of it
13:11
yeah so
13:12
no I think that's a
13:13
that's a really good point
13:14
um Chris
13:15
what about you so um
13:18
after the initial diagnosis
13:20
I was sent to Shields as well
13:21
down at Wills Eye Hospital and um
13:25
they determined that it was a large tumor
13:28
and I was given two options at the time uh
13:31
enucleation where they would just
13:33
they were scheduling me for that Thursday
13:35
to remove my eye or I could start um
13:37
the Daro study um
13:40
as long as I could pass through all the qualifications
13:43
to get qualified for it
13:44
it was an easy decision for me
13:46
I wanted to try to keep my eye if I could
13:48
um I had good information from the doctors um
13:52
Doctor Lally and Doctor Shields were amazing
13:54
they filled up my head with all of the information
13:57
and they both agreed that the right move would be
14:00
to try the trial give it a shot
14:02
so I felt like there was no better option
14:05
than just trusting their word
14:07
and their confidence in this uh
14:09
trial so
14:10
um I was sent over to Jefferson that day um
14:14
to meet with Doctor Orloff um
14:16
for a medical oncology exam and um
14:19
I had to jump through a few hoops
14:20
but
14:21
I was accepted into the Daro trial within two months
14:24
and I was on the medicine
14:25
and I stayed on the medicine for two for a full year
14:28
right up to six months and then I had um
14:31
plaque therapy um
14:33
which again was just like you Danet
14:35
it was I think it was the largest they do
14:37
22 millimeters or whatever
14:39
um so I wasn't confident about anything
14:41
whether vision wise I mean
14:44
because I had been blind at that point
14:45
now in my right eye
14:46
I had not seen in over a year and a half
14:49
I can now see out of my right eye
14:51
following the therapy and um
14:54
two well
14:55
three surgeries now um
14:56
to try to repair some of the damage
14:58
so I've got some vision back
14:59
so again
15:00
a lot like Mike was saying
15:02
I just jumped on the opportunity
15:04
I wasn't waiting um
15:05
or trying to you know
15:07
figure out what might be the best
15:08
I really trusted the doctors
15:10
and they pushed they didn't push
15:12
they encouraged this direction and um
15:15
to me the dust is behind me
15:17
just like Mike is saying so um
15:19
I was on uh Daro for a full year
15:22
including the plaque therapy
15:24
I've got a little bit of vision back in my right eye
15:26
I have some lesions on my liver
15:28
but we're not they're
15:30
everything's stable so we are just monitoring now and
15:33
um so the dust is still settling
15:37
I guess as you try to put it
15:39
but
15:39
I know that there's gonna be a dust storm ahead again
15:42
so every day we just try to stay positive and
15:46
and stay ahead of the dust storm
15:48
I guess
15:49
yeah so
15:51
one of the things that you guys talked about
15:52
at the beginning when we like
15:53
initially started was uh
15:55
some of the the things that we focus on
15:57
outside of our cancer diagnosis
15:59
for our listeners like can we talk a little about
16:02
like in the midst of any of this going on right
16:05
like
16:05
active treatment or the kind of the in between phases
16:08
what do you feel I
16:09
I mean I guess there's
16:10
there's two parts to that question
16:11
it's like how do you keep life feeling normal
16:13
when you're in treatment
16:14
maybe that's the first question yeah
16:17
and then
16:17
how do we keep life feeling normal when we're not right
16:20
when we're kind of playing the waiting game
16:21
yeah um
16:23
because I feel like that's
16:24
that's definitely something that can be really tricky
16:26
especially when when you have um
16:29
like Mike said a bias towards action
16:32
and I think I'm probably that way
16:33
I'm I'm a little bit of a bias towards action
16:35
and maybe a heavy researcher
16:38
but at some point you know
16:40
there's only so much we can do right
16:41
there's only so much we can do at one point
16:43
and sometimes
16:44
we kind of are forced by the situation to slow down
16:46
or to wait or
16:47
you know whatever is happening
16:48
so how do you keep life feeling normal in those moments
16:52
um Chris
16:53
do you wanna go first sure
16:55
so my wife and I have discovered that we love glamping
16:58
now um
16:59
so we I love it
17:01
we have um
17:04
when initial diagnosis was July
17:07
in September
17:08
we decided that we would love to try glamping
17:12
for something different um
17:14
so we went away just the two of us and a dog
17:16
and we rented
17:18
I don't even know what you call it a
17:19
a glamp tent site um
17:23
that was wonderful on a
17:24
on a on a farm range with plenty of space
17:28
and we Learned that we just loved being able to go
17:31
instead of the whole build up to going camping
17:34
where you have to prepare so much
17:36
um yes
17:37
we knew we didn't have the energy
17:38
to be able to do all that
17:39
but so
17:40
glamping gave us an opportunity to enjoy
17:42
just being outside again just as a couple
17:45
doing things that we'd never done before
17:47
um and so we do
17:49
we've been glamping now we've
17:51
we've rented a a house on a lake
17:54
we've done so we're learning to try to spend weekends
17:58
because unfortunately
18:00
