Latest / Rare Medium with Deb Snyder / Beacon of Strength: Thriving with Breast Cancer with Kristin LaPlante

Transcript

Beacon of Strength: Thriving with Breast Cancer with Kristin LaPlante · Rare Medium with Deb Snyder

• Deb Snyder: she said, We've had two doctors and three radiologists look at your x rays and we don't like what we see. And I said, Well, what? It's it's broken. she said, no. She said, I know. With your job, you might be interested in seeing your your scan and what it looks like. So she showed me my left side. She showed me my right. She said, Your left side's nice and white, looks healthy, looks great. Right side. Right side look to me like a watercolor painting with a lot of gray, you know, kind of smeared through. And and she said, Unfortunately, we think you have cancer in your femur. And your hip, and we want you to see an oncologist immediately. Deb: Rare Medium with Deb Snyder, celebrating life's rarities, the people, places, and experiences that just might be a little bit weird. This podcast explores all facets of our energetic connections to each other and beyond. We'll dive into the depths of mediumship, psychic ability, intuition, near death experiences, afterlife research, healing modalities, and more. Our focus is to bring you relevant and moving accounts with guests who share their authentic selves and their treks into the spiritual and energetic realms. We'll learn how those experiences shifted their perspective on life itself. Join us to be inspired by everyday people on their extraordinary journeys into the rare medium of the mystical world. Topics discussed on Rare Medium by the host and guests are presented for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional, legal, or medical advice. Deb Snyder: Hello and welcome to Rare Medium. I'm your host, Deb Snyder, and we are kicking off season two in the month of October. And today I'm with my friend Kristin LaPlante, and we are here honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Kristin, welcome. Thank you. Thanks so much for having me. my honor. Now, Kristin and I grew up together. We're from the same small town in southern Maine We went to high school together. So we've known each other all these years. Unfortunately, we're here together today because we both have been diagnosed with breast cancer. we're gonna talk a little bit about our journeys. Kristin, why don't you tell us a little bit about your journey with breast cancer? Okay, well, My journey started actually before my diagnosis, because I am the sixth woman in my family to be diagnosed with breast cancer. And my sister was diagnosed seven years before I was. so I was pregnant with my second child and we'll never forget the day that she told me. she had breast cancer, and from that Point on, even though she had genetic testing and it came back negative, they still, the medical community wanted to watch me. So I was being watched very closely every six months. eventually, seven years later, was diagnosed in 2012 and initially was diagnosed stage one B, which back when she was diagnosed would have been stage two. what that the the B means from my understanding is it has gone into your lymphatic system but on a microscopic level. so at the time I had some decisions to make. It wasn't a hard and fast you need chemo. But my kids were eight and eleven. Wow and I was a single mom. and I wanted to make sure I was here for their lives. So I opted to do everything. I did a bilateral mastectomy, I did reconstruction, I did two types of chemotherapy and five years of tamoxifen. and at year 10 was deemed to be cured. And so for years I I felt great. no issues that I that I could sense anyway. and then approximately I'd say about three years ago, I started experiencing pain, what what I felt was sciatic nerve issues. And so I chased sciatic nerve pain for a while. Now you're an athlete. So I want people to know when when we were growing up, Kristin was you were a gymnast and sports and full tilt and as into adulthood, you stayed very athletic. Very active. lots of sprint triathlons with my sister, who encouraged me in year one of her journey. She did a full sprint triathlon, all three events, and it just blew my mind. So I thought, well, she can do it. like that, I can do it healthy. So you you had many reasons why it could be sciatic pain. So correct. Totally understandable why you would be like, darn it, you know, sciatica. Right. Sciatic nerve pain. And with no other no other symptoms of feeling tired I was going about my my life. in fact at the time, I was training for not only a sprint triathlon, but a hundred mile bike event. Wow. So, you know, I was pushing myself hard all the time. So had no reason to think, I was ill otherwise. So for about I would say about eight months, I just kind of kept walking. They tell you walk a lot. So I kept trying to walk it out and I was on anti inflammatory, ibuprofen tylenol when it got real bad. And I remember driving down to annually my kids and I would drive to Virginia for Thanksgiving. And I remember driving that trip for 13 hours and on the verge of tears because I was in such excruciating pain. And so came home still kind of pushed