The Scoop with Tanya Flanagan

Unknown Speaker 0:00
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Unknown Speaker 0:25
Good morning, and thank you for joining me for the scoop with Tanya Flanagan. I'm so happy you decided to wake up and start your day with me. Here on the scoop, where we talk about life, joy, funny moments, trending topics, and so much more. We promise to keep you in the know and find out what you know. So let's get started.

Unknown Speaker 0:53
Sunday morning and welcome to the scoop with me. Tanya Flanagan. I am so glad you're able to join me. This morning. We have had a wonderful and informative series of discussions this month. It's October Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And I have devoted four of the shows this month we were going to spin this month have conversations together. So I'm excited to have my cup of coffee and to have time with her again this morning. Eva's Good morning. And how are you?

Unknown Speaker 1:23
Good morning, Tanya. I'm doing great. How are you this morning?

Unknown Speaker 1:26
Oh, I'm wonderful. I'm wonderful. As the season has changed and the cooler temperatures have have blown into our city. I'm doing really fabulous. Excited to be alive for another Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As a 20 year breast cancer survivor myself. Today, I thought we would just we've been talking with other ladies about their experiences with breast cancer and I thought it would be nice to delve a little deeper into how we handled it from a spiritual standpoint and just a piece standpoint because it is overwhelming to learn that you have breast cancer for me. I was 20. I was 32 I lost my mother at 29. I lost my mom to breast cancer. She had it it went into remission for five years. And one day she called me I was working here at the review journal newspaper. I used to be a reporter and she called and strangest, strangest conversation. And she wanted to know that I have a friend nearby me in the newsroom and I was like, you know, Mom, come on it's deadline. I'm at work what's going on and she had been away from the house most of the day that day she was retired. And she told me they found a tumor in her liver, her breast cancer had metastasized to her liver and eventually it spread to her bones. And my mom died from breast cancer in 1999. So that's been quite, it was kind of the path that led me into doing something to work around breast cancer. And then four years later, to my surprise, because I never thought it would be then I was told that I had breast cancer as well ductal carcinoma inside to the beginning just the the very 00 to four stages. And I had zero stage zero cancer. But I just think that it's really important to encourage women to take care of ourselves to be in tune to our bodies to do the monthly self breast exams. But then when you are diagnosed, how do you cope with it? So I want to say to you, Ava's we've talked a lot about your, your experience and some of the other shows, but how did you cope with the breast cancer when you were you know, going through your treatment and managing having a family?