with all of the treatments
18:01
a lot of this does take up time from PTO
18:03
from work and things like that so um
18:06
we can get away for a weekend
18:07
and so we try to um
18:09
stay on top of each other about hey
18:11
let's do something for ourselves
18:13
just to get away
18:14
and forget about the travel to Philadelphia
18:17
and the Doubletree Hotel all the time because sure
18:19
I'm building some great Hilton Honors points but um
18:23
you know
18:23
it's nice to do something for ourselves once in a while
18:26
you know I'm tired of staying in hotels
18:28
so uh
18:29
we try to do things that are just outside of
18:31
what feels like a treatment
18:32
which means in my mind
18:34
anytime I stay in a hotel now
18:36
feels like it's work related or treatment related
18:39
so anything that's not a hotel is wonderful
18:42
I love it yeah
18:44
Mike what about you
18:45
uh well
18:46
it's interesting like
18:47
I'm in a situation in my life
18:49
where both of my children are only around uh
18:52
in the summers right now
18:53
because they're away at college
18:55
so it it provides some unique opportunities
18:58
I didn't have before around travel
18:59
so my wife and I have looked at travel as best I can
19:02
when I was on Kimmtrak
19:03
it was a little interesting because you had to like
19:05
line things up
19:06
so that you could make sure you didn't skip
19:08
too much time so everything was like
19:11
I can get a treatment done this day
19:12
and then I can get on a plane in the afternoon
19:15
and how terrible is that gonna feel when I'm itching or
19:17
or do we have to wait a day
19:18
and we figured all that stuff out
19:20
but it took some definitely took some trips on that
19:22
um otherwise it's
19:24
it's like a uh
19:28
how do you keep your keep those hobbies going on
19:31
so whatever hobby it is that you have
19:33
there's certain hobbies I can't do anymore or like
19:35
I don't enjoy them as I once did
19:37
like
19:38
very difficult to play golf these days with one eye
19:40
it just isn't the same
19:41
so I don't play that as much as I used to
19:43
so that's kind of the clubs are kind of in the closet
19:45
but like
19:46
I will um
19:49
I will stay as positive I can
19:51
I'll watch my my two um
19:54
professional teams here in Columbus
19:56
Blue Jackets and The Crew
19:58
I'll watch them I'll pay too much attention to them
20:00
actually the funny thing is that when I was um
20:03
my first was metastatic cancer
20:05
The Crew was in the middle of a big playoff run
20:07
they ended up being champions that year
20:09
and um
20:10
one of the things I'll bring up that I keep with me
20:13
cause it's it
20:14
and I found out it's an old quote
20:15
but said a couple different ways
20:17
but I keep it with me
20:18
because I use it every time I think about like
20:20
things aren't going so well
20:21
but after after they were victorious
20:24
the coach they were interviewing coach Wilfried Nancy
20:27
who's a Frenchman um
20:29
and he he said at the time like
20:32
how did you do it he said
20:33
impossible is an opinion
20:36
and so I keep that with me all the time
20:38
because when people
20:39
when you're going through this and things are just like
20:41
that's you know
20:42
you're in there's some dark moments
20:43
right as you're going through this stuff
20:45
and you have to remind yourself like oh
20:48
it's an
20:49
it's an opinion that this is impossible
20:51
that you can't make it a little
20:52
few more days further a few more days down the road
20:56
so I keep that with me as I go along
20:59
it's just um
21:00
it just spark that memory when you were talking about
21:03
like what do you do to keep things normal
21:04
and that was like
21:05
I was in the middle of flying out to Philly
21:08
I went to the championship game
21:10
it was on a Sunday
21:11
I was on a plane Monday morning to go get a
21:14
a chemo embolization um
21:16
so I remember that pretty well
21:18
cause that was part of that
21:19
that whole beginning journey
21:23
just over two or just under two years ago so
21:26
yeah I love that
21:28
um and we
21:29
when we were talking with the ladies
21:31
who were talking about this too
21:33
like the giving diagnosis direction um
21:35
Lindsay Brown she
21:36
she mentioned something that she talks about in her
21:38
her like
21:39
keynote talk and she said
21:40
fear is an acronym for
21:41
Forgetting Every Available Resource
21:43
and I'm like oh
21:44
like I feel like that goes hand in hand with the whole
21:46
like impossible is a
21:47
my like
21:47
is an opinion
21:48
because you know
21:50
we can be afraid we
21:51
we can choose to to find the resources
21:54
or we can sit in kind of the
21:56
woe is me
21:57
and we get stuck and spiral
22:00
and it's not how not that it doesn't happen
22:03
but how do you be brave in the face of this
22:07
yeah right
22:08
how do you how do you keep going forward
22:11
and try to live your life the best way that you know
22:14
possible in the face of the adversity
22:16
and there when you have those dark moments
22:19
it's like someone would say
22:20
it's impossible to do that
22:21
you know no
22:22
it's not
22:23
you can do this right
22:25
and it's it no
22:25
I love that we all are gonna go through those cycles
22:28
right I
22:28
