Latest / The YMyHealth Podcast | Wellness and Healthcare Insights for Millennials / Cervical Cancer Survivor Story: Samantha Gonzales-Russell
Transcript
- Melissa Schenkman (00:42) Welcome to today's podcast. Today's episode is one from the archives. There was an amazing conversation on our Instagram live with Sam Gonzales Russell, a three times cervical cancer survivor. I am so honored to have Samantha Gonzales Russell here. She is a fellow millennial who has courageously fought cervical cancer, not once, not twice, but three times and won. And Samantha is raising her voice to bring awareness and education to the YMyHealth community and to all women when it comes to cervical cancer. So she's gonna share her story with us, her cancer journey in terms of multiple diagnoses and treatments, but also the really important role that self-advocacy played throughout your journey and the impact on mental health, the importance of mental health support and much more. So welcome. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (01:34) Thank you. I'm just as honored to be here and a part of everything that you're doing with YMyHealth. Melissa Schenkman (01:41) Thank you so much. That is deeply appreciated. So before we get into a lot of important topics in relation to cervical cancer, I kind of want you to take us back to childhood and teenage years and like going into early college. I know that you moved some around the country with your dad's job and depending where you live, healthcare can be very different. And so I was curious what your healthcare experience was like as a kid and having access to that and where healthy eating and exercise and things like that, where they kind of were on the priority list when you were a kid. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (01:34) As a kid, because we moved around so much, we definitely were getting checked out consistently. But it was kind of just having all of the general bases covered. I don't recall going into the nitty gritty and maybe that's something that millennials have in common as you know, maybe the generations before us weren't as open talking about health concerns in anything deeper than again, covering the general basis. So we kept up with you know, our vaccines and made sure that we were healthy and well, but I don't recall knowing much about particular cancers or cervical cancer specifically. Melissa Schenkman (03:07) And in the year leading up to your cervical cancer diagnosis, if you could tell the community what life was like for you, I know you had some really exciting things, one in particular I'm thinking of going on at the time, and how your health was and how you were feeling. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (03:23) Right. I was living my best life or so I thought. Everything was very exciting. I was in my mid-20s. I had just gotten engaged and was getting my career going and everything was looking very bright. We were just very excited for our future and as most, you know, young people in their twenties would be. Melissa Schenkman (03:48) Absolutely. And what were some of the first signs and symptoms that you experienced that told you something was off for what was normal for you and kind of how did that lead to your first diagnosis? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (04:01) The one that sticks out of my head the most is abnormal bleeding. Going back to that first question, I think something had told me in my head that maybe like there was just an inclination for me to sort of shrug it off and think that maybe it was normal and it had been prolonged or that I thought that it would go away. I think a lot of us convince ourselves that health issues that come up, we'll do that. This did not, obviously. And the longer it went on, the worse it got and definitely came to a head where I had to address it with a professional. That makes sense. And if you could tell us kind of how you were led to the diagnosis and kind of what options were presented to you at that time. Sure. So I had reached out to my gynecologist. I had done a pap screening and it came back abnormal. So that was the first red flag for me. They walked me through the protocol. had done a colposcopy procedure as well as a leep procedure, which honestly left me with more questions than answers at the time. Nothing that came back was very clear for me, unfortunately. And that would lead me to visit other doctors. And the one that I ended up with had told me that they were going to allow some time for those procedures to take effect in my body. And that was probably not great advice. I admittedly took a little more time than I should have. I got caught up in my very busy life. And obviously it got worse. Melissa Schenkman (05:59) But understandable because that's something so many people, especially women, are busy and juggling multiple things all the time will do. Once you learned of this diagnosis, the first diagnosis of cervical cancer, what was your reaction? Youknow, here you were in your 20s. It's shocking, devastating to be completely honest, as I mentioned before, especially in that age frame. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (06:27) You are so excited for your future and looking ahead and of course making all kinds of plans, particularly family planning is something that happens of course when you get married and in that age and that was something that was turned upside down completely for me. Melissa Schenkman (06:49) I'm sure. No, absolutely no question. Then you have to decide which far as treatments and things. But before we get into that, I'm curious at the time, what did you know even about cervical cancer, if anything? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (07:04) That is a great question. At the time, I really didn't know anything. Like I had mentioned before, my health care experience previously as I grew up, and then I think my cultural background was playing into that as well. I am part Filipino and Latina and in our culture, we don't really talk about those deeply personal aspects of our life. So to not know much about it in my adult life, I guess shouldn't come as a surprise because there wasn't a lot of education surrounding it as I was growing up. Melissa Schenkman (07:46) And that makes sense. I'm familiar with both cultures and recently talking to somebody about that from the Hispanic community. Yeah. But that is true. These things are just not certain parts of health are just left undisturbed. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (07:59) And it's a it's a hard health disease to talk about because of the areas that affects and I can under I can completely understand why people aren't comfortable speaking about it openly. But I think that's where these discussions come in. Melissa Schenkman (08:18) Absolutely. And in terms of finding resources, were you able to easily find the resources you were looking for or any resources at all that were really tailored to somebody who was younger? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (08:33) Of course, there are sort of the generic resources that you're given by your provider. But as you mentioned, a lot of those materials are, I found, were geared toward older women because this disease is something that I feel can be more common with older women. As far as my own resources, there was always Google, but that can be a really bad idea. Yes. Especially when you need specific and very important health information. So I just tried to stick with reliable, credible sources and follow the advice of my providers at the time. Melissa Schenkman (09:17) Well, that was very smart and that's the best thing to do. And we always are talking about, you know, and guiding people towards credible and reliable sources. Cause as you said, there is so much to choose from on Google and a lot of it is not credible or reliable for sure. And when it got to a point where you knew you were going to have to have treatment kind of what options were you offered and why did you decide to go for the option that you did? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (09:44) With my initial diagnosis, I was presented with a radical hysterectomy and really my choices at the time were that or like the traditional larger surgery of a hysterectomy. What I opted for was a robotic version and I chose that at the suggestion of my doctor and because it was going to be less invasive and would not require as much healing for myself. Melissa Schenkman (10:19) That makes complete sense. And how long would you say your recovery took after having that surgery? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (10:25) Physically, I think it took about two months until I was able to return to work. Mentally, I can tell you that I don't think I even began recovering because I didn't realize at the time that I was in the thick of a mental… I don't want to say crisis, but I was obviously processing something that had happened. Melissa Schenkman (10:53) And then how much time after that surgery were you cancer free before you found out that something had come back? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (11:03) So it was about a year and a half, I believe, until I had my first recurrence. My husband and I were doing our best to move on. were, we got back to the quote unquote grind of normal life. And shortly after my surgery, I was declared cancer free and we did get back to our normal life. My husband and I actually, this had put a lot of things into perspective for us and we quit our jobs. We decided to travel and life had hit a high note again at that point. Closer to about the two year mark afterward from my first diagnosis was when I started to have a lot of digestive issues and not feeling myself. And that was when I started seeing other specialists and had gone down another long road to a second diagnosis. Melissa Schenkman (12:07) And what options kind of at that time? Were you given in terms of treatment? Because here you had the robotic surgery initially with the radical hystrectomy. Now you have this. What were they saying then? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (12:19) So at that point, after months and months of misdiagnoses and dismissal, frankly, I finally found a new team of providers who were very validating. And I went into surgery, I think, a week after. I was officially diagnosed, everything was confirmed. I had a tumor and we had to move quickly because things had gone out of hand. I had a sigmoid colectomy because my tumor had grown into my digestive system. And shortly after that, I was put on a chemotherapy regimen and the following year was filled with additional chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy. Because I had such trust issues with the physicians out here, I did have doctors in California confirm that they agreed with my treatment protocol. And that is how we went forward with deciding how we were going to approach this. Melissa Schenkman (13:36) That was extremely, obviously extremely smart and something that I know when I've talked with other people in our age group that a lot of people always say how important getting the second, the third, the fourth, whatever it takes opinion to find the right treatment and also find the right healthcare provider, you know, for you as well, which we're going to talk about in a little bit. And so, you know, having done that, I know you were declared cancer free after doing the chemotherapy and the different treatments in December 2019. And then how many months after did that last and when did that change? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (14:17) It was really only two or three months. It was very short lived. And that definitely played into our reactions of finding out this news. I again had experienced some abnormal bleeding. And at that point I knew, you know, this is not something to be messed with and was very familiar with all the signs and symptoms. I was feeling, I was feeling back pain again. And this time, luckily I had doctors who were very thorough and, you know, decided to give me a scan right away and confirmed yes, the cancer had come back. But at this point they had, gone to the end of their regular treatment protocol here in Nevada and we ran out of options. So we were on a, on a mission really calling centers in Utah, Arizona, even as far as Texas. And luckily I was able to find a team in LA that saved my life. Melissa Schenkman (15:27) Thank goodness for that. And for your perseverance. finding that team and tell us a little bit about the treatment that they did that ultimately saved your life. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (15:36) I do want to emphasize the importance of that perseverance, especially as you mentioned, finding the right provider for yourself and feeling comfortable and confident moving forward. It is so easy to give doctors the benefit of the doubt. As they deserve, it is an esteemed and important position, but I wouldn't be here if I just went along with what they were telling me at the time. Absolutely. Incredibly important point to emphasize. Yes. So my treatment in California was a total pelvic exenteration. It is quite a extensive surgery. It took about I believe 14 hours, you know, they don't give you this option lightly. They know that it can take a toll on your body and it does require a lifestyle change. I now live with two medical devices and I will permanently, but I am alive and I have been cancer free ever since that surgery. So it was well worth it. Melissa Schenkman (16:53) Absolutely. I know that a lot of people probably have not heard of that surgery and myself, even after my years of experience and research, healthcare was not familiar. And just the terminology alone, you're really taking out everything or pretty much in the abdominal, yeah, in the abdominal cavity. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (17:15) They remove just about everything in your abdomen and in your pelvis so that there is less of a chance or less of anything for the cancer to return to. And you know, it is discussed very seriously and your options are weighed at that point. Melissa Schenkman (17:35) No, that makes complete sense, especially after having it come back as it did twice and to remove any tissue that it could go to. And thankfully it was a big success and you're here talking with us and helping And I was going to say and helping so many others... women out there by sharing your story with all the healthcare providers you've seen after all these years. And I know there have been a lot of them. What has surprised you and what has disappointed you in the different healthcare providers you've encountered and also navigating the healthcare system as a young woman, which is a very different experience than people in other stages in their life and for men, of course, as well. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (18:24) Not very much so. I have found in my experience as a young woman navigating the healthcare system that it is sort of sink or swim, unfortunately. You are your best advocate. You are your best tool moving forward. And unfortunately, if you are not willing to do that for yourself, it's easy for things to just get lost in the shuffle of paperwork and phone calls and insurance, along with just the medical process in itself, the diagnosis process. Obviously, big disappointment was how I was treated as a patient in my first diagnoses of being written off, unfortunately. again, not feeling heard, not feeling validated. And the pleasant surprise was that, you know, once you experience it so much, you kind of make up your mind and think it's always going to be like this. And luckily, I was pleasantly surprised and was wrong because the doctors that I found in LA, that entire team was the opposite and was quite a redeeming experience for me and my husband. To have doctors who were very patient, very, very thorough, caring and compassionate to everything that we were going through and clearly wanted to help me succeed and live through this. So I'm very grateful for those experiences and even the negative ones truthfully, because it has taught me to take it upon myself to advocate for myself. Melissa Schenkman (20:23) Absolutely. And it helps for other people to know that advocating for yourself and finding the right people that you can find the right people that they're out there. They are out there. There are doctors who will go to bat for you and truly take care of you. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (20:41) And I hope people take that away from my story is that if they just because they have had negative experiences does not mean that all of them will be and there are definitely providers out there who are worth looking for. Melissa Schenkman (20:58) Absolutely and it's very hopeful and inspiring to hear that especially in our generation and for women. I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about mental health which is a topic that is incredibly important to our generation as we know and I think there's the everyday challenges that people face and the impact of those on mental health versus the challenge of cancer and its impact on mental health. And so I was wondering if you could talk to us a little bit about what particular aspects of your cancer journey impacted your mental health the most and then what still does today from the experience. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (21:40) I'm so glad we're having this conversation because as you said, it is incredibly important to our generation and generations moving forward. And this is something that we can also take into our own hands as well. Absolutely. One of the biggest factors that I think contributed to my mental health was the aspect of recurrence. It has definitely created a lot of anxiety for myself and a lot of survivors will tell you they live with and will probably always live with. How we cope with it changes and how we feel about it changes as well. But that is something that will always be over my shoulder and quite honestly has been one of the more traumatic parts of this experience. Just to work so hard and feel like, I know it was not for nothing, but in the moment to feel like it wasn't worth it is a hard pill to swallow for anyone. I think it will always be, as I mentioned, something that I deal with. Obviously, anxiety and depression has been something that I've dealt with my whole life, but going through cancer will definitely take that to another level. Particularly for myself going through my surgery in 2020 and then being very, very isolated because of my health was very impactful to my mental health in a negative way. And it wasn't until a year into my recovery where I decided to seek professional help from a therapist and realized that I was dealing with PTSD. I think very much, not just with cancer, but with any kind of big life event, we're sort of taught to just get back on the horse and get back into life and act like nothing happened. for myself, and everyone is different in how they cope with these things. But for myself, I think that was a little bit more detrimental. So I was putting so much pressure on myself to feel normal and I wasn't feeling normal. So I'd get so frustrated, not realizing that I was dealing with these compounded mental issues that I needed time and space and grace to deal with. Melissa Schenkman (24:32) And that's why to your point of saying about, you know, the value of having that support and somebody to to validate that and to kind of have you even slow down and reflect, take that time to heal. And I think for our generation in particular, because there's so much happening at all times, it literally seems that time isn't there. And when you do go back, and I'm assuming this was the case with you when you do go back to or try to go back to everyday life. Everyday life is at such a high speed after what you've been through, what your body's been through that you don't realize you need that time. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (25:12) Definitely. There is absolutely something to be said for that outside professional perspective. Like you had mentioned to get you to slow down to get you to reflect and process. Everything. I mean, there are sometimes even today where I realize I'm still processing things that happened in 2019, my second diagnosis. So it is quite a journey forward, but it is possible and then especially helpful when you are able to have access to those resources. Melissa Schenkman (25:57) Incredibly important and incredibly important to let people know that that really is a part of survivorship. Yes. A big piece of survivorship. And I know we were talking a little bit about advocacy earlier, but one of my questions that I've been thinking about and as I was thinking about us talking is, know, why do you think millennial women in particular, for us, that self-advocacy piece, or as we sometimes call it, like, be your own health advocate? that it rhymes instead of your own self advocate, be your own self advocate. It's so critical for us in particular. I think as women in modern society, we are sent a lot of messages about not just our health care, but everything, our looks, our how we speak, how we dress. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (26:34) So I think it's so crucial for you to be in touch with yourself and touch with your health, which is, you know, we don't have anything if we are not healthy and well. And to speak up on it, I definitely had to learn to be outspoken. It almost feels unnatural. Yeah. Yeah. I've always been this sort of shy, reserved person. Obviously this experience has taught me to raise my voice and you know, even if it's uncomfortable, talk about how I feel and ask questions and not just take what I'm given. Cause again, if I had done that, I wouldn't be here sitting and talking with you all. Melissa Schenkman (27:43) No, absolutely. Absolutely. Right. And there are a lot of people out there who are just naturally more on the quiet side that this is a whole new world, but so incredibly important and something everyone can do. Whether you are more outgoing naturally or you're more on the quiet side naturally, we can all be our own self advocates in the healthcare space. Julie Woon (28:05) Now we'd like to take a minute to talk about today's sponsor, Deekman Dysautonomia. 