Unknown Speaker 3:54
Well, Tanya, it was difficult. I had a great support mechanism between my family and friends and and I'm so glad that I had relationship with God. And I knew that I was going to survive it but I was a wasn't quite sure you know, your mind moves a mile a minute. And when you hear the word cancer, it frightens everyone. It's the uncertainty of not knowing whether or not you're going to live or die. So for me when I was diagnosed in January 2010 with invasive ductal carcinoma I went in for my yearly mammogram. Let me just rewind for a minute here. I went in for my yearly mammogram, and three days later, three, two or three days later, I received a notice in the mail stating that something looks abnormal and can I return it And I went back in. And I finally got the final notice a couple of days later, stating that everything was normal. But later on from January 2010, up until maybe March or April, I started feeling very fatigue. And at the time, I was an operation manager for FedEx Express, being a mother being a wife, and just balancing life balance, if you will. And so I thought maybe it was just okay, you're just a little over, you're overly tired, get some rest, but that wasn't the case. So I went back to the doctor. And I say I'm getting I'm really tired, what's going on? And so we never went back to think about doing another mammogram, we just thought maybe, hey, you know, your, your iron level may must be low, or once you slow down, you know, you're wearing so many different hats at the time. But then may came around of 2010. And that's when I was really at my worse with feeling extremely fatigued. But not only that, I found two lumps underneath my right breast. And so I called my doctor immediately and went in to see her that next day. And that's when I found out that I was diagnosed with a breast cancer invasive ductal carcinoma. And so to answer your question, it's a shock. It's a shock. In fact, I, I almost fainted. You know, I dropped the phone. I remember dropping the phone, I actually fell to the floor in my bedroom, because I just came from work. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, I have breast cancer. And is it she like a brick? It really does. But then I knew that. Yes, absolutely. So we immediately had to move quickly with the process, because I was informed by the doctors that I was diagnosed with stage four. So we had the best doctors in San Diego. Dr. Barone, and Dr. Jennifer Fisher, as my oncologist and Dr. Jennifer had had breast cancer as well. So she said, Hey, this, you're in good hands. You know, we're going to treat you as we treat it myself. But I tell you, what, Tanya, when you're signing that dotted line with your signature on it. It's almost like the casket is closed. You know? Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 7:57
I mean, everybody has a different reaction to what, what they experienced, you know, I was I am a three time breast cancer survivor. So, I was diagnosed twice with the same diagnosis, and that is an oddity in and of itself. Because most of the time, when women are diagnosed with breast cancer, the second occurrence is much more aggressive or severe, then usually a first diagnosis or recurrence. As always, I've always experienced that anyone who's had something of recurrences worse. So in my case, at 32, I was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma insight to stage zero. And, and that was 2003. In 2007, I was again diagnosed with the same exact ductal carcinoma inside to stage zero, and both incidents were on the right side. And the third incident stemmed from I think, with my second procedure, so to give people further understanding, when they did the first procedure, they put a marker in your breast, so it tells them where the cell activity was. And so they always have a sense of right or going on there. Here's an area this we're watching this area. So every year six months was every six months, I did a mammogram and six months, I would do an MRI, six month mammogram MRI and this alternated for on I went on with this for a very very, very long time. So in 2007, when I went in to have a second Olympic to me, because that Olympic to me and my first time that I had, and that's where they take just the area of a tissue that is affected by cancer. And then they get what they call clear margins. So they get clear margins, meaning they take enough sale and then they take sell around it to make sure they've gotten the area and the cancer was contained and what has been extracted from the body. So for my second procedure, they went in the the radiology technician went in to set a marker for the surgeon to do the procedure said incorrectly, I went into my purse, my surgery the second time around, I'm under anesthesia. The marker is not where it needs to be. So there's a marker for the breast cancer in a market where she should be going. But there was something that wasn't right. So now I'm under anesthesia, and everything's wrong. So she took sales. And I came through it, she let me know what happened, I pretty much woke up, saw her on a post op, and she says, I'm not certain that I got it. My path ology report came back absolutely claimed for no further cancer. So the situation was, we had to take and wait and see with a follow up mammogram and watch it to see if anything, there was the pathology report correct, was the only cancer, the cancer the cells that were restricted in the biopsy that determined there was a second occurrence of breast cancer to begin with. So it was quite a quite a journey. About six months, I think it was or so later, I was due for one of those alternating mammograms with the mammogram MRI, and I felt a lump under my surgical scar. And it ended up being considered a third case. So that was how I ended up with the third case. And at that point, I had add no carcinoma, and they set it at stage two a and they did a sentinel node biopsy. And for those who don't understand what that is, that's when they take the lymph nodes under your arm that are leading out of your breast area into your underarm. Because that's your lymphatic system, which things flow into your bloodstream through that pathway. And so they do a central node biopsy, but what is good to know about that is it can only be done once. So once you're sent fauna, your lymph nodes are mapped, they cannot be mapped again. And that point is crucial, because, as with my first procedure, one of the doctors that I saw, because I got three opinions, and one of those doctors wanted to do a sentinel no mapping on my first case. And when I ultimately was treated by Dr. Josette spot, who's a very well respected breast specialist, she's since retired here in the valley. But Dr. Joseph spots, said to me, that can only be done once. And once it's done, it can't be done again. So we can't waste it's like having playing spades or some card game and having the wild card that lets you do whatever you want to do, like keep it you can only play at once, but it's like, are the Get Out of Jail Free Pass. And she was like we just can't waste it. It's too important. It's too valuable to a woman in this journey. So I did not end up having my lymph nodes mapped into my third diagnosis. It's just so much that goes into being healthy, or trying to be healthy. Through a breast cancer journey. You mentioned faith and that was the basis the real my relationship with God for me like you was the basis of everything.

Unknown Speaker 13:02
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. So you know, we know that it takes a toll. It really does. You know, the toll it takes is the mental that the the the emotionality of all the financial part of it the spirituality and the physical part of dealing with, how are you going to get through this. And so because I have a very strong faith in God, I knew that he was going to spare me my life. Again, I had the triple negative, where I went in for one of my doctor appointments. And next thing I know I was waking up out of surgery. And you talked about the Linton lights. So so what happened was they went in and remove six of my lip noise because they were extremely swollen, is what I was told. And they were not taking any chances of not knowing if the cancer had moved through my cavity of the entire body. So to avoid that, that's when I was treated with the most expensive medication out there called MSI, there's there were little tiny pills and I remember pain. Was it $425 for four to 325 or 425. Oh, I remember was very, very expensive. And those that I had to have taken those to protect my organs because we weren't quite sure if the cancer hat was you know, we just we just they were great. You know when you have the best doctors with great insurance. Yeah, can you see Oh, yeah. You feel comfortable?