I think every one of us has been through that
22:31
those spirals or whatever you wanna call it
22:34
um you just have to
22:36
it's everybody's different
22:38
so I don't want to just say it's easy
22:39
it's not easy right
22:40
but but it is
22:41
I mean it is very much a roller coaster
22:44
yeah and
22:44
and to understand that when you get to that low place
22:48
you don't you don't necessarily have the guarantee
22:50
you're gonna stay there I think that we all
22:53
we all have a pretty good track record
22:55
of getting to the bottom of that peak
22:57
and then rising at some point
22:59
in some way shape or form
23:00
like we have a good track record for getting back up
23:03
and I think that you know
23:04
ultimately that is
23:05
that's what I like to think of as resilience right
23:07
it's choosing to get back up
23:09
even if you've been knocked down
23:10
choosing to get back up even if it feels impossible
23:13
you know I
23:13
I work for a Christian organization
23:15
and so my faith I am
23:16
I am a Christian and I'm
23:18
I'm proud of it but not everybody might feel or believe
23:22
but you know
23:22
I have the sign behind me
23:23
it's it looks reversed in my camera anyways
23:27
it just says with god all things are possible
23:30
that's on purpose um
23:31
I that's for some of us who have faith um
23:34
and are Christian we
23:36
we do put a lot of faith and prayer and um
23:39
and support from others who are believers
23:41
who are praying for us so we do believe that with god
23:45
all things are possible so um
23:47
bad news doesn't have to be bad news
23:49
there might be a purpose behind some bad news
23:51
that might make us a better person
23:53
or it in
23:55
it might open a new door for us that
23:57
you know a better relationship with your family
24:00
you care more you're around
24:01
more you you think more about the being um
24:07
I guess just intentional um
24:09
in everything you're doing
24:10
so those are kind of the things
24:12
as a Christian that I um keep my faith in that
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24:35
well I love that you guys have
24:36
kind of morphed into this part of the conversation
24:38
because
24:39
this is exactly what we were going to talk about next
24:41
and I kind of feel like we already covered it
24:42
but you guys talked a lot about
24:45
you know yes
24:45
like things that help keep life feeling normal
24:47
but also
24:48
specific ways that help you stay grounded and positive
24:51
and also like
24:53
some of the things that have changed for you
24:55
in a positive way so
24:56
you know with that kind of in mind
24:58
are there any other things that you'd like to share
25:00
around you know
25:01
having this diagnosis and what has changed
25:03
changed for you or kind of forced you to focus on that
25:06
maybe you could you could spin it as like okay
25:08
like that's actually kind of a good thing right
25:11
you know what's interesting on that
25:13
I haven't really talked about my work
25:15
but where I work I basically have some folks and
25:19
who work alongside me
25:21
and our job is to help people produce better software
25:24
and I'm at the point in my career where it's like
25:26
I'm not doing the work as much anymore
25:28
a bunch of people are also there are like
25:30
learning how to do it well
25:32
and what I realized was like
25:34
my personality is like kind of a
25:36
I wanna tinker and do it myself and that type of thing
25:40
I I spin the negative into a positive
25:42
the negative is I know my time is limited right
25:46
so my positive on spinning on that is like
25:48
how do I make more of me how do I make more people
25:51
who can do the things that I do
25:53
which is actually the right
25:55
thing to do for me in my position
25:57
but it doesn't come naturally all the time
25:59
so it it's
26:00
it's um
26:03
I guess it's a little weird
26:04
but it's it's
26:05
it's helped me in that respect
26:07
it's it's
26:08
one of the unusual things that's helped me is it's like
26:10
hey
26:10
how do I make sure that this person I'm working with
26:13
can do what I'm doing right now
26:16
how do I make sure the next person
26:17
can do what I'm doing right now
26:19
um yeah
26:20
so it it's very useful
26:21
it's very useful for me mentally
26:24
yeah like it's
26:24
it's like in a small way
26:26
building your legacy right
26:27
like in
26:27
in that little that little focus of your life
26:29
it's that pocket you're building your legacy here
26:32
Chris you're like
26:33
with your um
26:34
with your job
26:34
and with what you do in the community that you serve
26:36
like you're building an impact
26:38
right over time
26:39
like you're just gradually expanding your reach
26:42
and expanding kind of the ripple effect that you
26:44
as a person have on the world around you
26:46
and I think that's maybe something that
26:48
that happens for each of us
26:49
is that we realize with this cancer diagnosis that
26:52
you know ultimately
26:53
we are making some kind of a difference in the world
26:56
and that that difference matters
26:57
right and
26:58
and then we we kind of have this desire to
27:00
want to do more of it
27:01
so um
27:03
we ultimately I think that as patients
27:05
you know
27:06
we can find ways to stay grounded and stay positive