through an entire summer. I was in between jobs and was waiting tables and walking a ton and giving myself ibuprofen, Tylenol. So I finally went to my primary care a second time I said, this is not going away. I don't know what's wrong. Is it possible that I just have an x-ray? And unfortunately the answer was you can have an x-ray, but you can't have the x-ray until you fail physical therapy. ridiculous. it was an insurance thing. That wasn't my primary care's factor. Right. so during that time frame my daughter was not well and so we were in a long hospital admission and I missed my first appointment at PT. So I missed several successive appointments never went. so a couple months later I had a new pharmaceutical sales job. I was in training, came back, and I went to roll out of bed for my first day in the field. I was so excited. And I put my right foot on the floor and I couldn't walk. And it felt like my hip was broken. And so I called my boss, who's my current manager, and I said, I feel terrible because it's my first day in the field. I'm going to push through this week. And he said, Please be careful because my wife and I are runners. Sciatic nerve pain is nothing to mess with. if you don't feel well, take care of yourself. Go to the emergency room, do what you need to do. And so I pushed through that week of work, really limping. And I finally on Friday brought myself to the emergency room. and I was alone. So drove myself there. when I finally got there, I I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand, I couldn't lay, I couldn't do anything. It hurt so bad. And I have a very high tolerance for pain because of being an athlete. To your point. So they came out and I met with a physician's assistant and she said What's going on? And I said, Well, I I can't walk on my right leg. I need an x-ray. And they said, You can't just come in here and ask for an x-ray. And I said, Well, I think my hip is broken. And she said, even still, you just can't come to the ER and ask for an x-ray. And so I paused and I looked at her and I said, Well, I said, I'm a 12 year breast cancer survivor and I'm scared. And she looked at me and she goes, Okay. She goes, I don't blame you. Let's do a baseline x ray and see what's going on and that will eliminate anything scary like lesions. Right. And so I think in her mind she still thought, we're not gonna find anything. You know, it was kind of that kind of a relationship in the ER. And so she came out into the waiting room and Called me in the exam room and she said, I don't, I don't have the best news. she said, We've had two doctors and three radiologists look at your x rays and we don't like what we see. And I said, Well, what? It's it's broken. She said, I know. With your job, you might be interested in seeing your your scan and what it looks like. So she showed me my left side. She showed me my right. She said, Your left side's nice and white, looks healthy, looks great. Right side. Right side look to me like a watercolor painting with a lot of gray, you know, kind of smeared through. And and she said, Unfortunately, we think you have cancer in your femur. And your hip, and we want you to see an oncologist immediately. And so I was alone, and she said, 'I'm gonna give you a minute,' and she left the exam room, and I abruptly opened the door and I said, 'You're not giving me a minute in here by myself. I have please discharge me. I need to go.' And so Fortunately, I was meeting up with a friend of mine who's in the oncology sales space for 20 something years. And I I didn't tell anyone. I didn't call anyone. I didn't tell anyone. I met with her over dinner and we just had discussions. And I had called my oncologist in Boston on my way to her. And he said, please be mindful that. There are a lot of other diseases that can kind of look like that on an x-ray. So please don't let's not worry yet. We're gonna order other testing. and so I hung up with him. So by the time I got to her, I had had that discussion, but my head was still spinning because I think back to being an athlete, you know your body, you know what feels right and what does not feel right. And I can truly tell you that I knew. I knew because I had been shaky, my balance had been off. things had, if I really think about it in retrospect, there were signs. And it was all kind of hitting me in that moment. so I left my friend, went home, and it was an ice storm. I was alone at home and I started, I I called my oncologist again. He said, I'm gonna send you back to the ER, but I'm gonna call ahead and let them know what they need to do for you. And I said, Okay. He goes, Don't go alone. I said, I will not go alone this time. and he said, just try to relax tonight and let's just pause. I said, Okay. I hung up the phone with him and I got super hot. I I started spiking a really high fever. It was like 102.5, like very suddenly. And so it was again, it's like this other sign, I'm not well. I'm not well. It is amazing how our bodies all of a sudden want to put that exclamation point on something. You've kind of opened up the floodgates a little bit with a little more knowledge and it's like, take this seriously. Yeah. Take this