Unknown Speaker 14:50
level of comfort. Sure. Right. I mean, I was I was very I even did a second opinion at UNLV about UNLV university you CLA Sorry, got my lead was mixed up as we're here hanging out at UC at UNLV today, but I went to UCLA and I got a second opinion there on my third diagnosis as well. And you're right, having good health care, makes a huge difference, which was part of why I volunteer for so many years, about eight years, with Coleman because as they would raise money here, raise money here in the valley, it stayed in the valley to help people right here, people who were disadvantaged, and I know you do work with the American Cancer Society as, as an ambassador, and I was president of the board of directors with Susan G. Komen for a number of years and did a lot of work in their multicultural outreach component. That's how I came onto the board. And we really, were able to get pink and purple worship or pink worship Sunday, to become a big deal just to get into churches and spread the word have a pink day focus on breast cancer, dote on the women. And I know a lot of organizations do that. Around this time of the year, they spend time focusing on women and families to remind them that there's a great support system here, and that there are people who love you. And there's nothing like a good support system, there are groups out there that women can check into and talk with. So you're not alone. I was not big on support groups. And for me, I want it to really keep my, my prayer circle really small, because I wanted the right thing to be said over me the power of life and death is on the tongue. And I really, truly believe that it's what you say, and I want it the right things to be said over me. Yeah, intriguing. Yeah, it's important, I was triple positive, to your point about being triple negative. As African American women, usually, African American women are diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, as we know, which means the as Dr. Christiansen discussed with us earlier this month, the course of treatment is not guaranteed, or they don't know that it works. Studies have not proven that triple negative breast cancer respond to the course of treatment, whereas I was triple positive. So I have the receptors on my sales that received and welcomed in the medication to do what it's supposed to do to manage the cancer cells. So I was treated with the texto, Tara carboplatin Herceptin approach because I was her to new positive. And that's the best

Unknown Speaker 17:24
that you made. Yeah, yeah, that's a great point that you made Tanya, because with when you have a triple negative, there is not a guarantee that the chemo is going to your body's going to be receptive to it. Because from what I understand, some women that have received the chemo, unfortunately, the body says, hey, you know, this is great, I like it. But it's not allowing you to fight it fight off the dead cells. You know, in my case, yeah, didn't work. It did not work at all. So I'm very, very fortunate that the smocks tamoxifen that I had worked really well, and I refer to it as the Red Devil, and it kills the good and the bad cells where you lose all your hair. But the good thing about me was my cousin theta grant out of Virginia, her friend that worked at Raytheon had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. And so she found out that I was the first person in my family to ever be exposed to breast cancer and I ate well, I exercise I was healthy. So I thought, so it was really a surprise to the family that he just has breast cancer of all people, you know, and so

Unknown Speaker 18:40
no, but to that point, it doesn't discriminate that way, though. ABS I mean, I was 32. I was a couple years out of my 20s I've always eaten well, and exercise. You know, I was a cheerleader, did different things, stayed active, moved around, had a good day, and I had a girlfriend, may she rest to her. So I lost to breast cancer, we're talking about vegetarian, vegan, maybe a little bit pescatarian. But 100% conscious of her diet into exercise very much wanting to get into holistic approaches most of the time, and I lost her to breast cancer. So it does not discriminate, because you are not into exercising and you have a healthy diet. And you just, I mean, I can't point out enough how important it is to manage stress. To really to manage stress, I find for me that internal energy that stirs you up this negative about the things that you're worrying about that may correct themselves anyway. But we let stress really weigh in on us tensions but with relationships, tensions at work, financial tension, there's all these things that go on in life, just the world, politics, circumstances, things that bother us, the things that weigh us down or negative factors on it. were held. And yeah, it really wreaks havoc internally. And you have to make sure you're managing that.

Unknown Speaker 20:09
Because, oh, you know what, I'm glad you spoke on that, because I've been canceled on December 13, will be 13 years, for me being cancer free. So kudos to you, you know, to know that you're still here after being exposed to it three times, and then listening to Tina, it's been 23 years for her, you know, that that gives people hope, like myself, to know that, hey, I've got a good chance of staying here a little longer, right, because looking at statistics, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancer. So approximately 12.9% of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime. So in 1970, in 2018, there was an estimated 3,000,003, over 3 million women living with female breast cancer in in the United States. That's, that's, those are some high numbers. They really are. And as of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past five years, making it the world's most prevalent cancer. It's only out in 2023, an estimated amount of 297,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. That's a lot of women.