27:10
but also like
27:10
these things are things that help to keep us present
27:12
with our everyday life
27:13
and you know
27:14
like Chris
27:15
you know community service and Mike
27:16
like focusing on training or on the ways that
27:19
you know you're gonna leave a legacy
27:21
like those are things that help
27:22
kind of increase the way that we wanna
27:25
stay present in our life um
27:27
and I think you know
27:28
cancer kind of forces you to confront that right
27:30
to just not passively let life pass you by
27:33
like we have to really be a little more intentional
27:36
because like
27:36
like Mike said you realize
27:38
oh wow
27:38
like time is limited
27:40
like maybe
27:40
maybe we're gonna beat all the statistics right
27:42
maybe time won't be limited because of cancer
27:44
but like
27:44
maybe it you know
27:46
it does
27:46
really force you to confront the idea of mortality
27:49
and the best thing that can come of that
27:51
is not the fear right
27:52
it's it's the
27:53
it's the the presence
27:55
and it's the ability and the
27:56
the ways that you can make a difference
27:57
so when things get really hard for you um
28:01
what's what's one thing that keeps you going
28:03
and I you know
28:04
you guys may feel free to like
28:05
kind of tag on something that you've said before but
28:08
but like
28:08
I mean when you get bad news or when you get difficult
28:13
I don't even want to say bad
28:14
when you get difficult news yeah
28:16
what keeps you going
28:17
it sounds silly but it's the small things I've Learned
28:20
I mean I've always enjoyed cutting grass
28:22
but
28:23
I really love putting on headphones and cutting grass
28:27
we have a very large yard um
28:29
couple of acres and
28:30
I can get on my tractor
28:32
and cut grass for two or three hours
28:34
and it's like a zone of my own
28:37
and it's just normalizing everyday life
28:40
um and it's a way that I
28:42
I can sort of
28:43
leave the bad news behind for a little while
28:46
just doing normal things in life
28:48
so that's kind of one of those things
28:50
that I use as an outlet for myself
28:53
I also love mowing grass but
28:56
I think of it differently
28:57
it's a it's a routine like um
29:01
uh
29:02
meditation type state you can get yourself into
29:05
so whether you like
29:06
go through and like like
29:07
I think of all the things in my life
29:08
that have given me this type of thing
29:10
it would be and I apologize
29:11
my dog has decided to whine
29:13
um
29:15
it would be like going to church
29:17
is has routine and meditative properties to it
29:21
um running
29:23
when I do that has meditative properties to it
29:25
where you get yourself into that run
29:27
people will talk about a runner
29:28
high and things like that
29:29
but it really you you
29:30
you get to start focusing on something
29:32
eventually time starts slipping for you're able to like
29:35
let your mind uh
29:36
wander in and focus on your breathing
29:39
and that type of stuff
29:41
those types of things help
29:42
they help for me anyways
29:44
that any of those types of things
29:46
even if it's like
29:46
purposeful and I'm just hanging out at home
29:48
and I'm just like
29:49
a friend of mine who I've known at that
29:51
my job here for about three years now
29:54
like he
29:55
he was like you've never meditated before
29:57
not purposefully so he taught me meditation techniques
30:00
and it worked
30:02
it's great I I
30:03
I use it all the time actually
30:05
when I go into any type of doctor's appointment
30:07
they need to test my blood pressure
30:09
I'm like well
30:09
time to meditate let's focus on that breathing
30:11
get that number down um
30:13
things like that because
30:14
you know it's just
30:16
it it's helpful
30:17
so like
30:18
those types of things I find extremely useful
30:21
um anything that gets me into that like
30:23
zone state
30:25
yeah
30:26
no I think it's
30:27
it's really interesting
30:28
to hear you guys talk about each of these things
30:30
because um
30:31
I guess what I hear is like
30:32
you're finding small things that you can control
30:34
right right
30:35
you can control your breathing in the moment
30:37
you can control the everyday routines
30:40
that you engage with
30:41
and sometimes when things feel out of control
30:43
that's what we need the most
30:44
is we just need a little bit of control
30:46
even if it's just something small
30:48
and I love what you said about meditation too
30:50
Mike because I use meditation before and after like
30:54
and during you know
30:55
any of the things that I've got going on with Hebzado
30:57
but I also have um
30:58
tapped into like
30:59
hypnotherapy
31:00
which we've had a guest speak on the I believe podcast
31:02
and also come to I believe
31:04
like for the seminars and
31:06
and he talks a lot about like the
31:08
the cellular benefits and like
31:09
the studies that they've done
31:10
and so I'm a big data person
31:12
so I love seeing the studies around meditation
31:14
or around hypnotherapy and I'm like
31:15
oh this is super cool science
31:17
um super cool that they've studied things like
31:19
like how the cells in our bodies respond
31:22
like by tracking labs and things like that
31:24
but again like
31:25
I think it comes back to some sense of control