seriously. Exactly. Yeah. So I called him back. I paged him again and I called him back and I said, Dr. is this something that you see, you know, with a recurrence? Do people get fevers because I'm spiking a really high fever? And so he said, Okay. He said, I definitely want you going back first thing in the morning. Well, he actually wanted me to go back that night, but because of the ice storm, I said, The roads are becoming impassable. Yeah. And now you have to be careful of walking. Yes. Let alone driving. Because you don't want to fracture yourself. Exactly. What I didn't know, right? Right. But I didn't want to slip and fall. Exactly. I knew something was wrong with my hip and my femur. I hang up the phone with him. The power goes out. So now I've just been told the news. Sorry I have a really high fever. I'm in pitch black and I no one's with me to help me get through the night and I just I laid down and and did what you probably would do and just talk to what I know are my angels and just get Please get me through this night. So I took Tylenol and ibuprofen like clockwork for my fever and the pain. And I got up. in the morning and my cousin came to get me and brought me into the emergency room and my oncologist had ordered a battery of scans and blood work and That was all complete and they came out and the doctor that was on unfortunately with our medical system now too, being so overwhelmed and burdened with a lot of patients and not enough staff. I won't ever forget it. I was on I was on a bed in the hallway in the emergency room when the news was given to me. And my cousin, thank God, was sitting by my side in the The doctor was amazing. He was so lovely. And he knelt down in front of me and grabbed my hand and he looked at my cousin. He said, Unfortunately, her breast cancer has spread from the breast, and it's widespread in her bones. So I think. you I don't even know. I think you just go dark for a minute. Absolutely. Because you're you're thinking this is not me. This I'm an athlete. Like this is not my body. This is not my head. This is not any I'm not going through this. And so they sent me home and and then from there it begins. appointment after appointment and scan after scan and trying biopsy, trying to figure out what kind of cancer it is. Is it the original breast cancer? And so ultimately the test came back showing it was the original breast cancer that had spread through my lymph nodes on a microscopic level and ended up settling into my bones. at that point are just waiting for okay. The first time I was diagnosed when it was stage one B, I I knew my sister had overcome that. I knew what to do. I I okay, what's the plan? Right. This time around, it was the what's the plan part took a little bit longer. Absolutely. Right. Absolutely. Not to mention that you had been so focused on the first time raising your kids and taking care of everything else. And of course, you still at this point have kids. I do. Your adult kids, but but anyone knows with kids that that parenting doesn't end. It doesn't. And now at this age, you're also watching out for your elders and your extended family and all the complications. now I know for me. I think a lot of us misunderstand and you don't realize that a stage one cancer can become a metastatic breast cancer, well one I think the important part for my diagnosis, my one was one B. My one. came with a component of microscopic right that they can they knew it was a potential yes in my lymph node in my lymphatic system so that's the difference between my one and my sister's one right my sister didn't have that component I did so I think that's an important differentiation however you know I think you know we're here for breast cancer awareness month And I feel like we need to do a really, really good job as breast cancer patients, whether you're a f female or a male, because males can get it too, is if something just doesn't feel right, if you know, even if you can't palpate something, even if like you can't really physically feel a lump, but you feel burning. you know, going into your armpit area. You feel it feels hot. Or, lift up your arms. And if if you get these depressions or strange areas where it looks kind of ripply, there's just certain things that I think we know with our bodies. Something's just not right. Right. with my particular diagnosis, I have stage one breast cancer and I was diagnosed a year and a half ago now, mine came from a 3D mammogram. I had a history of abnormal breast scans. anytime I'd have a mammogram, they'd often call me back. So it got to be over the years, I was always used to having to go back again, whether it be for an ultrasound or something. this time around, intuitively, nothing to do with medical tests, intuitively, I knew it wasn't going to be straightforward. I was changing where I normally went for that kind of treatment just to kind of consolidate it and be more within my doctor's group, it just felt like, this is probably gonna be a deal. So I went in for my mammogram. And of course now they're very sophisticated, these 3D mammograms. And so that you get one point from me on this is make sure. You have your mammogram. went in right