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Melissa Schenkman (28:59) As we wrap up and take questions, what would you like fellow millennial women to know and to understand about survivorship from cervical cancer and your role as an advocate now? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (29:13) I definitely want women and other folks to know that their health, their power is completely theirs. I want them to feel empowered to…to make themselves a priority, whether that's eating healthy foods and incorporating movement into their life or advocating for their mental health or asking your doctor more questions. This is our prerogative as just human beings. We deserve to take good care of ourselves and that includes…obviously, someone had mentioned screening. Yes. And that includes just being very proactive and not taking a back seat to your life. Melissa Schenkman (30:05) An excellent way to put it. Absolutely. Make ourselves a priority. And the more that we hear that and you say that the more people who will do that and being framed as the more we hear it from… from people in our own generation who are dealing with all the priorities on our plate, all the competing priorities that this is so important and taking the time. And all those areas that you talked about, all play a role. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (30:32) Exactly. I just, again, want to just emphasize that although sometimes it doesn't feel like it, we do have control over our health, over those circumstances. We can, again, ask questions and even if we're not sure about something or if it feels silly to ask, what does that mean? Ask it anyway, because it could be a critical factor in your healthcare. Melissa Schenkman (32:10) Very, very true and greatly appreciate you saying that for our community for sure and everyone listening. Well, I know I speak for our entire audience and when I say that talking with you has been incredibly educational and empowering and learning about your journey and how no matter what you continue to advocate for yourself is just so inspiring for us and how you're now bringing your experience, you know, to educate and to make people aware the importance of cervical cancer screening, what it is and really how important it is to take the time. As far as advocacy, I think a lot of people sometimes wonder how do I get involved if I'm not a survivor myself, but I'd like to support survivors and bring that education, what would you recommend to them? And if you could talk a little bit about some of the things that you're doing. I know you recently were in a fantastic picture in front of the Nevada, in front of the Las Vegas courthouse for the month of January. So yeah, if you could talk a little bit about that and just advice on how people can get involved. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (30:32) Sure. I think that starting small is important. It may seem daunting to move forward and you may even have an idea of what advocacy should look like. But really it is about starting with yourself and making sure that I am keeping up with my doctor's appointments and making sure that I'm getting all necessary screenings for my age. It could be even talking to your friends or your family members. Also reaching out to organizations like Survivor, which is a great, wonderful support organization for cervical cancer and cervical cancer patients and survivors. Find your tribe, as they say, of like-minded people who are passionate about the things that you are as well. I recently joined ACS CAN, which is a arm of American Cancer Society. They work a lot in community outreach and legislative work as well. wonderful. Yeah. And so you just never know where starting small can turn into, you know? It was definitely a path for me to look inward and ask myself how… How can I make this process better for myself as a patient? But then you start thinking about, in general, how can this be better for other women, for other folks going through cancer diagnoses as well? Melissa Schenkman (33:59) Absolutely. Wonderful points and great resources of places that people can look to get involved with and help and really make a difference. And we did have one question that came in for you, wondering if after your treatment, did you ever have a conversation with your oncologist about sexual health and were they helpful in that regard? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (34:20) You know what? My first gynecologic oncologist had kind of briefly grazed over it. And again, it was sort of the generic information that Every patient is probably given after their treatment. It wasn't something that we ever talked about on a deeper level. It wasn't until my providers out in LA where I felt like I could have a really open conversation. And they really approached my treatment in a comprehensive way where I could talk about, you know, Sexual health as well as even just something as simple as exercising like what is the best way for me to get back to exercise? When I hadn’t exercised in years at that point. Melissa Schenkman (35:12) That's a great point because that is one of the things there's a huge difference between that you bring up between like they call holistic care and then Just focusing because there's so many and especially in our age group. There's so many other aspects of life that we're involved in and knowing what you can do or what your limit, what are, you know, what are your limitations? You don't know, you know, for certain things you do, but to an extent, but I agree with you exercise, big thing, right? You, you've had these major surgeries in your abdomen, which you use your abs for everything. And, and so, you know, without knowing and exercise is so important. So That's really interesting that the first gynecologist, oncologist, essentially, gynecologist, was just kind of like gave you the standard stuff, probably handed you the paper. going to say, Samantha Gonzales-Russell (36:03) I'm sure there was a brochure that was handed to me and that was kind of the end of the conversation. However, my team with my final treatment was, as I mentioned, all encompassing. So they were able to help me, help me navigate that, help me navigate, like you had said, a world that I was completely unfamiliar with and also learn so much about the things that are available to people. think. I'll even say speaking for myself that there have been many points in this journey where I think like, well, I guess it's just, it's just going to be that way. Like I've just come to accept that some things are going to be difficult, but If you are willing to have an open conversation with a provider who clearly wants to help you, they will find a way to help you. Melissa Schenkman (37:02) Which is wonderful to hear, but also very encouraging for you to tell people you can speak up and get the answers that you're looking for. Because millennials, everyone wants to live as full a life as they can enjoying the things that they enjoyed before cancer and after cancer just as much as they can. so finding out how you can do that and make that happening and having healthcare providers that recognize that is huge. Very important. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (37:31) Actually, the GynOnc that I ended up with, that was one thing that she had mentioned to me. And sadly, that was the first time that it had been put to me that way. She acknowledged, you're a woman in your 30s. How do you want to go about the rest of your life. These are the sort of options that you can pick from and let us know what is working for you, what isn't working for you. And they have been very helpful. Melissa Schenkman (38:02) That's absolutely wonderful. I know that you had mentioned earlier about travel and doing a lot of travel. I know from looking at your page, you still enjoy traveling when you can. And just wondering, anything you've had to change in that regard? Obviously with the ostomy and those kind of things, but how you still make it happen. Any advice for people out there who are also either in the midst of, you know, beginning survivorship or who have other chronic conditions? Samantha Gonzales-Russell (38:33) That's a great question. I think that we can get we can often get in our own way and be so resistant to change. And you know, for a long time, and there are still instances where I just get so hung up on this isn't how it used to be, and this is so much harder, instead of embracing the possibilities of literally what is possible now because I am alive and because I have these medical devices that are able to help me live a full life. So that would be my biggest advice is don't get in your own way because There are a lot more things that are possible than you may have made up in your head. My other piece of advice is to surround yourself with people or even ask advice. There are, I think, a few who have joined us of my ostomy friends who had gone and traveled the world before me and to see that it was possible was great for me. So definitely find your people and let them show you what is possible. I have definitely had to make a lot of changes and always feel like I'm constantly making changes, but that's okay. That's what life is all about. So I would just say to remain open to that and find what works for you. I actually travel like, Over the summer, we did take a long flight. was over 12 hours. And I'm thinking, how am I going to be able to do this? I'm not even going to be able to sit comfortably. I brought a little donut with me. So that made it more comfortable for myself. And you just got to do what you got to do. Melissa Schenkman (40:30) That was very smart. Absolutely. Samantha Gonzales-Russell (40:34) And it was stressful beforehand because it had been the first time I had flown on a plane, actually the first international travel that I had done since my surgery. So yeah, there are a lot of worries from going through security to just navigating being on a plane when things are different. Even our accommodations, I sort of had to figure out in find what was going to work for me. But you did it. made it happen. did it. Yes, we did it. And we learned a lot in the process. And that would be additional advice that I would give anybody who is chronically ill or disabled or just has to deal with something extra in their lives is that, you know, it may not look like how it used to, but it may also look better than you thought it could. So just to remain open. Melissa Schenkman (41:37) Outstanding advice. Thank you so much for spending time with us. Thank you so much. If you would like to get in touch with Sam, you can visit and message her on her Instagram page with the handle at go Sam grow. So at G O S A M G R O W.