31:27
when things feel out of control
31:29
so shifting gears
31:31
you guys both came
31:32
and I had the pleasure of meeting both of you in person
31:34
at the I believe conference
31:35
that took place in uh
31:37
Raleigh in uh
31:39
no not on
31:39
not November man
31:42
October that's the month we're thinking of
31:44
yeah um
31:44
so just just like a month or so ago
31:47
and it was so great to be able to meet you guys
31:50
like I mean
31:50
obviously we've connected on social media
31:52
we've talked a lot like
31:53
we've talked on podcast
31:54
but it is a completely different experience
31:56
I think to be able to meet other patients in person
31:59
so what have you found as the value
32:01
like of going to events like that
32:02
or just connecting with patients online
32:04
as the baby I guess you keep calling
32:06
everybody calls me the newbie or whatever
32:08
um
32:09
I think it was just getting to talk to people
32:12
who are experiencing things differently
32:15
um we all
32:16
we all have different stories
32:19
while we're all kind of going through the same thing
32:21
we all have different stories and um
32:23
just hearing from people
32:25
how they are handling the diagnosis
32:29
the treatments the
32:30
you know what are their strengths
32:32
what are
32:32
what are they bringing into their own lives that
32:35
you know
32:35
maybe I could do that could help us going forward
32:39
not just that just the support of everybody
32:43
I'm not a big Facebook person
32:45
but I've become a bigger Facebook person recently
32:47
just because so many people have um
32:50
reached out through Facebook
32:51
that I met at the conference
32:52
so it's just more people to reach out to
32:55
to connect with and hear their stories
32:57
and be supportive of them
32:59
while they're going through what they're going through
33:01
also knowing that they're gonna support me
33:03
with what I'm going through
33:04
so I think it's the support side of it
33:07
um it's just the connections that we made
33:09
and of course obviously meeting all of the um
33:13
the pharmaceutical companies that were there
33:15
hearing the stories of improvements
33:17
the way that they're really researching um
33:20
this cancer has was um
33:22
amazing to me because
33:24
it does sometimes feel like nothing's being done
33:27
but behind the scenes there's a lot going on
33:29
that we might not read about every day
33:32
and there might be a new trial that's coming up
33:34
and it just it was very refreshing
33:37
I think to hear that there are others
33:40
who are professionals in this field
33:42
who are really working towards um
33:45
some sort of maybe not a
33:48
maybe not a you know
33:49
a full full on um
33:53
you know cure
33:54
but maybe a better life a longer life
33:57
so it was very refreshing to
33:59
to hear some of the presentations
34:02
yeah no I
34:03
I think that's you make all good
34:04
all good points
34:05
Mike do you have anything to add
34:07
uh well I
34:08
I mean I was fortunate to be able to go
34:10
I I just um
34:11
I it
34:12
it was one of those things where
34:13
I had a work trip in Charlotte
34:15
and so I was able to make it to Raleigh um
34:18
after my work stuff was over
34:19
I just didn't know how long my work stuff was gonna be
34:22
so I I feel very fortunate I was able to attend
34:25
and
34:25
I would echo most of the things there that Chris said
34:28
I'm trying to think of what else I would tack on
34:30
um but I think it was
34:32
for me it's been like
34:34
probably
34:34
the first time I met a bunch of folks in person
34:37
um so it was very useful
34:39
very different conversations
34:41
than what you're doing on Facebook
34:42
I mean there
34:43
there's a couple people I've met from like
34:46
they recognized me and I was like
34:48
oh wait
34:49
you know oh
34:50
you're them oh okay great
34:51
you know that type of thing from Facebook
34:53
which was useful especially for
34:55
for me cause I try to avoid Facebook
34:57
pretty much at all costs anymore
34:58
except for the uh
35:01
groups because that's where they are
35:03
um I I
35:04
I got a lot of benefit out of the second day
35:06
for sure where we were talking about with
35:08
with the doctors bringing up what's going on
35:11
and just going over the stuff
35:13
it's not like it was anything
35:14
there wasn't a ton I hadn't already heard
35:16
but it was good to hear it presented in that way
35:19
make sure I didn't miss anything coming up
35:21
uh so I was very
35:23
I feel very fortunate to be able to stop in and and
35:25
and do all of that I was very
35:27
very happy that I was able to make it happen
35:29
so I'd encourage others
35:30
if you're able to make it happen
35:31
make it happen so yeah absolutely
35:34
okay so thank you guys
35:35
both for sharing just about your experiences
35:37
of meeting other patients
35:38
and just the benefit of going to live events
35:40
because I really think um
35:42
that's something that
35:44
like you said Mike
35:44
it's a privilege right
35:45
for sure like
35:46
to be able to figure that out and have that coordinate
35:49
have all the balls kind of line up in a row
35:51
so that you can attend a live event
35:53
but it is worth it if you can make it happen
35:55
so just would encourage you guys