away, gotta come back, gotta do it. So I went back in for my ultrasound, and they go in and it's this whole procedure, and they are deciding that, you know, should we do a biopsy or not? Should we do every fiber of my being went, mmm, push, push, push for the biopsy. So I said to the woman, I said, you know, I really appreciate. your expertise and I everyone was so sweet where I was. I d I don't know if you found that in all of your treatment with your breast cancer, but a lot of times I did feel very, very supported with it. I said to her, she said, Well we could wait six months and I felt that same annoyance that you h when you went and they were trying to hold off on your x ray. It's like I was like, no. You know, I would prefer You do a biopsy. And I pushed, and she was like, you know what? Okay. Well, you know, because they were what they had detected wasn't in enormously large. So they were like, we could watch it. And I was like, don't, please don't. I'll, you know, basically pay for the biopsy. I had insurance, but of course, as everything medical care is so extraordinarily expensive, it's ridiculous. I am self employed, so self insured, and it's just insane. So I went ahead and had the biopsy. My diagnosis came via an email. So I didn't even get a phone call or anything. I just got, a notification invasive ductal carcinoma. You know, I know what carcinoma is. So I realized I was sitting there with my daughter who's profoundly disabled. I care for her, that's a big part of my life. I'm sitting there with her. My husband was in the other room. And my dear, dear friend, my daughter's nurse had just sort of left for the day. And we've been waiting around for these results all day and they didn't come. But all of a sudden everyone leaves. And I'm sitting with my girl by myself. And bing, you have a new email, a new result, new test results. So I read it and I just, gave my girl a kiss. I left the room. I walked into my husband and I just said, I have breast cancer. And he looked at me stunned. And then I called my friend who had just left to let her know. Like yourself, I was familiar with breast cancer. My mom had been on a breast cancer journey many years before and is still doing very, very well. I had to wait my mammogram was right before the holidays. To then had to get the biopsy in January. So that entire time I had to wait for the biopsy because staffing, the holidays, people were off, I just couldn't get it any sooner. in that time, I had been meeting with my metaphysical group, where we're working, having classes during one of these sessions, another practitioner, energy practitioner, had asked me how I was feeling and that she had seen something in my auric field on the left side. For me, that was very, very telling. I'm it's not gonna happen for everybody, but I hold a lot of credence to that information. And based on what I was feeling myself, I knew before the biopsy in my heart that that I had breast cancer and this was going to be the start of that for me. like Kristin I also chose to have a double mastectomy with reconstruction because of my vast history with abnormal breast results and my mom's history. My mom had triple negative breast cancer, which is a different kind than what I had but I was still at risk for that kind. So I was like, let's just take this out of here. So that is the route that I went with mine, which means I didn't have to have chemo. I didn't have to have radiation for that. but interestingly enough, during my journey, another medical issue was diagnosed that had been plaguing me for a long time and we were able to figure that out. it's amazing when all of a sudden you get all these tests, other things come about. Now, Kristin, so where are you right now? How did were they able to help your hip? What was your treatment like at that point? that that's an important part of this is I've always been the glass half full person hold out hope stay positive and I did I you know I pulled myself up by the bootstraps after the first couple appointments and I thought you know what I'm gonna fight I'm gonna fight this really hard. I have too much to be here for. And with the medicine that I'm on. So the regimen that I'm on, in the first I think six weeks I had radiation as well on the the tougher, more challenging areas. So would have been my hip and my femur and my sacrum on my right side. And I started being able to walk better after the radiation. It's supposed to help with all that pain. And at the beginning was relegated to a cane. I wasn't allowed to walk without a cane during that time for fear. They said I was this close to a catastrophic fracture. so after the first ninety days or so I started being able to kind of move around better in my house. And they said after ninety days if I felt well enough I could start trying to walk without the cane. So I did that. And then from there I walked half mile, mile, two miles. three miles and I'm now pleased to say that I can walk up to five miles at a time. Wonderful. And I walk at a great pace. I hired a trainer and a nutritionist. And both of my oncologists feel as though my activity has really, really been critical in how well I'm doing. now to the the great part. between all of that, being mindful of nutrition, exercise, my regimen of meds, the last two PET scans this year have shown no cancer cells. Wonderful. So nothing is lighting up on my scans, which means for me I'm in a state of they call stable disease. So it's the best news you can get at this point. I feel as though, okay, this is where I am. I'm gonna keep working really hard at the things that I can control, which would be the exercise and the the diet and all that. And I'm staying right there. Stable disease. Good for you. This is why I wanted to have Kristin on with us because she's embodying how that you can live vibrantly when breast cancer is still a part of who you are. I admire you so much for all the advocacy that you do Tell us a little bit about your runway for hope and the different activities that you do for breast cancer. Yeah. So the first year of my recurrence, I was approached by a friend of a friend who didn't know me well but but knew kind of my my mindset about all of this and And she said, boy, she said, you've got to be a part of this event that's here local in Maine. All of the funds that are raised from the event stay local in Maine for breast cancer research. And for me, and I thank you for having me again because I feel like it's my mission to be authentic and transparent. And I feel I'm on a mission to help as many women and men, as many patients as I possibly can with my story and the things that I've learned along the way that we can do that aren't necessarily medicine related. And so anytime I can find something that gives me that platform, I'm absolutely going to try to sign up for it. So mind be mindful, at the time I wasn't walking great yet, right? So in my mind as an athlete, I'm like, okay, this gives me a goal of being strong and showing that on that runway in April, and the the sign up was in October, on that runway in April, I will walk really strong with my head held high and I I won't have to use my cane, I won't fumble. and so that was kind of my goal. And in working with the trainer that I was working with, he knew me before. So he knew my body very strong. and so this was kind of something he took on as also a goal of his to take someone like me, who was now a breast cancer patient, and carefully get me to a point of strength. And Because if I can build muscle around these bones, this could be a lifelong thing for me. I I could, that's in my mind, that's what's gonna happen. And so runway for hope in April of twenty, that would have been April of twenty-five. I was on that runway and no cane, and it felt so good to be out there. The support that you receive when you're doing this, you basically have to create your own dress for the runway with the help of a designer or by yourself, either or. I had a designer and I did a four-layer reveal that year. Every year they choose a different theme. That year was Candyland. The second year I did it, which was this past April, was movie magic. So I chose to be Katniss. I relate to her. she's strong. She's always looking to protect other people around her. And so that's why I chose that. And it was such an amazing, incredible event. Again this year, my my sister was a part this year. I look forward to continue to do them so that I can keep, advocating and keep helping other Patients through these journeys and also let them know, you know, don't be afraid. I mean, sure, I was nervous at first, but don't be afraid to do these things because, you know, I think all of us that walked, we now have this community that is so powerful. I have learned so much about other breast cancer types like the triple negative and inflammatory and all these things I really never knew existed. That's right. It's so important. no two journeys are the same. No. do you feel the fact that you've been a lifelong athlete, do you feel that has helped you I'm a firm believer that almost every moment of our life helps prepare us for the next moments to come. I completely believe that. And yes, I was a Three sport athlete in high school. and when I went off to college, I continued my gymnastics. I became a coach. you start trying to instill those things in other people. But mental imagery was a really big part of gymnastics. And they would have us just lay with our eyes closed and just imagine doing that routine perfectly. And so that first night, I told you when the lights went out. my power went out, that's kind of what I reached for. you close your eyes and you try to heal your body from the inside out. I'm mustering up the strength. This is not going to take me down. when you're an athlete, it's definitely helpful not to say that if you're not, everybody has their own journey. There are things that really inspire people, it could be acting, it could be singing. Well that's right, because that's who you are. But someone else who's different, they'll use their strengths to help them on their journey. And creative visualization is a very powerful technique. And I also think you know we're both wearing our pink today. And pink nails, yeah. But also look at the power of the color pink. Obviously it was once selected because it represents femininity. But actually, it