35:57
stay tuned for
35:58
Eye Believe that we have coming up for 2026
36:01
stay tuned for dates and locations
36:03
pretty sure we're gonna be in Texas so
36:04
so that's gonna be fun
36:06
but as we kind of shift gears towards closing
36:09
do you guys feel like sharing your story
36:11
and I I guess I
36:12
I want to ask this of you
36:13
because you are a gentleman who
36:16
I think social media is a different experience
36:18
for someone like me who is like a
36:22
like a baby I'm a baby
36:24
um
36:26
like I'm
36:26
I mean like
36:27
I have grown up with social media
36:29
and I use it a lot right like
36:30
so I shared on social media constantly
36:33
and I still do like
36:34
as things kind of ebb and flow with my diagnosis
36:37
have you guys found value in like
36:39
talking about your diagnosis throughout
36:42
you know whatever you have going on
36:44
or
36:44
do you feel like there's kind of phases that you just
36:45
kind of check out and just like
36:47
nah like
36:47
I'm not I'm not gonna post anything right now
36:50
like I don't have anything nice to say
36:53
well if
36:54
go ahead Chris
36:55
I'll I'll go ahead and answer first
36:56
um Denay you've I've
36:57
I've posted a couple of times
37:00
things that I would never say in my
37:02
the ministry I work in um
37:04
out of frustration on social media um
37:06
to people
37:07
and an audience of people that are close to me
37:10
um so I
37:12
I find it's an outlet for me
37:14
um I do share
37:16
every time I'm in Philadelphia for treatments
37:18
I just say it's a beautiful sunny day in Philadelphia
37:22
um
37:22
everybody knows where I am and what I'm going through
37:24
so um
37:26
I just I use it as an outlet more than anything now and
37:30
and including maybe sharing some things that I
37:33
I would love to say out loud
37:35
that I just won't say out loud
37:37
but I'll put them on social media
37:39
which is funny um
37:40
but people seem to understand it more um
37:43
through social media where
37:44
I might say something about how angry I am
37:47
about cancer um
37:50
you know it's
37:51
we all go through
37:52
we're going through so much with just the treatments
37:55
and and the
37:56
and the testing and the
37:59
the results that we get back that we don't understand
38:01
when you try to read them
38:02
it doesn't make any sense
38:03
and
38:03
you have to wait another week to see your oncologist or
38:07
um you know
38:08
I just recently had a new um
38:11
diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma on my head um
38:15
that's now gonna be treated
38:16
but thank god
38:17
I'm with a great oncologist in Philadelphia
38:21
who is helping me find a right dermatologist
38:24
in Philadelphia who can get it done much sooner than I
38:26
can get it done here so um
38:29
I just find
38:31
I use it as a frustration outlet more than anything
38:34
I think um
38:35
because it does there's a lot of encouragement
38:37
through the community that we've built
38:39
especially through A Cure In Sight
38:41
um the people that I've met through
38:43
through that Facebook group um
38:45
have been amazing because they've all been there before
38:48
before me most of them
38:49
I mean I'm
38:50
I'm still the newbie I
38:51
I know that um
38:53
but I'm still going through
38:54
what everybody else has been through
38:56
so it's great to have feedback from others
38:58
just somebody just sharing a
39:01
a silly meme hug or something means a lot
39:04
so I think that
39:05
that's kind of where I am with that right now
39:07
I love that thank you
39:10
I was gonna say from for me um
39:14
I'm a long time user of social media
39:16
I just have been trying to pare it down recently
39:19
just because it's become toxic in some respects um
39:23
for me so I try to like
39:24
stay away from certain topics
39:26
but I do tend to post every time I'm in for like
39:29
a treatment recently which gets some uh
39:31
notice from like
39:32
longtime friends who know what I'm going through
39:35
um but it
39:36
it's like I
39:38
it's not so much like shouting into the void
39:41
it is like basically
39:43
I don't wanna do that as I guess
39:44
just be you know
39:45
the folks who understand are in the
39:47
the support groups
39:48
and if I feel like I want that support
39:50
I'm gonna go post directly there
39:51
versus just talking to the world'cause the like
39:54
they don't understand and it's okay
39:56
I've come to terms with that
39:58
it's like folks do not understand what this is
40:00
they can't understand you know
40:02
it's the same things when somebody just says
40:03
well you're gonna lose your
40:05
your eyesight right
40:06
like that sounds terrible
40:07
you're like yeah
40:08
I'm like that's all they wanna ask you about sorry
40:09
sorry kiddo
40:10
that's not even the problem right
40:12
um it's
40:13
it's they
40:14
they can't understand it and that
40:15
that's okay um
40:18
but like
40:18
there I do have some like
40:20
fun things like
40:22
there are some folks I know that um
40:25
they they do a comedy podcast
40:27
based on the soccer team I mentioned earlier
40:29
and those guys know I'm going through stuff
40:32
and they joke they jokingly said
40:35
Mike's gotta lie on his back for like
40:37
three hours or some crazy stuff
40:40