represents unconditional love and it represents self love. And I think that's one of the things that really woke up inside of me during my cancer journey, which of course I'm still on because I still see my oncologist. they still follow close. thank goodness they follow close. but it's it's opened up my world into. appreciating myself in a different way and knowing what I don't have time for anymore. there are certain relationships I simply don't have at all anymore. I was surprised at how much just the filter of cancer dealing with myself, it had me shift. I'm used to taking care of my girl. You know, my daughter's special needs, and my focus was on her, and of course it still very much is. But then that whole process of I needed to be well, not only for me, but for her. Correct. So, but boy, I did you find your relationship at all shift completely? And you know, you you really kind of build this castle around yourself of support and positivity and hope and You know, there's there's room for people who are struggling with that emotional part of their journey in that I want to be able to embrace them and kind of help them walk through this in a just thinking in a more positive way, like what else, what are the silver linings of this? And I have I have met up with a hundred silver linings. since my initial diagnosis as well as my second. this is just me. Everybody does things differently. I'm not one to hide. and I feel that has brought me so much in my life over the last 14 years. Just the relationships that I have built. Everything happens for a reason. If you look back, okay, this is why I'm here. I'm here to help. I'm here to support. And in doing so, it helps me. It's almost like, in my job, when you ask somebody to do a teachback, so you educate them first, and then you have them do a teachback, it's like, wait, I learned from this. educating them right so much more. And so it's also kind of given me it's added to my I call it my my superpower energies. It's helping me remain healthy. It's helping me be accountable. You know, if I say, you know, hire the trainer, eat the right food. Do do the things, you know, it's it's super helpful. you have to then step back and go, okay, I have to walk that walk because it has helped me get to this point of no cancer cells on a scan. Yeah. So and I firmly believe that. And I think it's amazing. I don't think I would have ever imagined that they would be able to take bone riddled with cancer. Back down to healthy bone. That's incredible. That's miraculous. That's wonderful. Congratulations on your work for that. Thank you. I know and I do think that is as much physical, mental, emotional, spiritual all coming together. And I one major point, advocate for yourself. Obviously, we both experienced a little bit of medical pushback at different levels, not at the oncology level, not at the bigger once the diagnosis happens, but at that onset at the beginning. So if you are at all feeling, you feel that sense of intuition, you have that knowingness that you're like, this isn't quite right. Push, push, push. I don't care if they're gonna think you're a bitch. I don't care. You know, your life is important. So get the test. One of the things that I think that stands in the way of vibrant health, both for men and women, is too busy. You know, they're busy with jobs, they're busy with kids, they're busy with everything, and you push that appointment off. you don't go to the dentist, you don't go to the doctor, you don't get your tests. Enough. Enough of that. Value yourself. Take your test. Value yourself is right. And it it's not only that, it's not only busy, it's also fear. So it's that fear of the unknown. You know, what am I gonna hear? What are they gonna find? And my take on that is I'd rather them find it now. than five years from now I fully agree. Mark and I always say knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. I mean we love diagnostics. We've never we've always joked with our daughter, you know, we appreciate the diagnostics. We don't necessarily want to be burdened by the prognosis because some of them really get it wrong. Depends on their filter some people are more negative than others. And with with our daughter when she was born with her brain malformation, we heard every negative thing that you could have. That's their opinion, certainly. but my daughter will be twenty-seven they never expected it. take the knowledge, imbue it into your own world and see where you're gonna go from there. So completely. Yeah. And b and one big thing Deb and I have in common is we both have had a child who's been very unwell throughout periods of their lives. And, you know, I know my situation is a little bit different, but I will say this that, and you probably will agree with this statement, I have learned the vast majority of my strength from my girl. And oftentimes when in in a darker moment, I that's when I pick myself up by the bootstraps. I'm like, wow. If she could do that in her journey, I damn well can do this. Damn well can do this. And so so thank you to my girl. Very sweet. A nod to her because boy, she's taught me a lot about resilience and courage and strength and really