that I posted in one of their threads
40:43
um and they were like
40:45
joking about said we
40:46
we've got to get to three
40:47
three and a half hours tonight
40:48
so we have something to listen to
40:50
so like
40:50
things like that make me laugh
40:52
they bring me some some spirit
40:54
so like
40:55
there are people who know stuff
40:56
but they don't you know
40:57
it's just a little
40:58
little events here and there let people know um
41:01
that you're out there
41:02
and you're going through some stuff
41:03
you know
41:03
whatever it takes for you is really the important bit
41:07
um but like
41:07
like I said I for
41:09
for me when I'm
41:10
when I'm in that spot
41:11
where I'm really needing the support
41:12
I'm gonna go to the
41:13
that's when I'll be posting the Facebook groups then so
41:16
and talk to the patients cause they're
41:18
they're the ones that truly understand what's going on
41:20
nobody else does
41:22
yeah no
41:23
you make some really good points
41:24
both of you um
41:25
so for our listeners
41:27
if anybody who is listening just got this diagnosis
41:30
like today
41:31
let's just say they happened to find this podcast
41:34
what is something that you would want to tell someone
41:36
who just got a diagnosis of ocular melanoma
41:38
right now
41:39
find a really good ocular oncologist
41:42
um there's several of them throughout the country
41:45
make sure that you're dealing with somebody
41:46
who really understands what this is
41:49
who treats it regularly um
41:52
there's centers across the country
41:54
but don't go to
41:55
I wouldn't say don't go to an regular oncologist
41:58
but make sure
41:59
that you're communicating with the ocular oncologist
42:02
first um
42:03
to plan a treatment and be open to their suggestions of
42:08
um opportunities for trials
42:10
because you might miss an opportunity
42:13
um you know I
42:15
I've added as far as I'm concerned
42:17
the Daro study that I was on
42:19
has added a year onto my life because um
42:22
it protected me for an entire year
42:24
it shrank the tumor in my eye
42:26
it protected my vision um
42:28
I've got some vision back
42:29
so
42:30
listen to the oncologists who are specialists in this
42:33
and consider the trials they might be talking about
42:35
that would be my biggest recommendation
42:38
I would double down on that
42:40
um you definitely find
42:42
get it get a team built
42:44
um obviously the most um
42:47
the big cancer centers you know
42:49
the 30 big ones in around the country
42:51
are more likely to have
42:52
somebody who understands what this is
42:54
but that's not necessarily 100% true right
42:57
when you look at some of the specialists out there
42:59
they are not at the big centers
43:01
um
43:02
but you've got to build a team of an ocular oncologist
43:06
and then an oncologist
43:07
who either is a specialist in this
43:10
or knows who the specialists are
43:12
and is not afraid to talk to them
43:14
um I think that's the situation I'm in right now
43:16
I have this ocular oncologist who at this point
43:19
for where my journey is I'm gonna see her
43:22
I think in a in a couple weeks
43:23
but that's not the most important person of my team
43:25
anymore but the oncologist I have does
43:30
you know collaborate with the other specialist
43:32
that are out there in his field
43:34
his main field is he's
43:35
he's a he's a uh
43:37
big into TIL (Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte) right
43:39
he's big into TIL for um
43:41
skin melanoma that's his big major focus of study
43:44
and he knows that he doesn't have the
43:46
the knowledge on this particular type of cancer
43:50
so what does he do he talks to the experts
43:52
he's out there talking to the doctors that Chris has
43:55
you know to say like hey
43:56
I'm thinking of this this this
43:56
what do you think like
43:58
you have to have a team
43:59
that's willing to do that type of work
44:02
even if they're not a specialist in this thing
44:04
because there aren't that many people
44:05
specialize in ocular melanoma specifically
44:08
so
44:09
you have to have somebody who's humble enough to know
44:11
I'm not a specialist in this
44:12
specialist in this I'm gonna go talk to people who are
44:15
and then get the best treatment plan for my patients
44:19
I love that guys
44:20
if you're listening take notes
44:22
these are good points
44:55
well as we wrap up um
44:56
let's talk a little about like
44:57
where do you feel like you want life to head for like
45:01
the next three to six months
45:02
where do you want the direction your life is going
45:04
right now to
45:05
to feel like um
45:06
what's something that's keeping you
45:08
I guess forward focused
45:09
so I'm in a I I was very
45:11
very excited right out of the past um
45:13
couple weeks right
45:15
so when we were all at a cure at the
45:17
the conference there um
45:18
in Raleigh um
45:20
you know
45:20
we were all waiting for trial previews to come out
45:25
like from the European big conference thingy
45:28
yeah the ESMO conference yeah
45:30
we're all waiting for that
45:31
and then we saw the results come back
45:33
I remember talking to my um
45:35
my I have two oncologist right now in Ohio State
45:37
I have my main oncologist and the surgical oncologist
45:40