never giving up. Pleased to say she's to a point now of really, really marked improvement in her health and she's feeling so much better. that's wonderful after six years. That's absolutely that's wonderful to hear. I have never met any family without some form of a special need. we all have our unique journeys. Now, Kristin, it is a habit here that we end every episode with our rare mediums 10QQ, which is 10 quick questions. Kristin, you ready for your ten QQ? I think. Okay. Do you believe in the afterlife? I do. Do you feel I'm gonna add another question on that since we're talking about this Did that give you any comfort when you were going through this? Absolutely. Yeah, I was gonna say that that's for me too. I had a little bit maybe less fear because I was confident. I think I have a lot less fear. I I grew up with pretty significant night terrors and One time back from Colorado when I was in my early 20s. And we it was during the time of triptiks we were in the middle of the country. And she goes, you know, we need to do something to pass the time. And I said, okay. She goes, How about I read you this book? And is it if I can say, it's called Embrace by the Light. And so it completely cured me. of my night terrors. And it totally changed my mindset about what happens when we pass. And so my fear really has come down from that with going what I'm with going through what I am. Of course, you know, there are times where you're frightened, but then you think about it and you're settled. And there's so many signs of my my father still with me that I know we will be joined back together someday. very nice. what age, was the best year of your life so far? I would say probably when I was seventeen and off to college and that's a good age. Seventeen. That is a good age. Yes. And you know, the f you feel like the world is your oyster. And my sister was already out in Arizona at Arizona State and I followed her. And so we were in college for one year together and we started taking a couple courses together. We it was just such a wonderful wonderful. And I was able to build my own identity because as Deb also knows, my father was the vice principal of our high school, the submaster of our high school. And so everyone knew who I was. And so I couldn't And who he was. And who he was. Yes. Any yes. And I just wanted to be a number And so Arizona State? Definitely. I would Yeah, a nice big school and yeah, set your own course. It it's important to leave home in one one sense or another, Who's your favorite musical artist? boy. That's a very hard question. everyone that knows me knows I like all music, every genre, everything. but I guess if I had to choose one You're making me too then. I guess if I had to choose one, I would say Christina Aguilera. Okay. the power in her voice, it it moves me. Like shot strength in her voice. And even today, you know, there are certain songs. It just Yeah, she's passionate. She's so passionate. Passionate for sure. Where would you most like to travel? Ireland. And It's because most of my youth we were told we were Scottish and when I had my genetic testing done for my journey, I'm like, wait, I'm Irish. I'm Irish. So I really want to go to Ireland. and then my children's heritage is in the Netherlands and they have there's a castle in the family in in the Netherlands. So it's my goal to do a family trip. that would be great. They would love that, I'm sure. Totally. What person has inspired you the most? I guess throughout the course of my life, I would say my my father, not to leave my mother out. It's just the way that he related to people, was so inspiring to me and and what he got from people was always so inspiring. my dad is was the person who would walk down the street and not one person would go by without a hello or a smile. And I think, you know, just remembering that and teaching my kids that that you never know what people are going through. You never know what that one gift of a smile and a hello can do for someone. And so I would say dad, even still, you know, not being here, just recounting all of the stories from when he was and when he was the vice principal at high school and just how many kids he touched with his discipline, his his softer discipline. Well that's it, as an adult, you understand that now in hindsight, because especially if you weren't in his office office often. I mean I certainly knew who he was and probably only rubbed up against once or twice, maybe. Not telling that story. But you know, as an adult, you look back and you realize what an important role that is, that he's actually really was instrumental in helping people, helping young people find their footing and make better decisions and everything. You don't get that when you're a kid, you just think like, stay out of his office. But you realize looking back how crucial that is. Totally totally Yeah. Now you've said, I don't know this because of my line of work, you said you still feel your father's presence greatly. Completely. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. He's he is always here. And my mother, my mother's got a very fun personality. And she used to say to my dad when he was still alive, When you die, your number will be 44. I'll always when I see 44, it'll be you. And I used to say, Mom, how do you know he's gonna die before you? And she's like, I just know. And so, since the day my father has passed 44 has been not only prevalent but profound things that have happened to me and our family that are truly you cannot explain them away. I think that is powerful that they set that up ahead of time. So she knew, so she was saying, you know what to send me. You know what you're looking for. That's powerful I recommend it. I definitely recommend it. Yeah. Now, if you could have an entirely different profession, what would it be? well I I dabbled in acting when I was in college and I would I always have been enamored with I think more just watching the screen and really seeing how a character embodies a person is so fascinating to me. And I remember when I had one of my acting classes, it happened to me one time and When it did, it was it was sort of like an out-of-body experience. It that way. It was amazing. It can be. the assignment was Not really a lot of preparation. There was no script. so it was it was an improv moment, but we were each given, I think we had to pick out of a hat, we were each given something to embody. And ironically, here we go. I picked a mom. Who had children who had just been diagnosed with cancer. And I did this. Like I felt it. And I, of course, I was in my early 20s. I wasn't married. I had no kids. I and at the end of the class, I'll never forget it. The entire class got up and they all group hugged. Around me and they said, Are you okay? Are you sick? You know, is anyone in your family sick? And I said, No. I just it I felt it. You resonated with it, that's right. I felt it. Wow. And now maybe I know why I did it. Right. That's that's really interesting. So whether or not you f foresaw on some level part of your own journey or plan, yet to come. that's fascinating. but it's interesting that it it opened your heart that way. And wow, that's interesting, Kristin. Very interesting how that absolutely. Yes. it opened up to how you could feel that way. And know that that wasn't your experience, but yet it could all of a sudden it could be by just opening up to it. Yeah. That's that's very powerful. Now what are you grateful for? my goodness. I am grateful to just be here. And I remember the first time around, and my sister said this too, like the first time around when I was diagnosed thirteen years ago or almost fourteen now probably, you you're more in tune with the beauty that's around you. And I know that sounds maybe a little strange, but you walk outside and all of a sudden the birds are louder, the leaves are greener, the flowers are more vibrant. And this time around, way more so. And so I just I'm really fortunate in my job. I work three different states and I I drive through beautiful areas. And oftentimes, when you get out of your vehicle, you kind of lose yourself in wow. this is where I get to be. And I just feel so blessed just to be here. And so and it's what I you know, oftentimes what I would envision always being able to see whether I'm here or I'm not. Right? Absolutely. So absolutely. Do you love yourself? I do ca that's a hard question. I guess I love what my parents instilled in me, which is the the hope and the positivity and the hard work and the you know my dad was a three-sport athlete. He was inducted into the athletic hall of fame in his college, the work ethic and the ability to really dig deep at a time where you really need to dig deep and to also be that, example for your children and so many others around. I think the nicest compliment is when people do walk up, especially, now that I have this big support system. of other breast cancer survivors or people that are going through it, just to hear people say, Your journey has inspired me to do things differently and to really dig into that positive, vein. And it's a gift when we can see the impact we have on others. Yeah. So I thank you for all that you're doing to help with breast cancer. What do you most regret? I guess if we can st I just said this the other day too. I guess if we stick with the athletic side of things, I had been offered a partial scholarship to go play field hockey in college in Boston. And it was at the time the campus was in a very rough area. Very rough. Now it's a beautiful area of Boston, but I remember my dad came with me to the visit to the tour. And when we left, he looked at me and he goes, Nope. I'm not letting you go here. Nope. And I'm like, no. So I do regret not playing and Arizona State didn't have, there was no field hockey team. I sort of regret that. Sort of regret in a long time. Not totally, but sort of regret. Now in a word or two. What is your advice for your fellow humans? I would say stay authentic and true to yourself. the rest will follow. Excellent. Excellent advice. Kristin LePlante, thank you so much for being with us here today. Thank you. make sure you get your mammogram, please. This has been Rare Medium with Deb Snyder. Please subscribe on your favorite channel and leave any comments you'd like us to see. To learn more, visit DebSnyder.com or Heartglow.org.