and they kind of trade who's like
45:42
in charge of your care so right
45:43
I'm talking to my surgical oncologist
45:45
and I'm asking him about the results that come out
45:47
I was like what do you think
45:48
he's like oh yeah
45:49
I saw him I said
45:49
so what do you think and he's like
45:51
I think this is standard of care
45:53
he's like it's not yet
45:54
but it's going to be um
45:56
to go with Chopin um
45:58
and so I can't do Chopin right
46:00
because I've been on Hep Cado four times
46:02
but we're gonna do the best thing we can
46:04
which is basically I'm
46:05
I'm supposed to start the
46:07
the Ipi Nivo in a week um yeah
46:10
so I'm excited like
46:12
when I when you see results like that
46:14
it's exciting so it's about keeping like
46:17
what type of thing can I do
46:18
I
46:18
I wanted to try to get on to the drug that Chris is on
46:21
unfortunately I I
46:23
I was very aggressive early on and took Crizotinib
46:25
and that disqualifies me from that trial
46:27
back as a way back seven years ago
46:30
so um
46:31
you know there
46:32
there's there
46:34
looking for that next bit going forward
46:36
that's that's what I'm doing very
46:37
I'm very excited to try this and see how it goes
46:39
so I love it
46:40
thank you yeah
46:41
Chris what about you
46:43
um well
46:44
I've been very um
46:46
aggressive in trying to get back on the Daro um
46:50
study because
46:50
I believe it should be standard of care at this point
46:54
um with the way it shrank
46:56
the tumor in my eye that would be my ultimate goal
46:59
um I've connected with several of them
47:02
um the Darrow team that was there
47:05
I was able to spend a few minutes with and talk to and
47:08
um they've invited me to potentially um
47:11
speak what's
47:12
about something else at some point in the future
47:15
perhaps a commercial or something
47:17
or just a patient advocate
47:20
um but I'm
47:21
as we talked about earlier
47:23
about advocating for yourself
47:24
it's something that I did
47:25
I reached out to them while we were at the conference
47:27
um so again
47:28
back to the conference
47:29
that's how important these things are
47:31
as you get to meet people face to face
47:32
that are the leaders in this industry in making changes
47:36
um but ultimately um
47:39
honestly when we talk
47:40
about going forward I
47:41
I try not to think too much about um
47:44
I mean I'll go back on a trial
47:46
I would love to be on a trial again
47:48
I just wanna continue doing good in my community
47:52
and impacting others um
47:55
and just living my life every day like it's
47:58
it's just a wonderful day
47:59
so um
48:01
as much as I wanna talk about trials and things
48:04
I really just wanna do good in my community and um
48:08
make an impact to others so ultimately
48:11
that's really what I'm trying to focus on right now
48:15
I love it I love it
48:16
um I'm like one of those people that hears phrases
48:20
and then I hear a song
48:21
so I can't think of the whole song
48:23
so I'm not gonna sing the whole thing
48:24
but it's like the it's a beautiful day
48:28
yeah I don't remember the rest
48:29
but you know
48:30
those kinds of things um
48:31
but I
48:31
I feel like both of you make some really good points
48:34
right like
48:34
you can
48:35
you can have the forward focus around your diagnosis
48:38
but you can also have the forward focus around
48:40
living your best life and just showing up every day um
48:44
as your best self and choosing
48:46
you know intentionally
48:47
as much as possible
48:48
not to give cancer more time than it deserves
48:50
right um
48:50
so thank you both for sharing so openly
48:53
and just being part of this conversation
48:55
um I think what you've shown
48:56
all of our listeners today is that
48:58
you know our diagnosis can change our path right
49:01
none of us thought we were gonna be here
49:02
but it doesn't have to take away um
49:05
how we control like them
49:06
the continuing of that you know
49:08
the direction we take our life
49:09
we can we can work with it
49:10
I think right
49:11
we can definitely work with it yeah
49:13
so thank you guys both for being here
49:15
thank you Dina
49:16
appreciate it good seeing you Mike
49:18
good to see you yeah
49:18
it's good seeing you both
49:20
and just as a quick thanks
49:21
at the end of our episode
49:22
I want to give a shout out to Castle Bio Sciences
49:25
Immunocore Delcath Systems
49:27
and Aura Biosciences please check out their websites
49:29
go um
49:30
head to our page on ACureInSight.org
49:32
and especially this time of year
49:34
we've got giving Tuesday coming up
49:36
so please
49:36
consider making donations directly to organizations
49:39
like A Cure In Sight
49:41
actually just
49:41
you know just to us
49:42
we would love it
49:43
because we have so many patient programs that we help
49:46
and we also really try to make sure
49:48
that we have a source of financial aid
49:49
for patients who need to travel for treatment
49:51
or who just need a little extra boost
49:54
so contributing to fundraising efforts
49:57
be it at a 5K
49:57
or any of our kind of events that we have going on
50:00
on social media just stay in the know about those guys
50:02
and um
50:03
thanks again for listening
50:04
and we will see you guys next time