Unknown Speaker 21:49
The numbers are staggering, staggering. Yeah. And it's not just the person who's diagnosed this the entire family. So we get you know, we share these numbers and from time to time on what the statistics are related to breast cancer diagnosis, survival ship, the different types of breast cancer. But when you think about it, it's exponential. So it's that woman, but it's that woman's family. It's her circle of friends. It's it's your entire world. And it's exponential. How it were, I remember going with my mom to a radiation appointment that she had her breast cancer had spread to her bones, and her lower back was deteriorating. So it became very difficult for her to walk. And I went home one week to help her because she couldn't get out of the bed. And I took her to an appointment and what really, and at that point, you know, within my journalism career, so I was reporting, as I mentioned, for the RJ net run for several papers around the West Coast. And it just for me, it was the faces of the people the pain and everyone had a different expression. And then that moment, I wanted to do a project that captured that because I feel like everyone is having a different experience and reaction to their loved one. Going through breast cancer. It's not just the breast cancer patient it is. It's the mother, it's the it's that it's the husband, it's children, it's the sister, it may be a boyfriend, it may be a girlfriend, whatever. But everyone is having a different experience and reaction, a different set of fear, hopelessness hopefulness, going through it and like you said, must my faith base my belief in God is what took me through and brought me to the other side. But I admit, and I'm not gonna sound like it's all been this hunky dory, and I'm just this positive attitude person. When I was diagnosed, the second time, I was flat out angry. And so one of the things I tell people go through all of your emotions, feel those emotions, and don't, don't apologize for it. I think the very worst day of it when I was in the third one, because the third one came with chemotherapy was the day that I lost my hair. And even though my oncologist had told me this day was coming, and she was to the money. 21 days after I started the really hard chemo, which went on for four months, and I did intravenous treatment for a year from 2008 2009. But four months into it, I started in October of Oh, eight, three weeks, in 21 days, she said you will lose your hair. And I remember I went every week and got my hair from the moment she said it was going to happen because you know, they tell you some of what to expect. And then I finally started my treatment course. So I went to the salon every week like clockwork, like just do it. Just do it. Just do it while I have it. And it was really pretty and it was like shoulder length. I was like, Just do it. But the day it all finally came out was the hardest one of the hardest days because that was the day that I looked like I was a cancer patient and I didn't like the reflection in the mirror. I looked like I was a cancer patient. And that

Unknown Speaker 24:57
yes, well For me, it's through the grace of God, that I am alive today. And I never asked God why why me? After my first injection of chemo? Wow, you know, you're talking about toxic gas going through the whole entire body. And I had the most expensive type of chemo, double triple dose, just to save my life. And there were times when I really didn't want to give up. But through the grace of God, I knew I had the Hang on. You know, I said, this is the tough battle a this, but you're a little warrior, and you're gonna fight and you're gonna get through this. And to this day, I give thanks to my winning team of doctors in La Jolla, California and to the American Cancer Society, because the American Cancer Society was very instrumental. And I have to share this there are two other significant events that the American Cancer Society helped me through. And I never forget the day I got my first wig. Yeah, that's a day you cannot believe the emotional and mental relief of being able to walk down the street or sometimes used to go for walks on the beach in San Diego. I was born and raised in San Diego, and and in stores without having people stare at me because of my bald head.

Unknown Speaker 26:26
You know, if something were to say that because now you can't pay me, it's something that you say that and we're running out of time. You know, I wish we had a million year just tons of time to talk about the different aspects and ways people can cope. But you can't pay me to wear a wig. Now I refuse the breast cancer, you know, and it's fun women do it. They do it to change their legs to try different colors. You cannot pay me to consider I'm like, Nope, I did wear one once I went to a EDC event to support. One of the nonprofit's here had their theme was the EDC EDI or EDC carnival thing. And they had an event down on the strip. And I had to get awake. And so I think that was one of the few times I put one on since 2008. And I remember the first day that I took it up I went to a good friend of mines house, he lived down the street, and I came back from from Phoenix visiting my family. That's what I need to show you something. And he was like what I was like, I'm coming right now. I got my car and it was dark a mile down the road and I ran to his house, I knocked on the door. And he opened the door and I was like well, and he's like what, and I'm like standing there you know, with my hair this super, super short, like almost a buzz cut like military. And he acted like it was nothing and I look perfectly normal. He always treated me like that. And I said you need a person in your corner who's your champion to say through it, I'll You're beautiful. You're smart, you're wonderful, you're a great person, and you're going to be okay. And he was one of those people for me. And he was like, I told you you had a cute head You look fine. And I was like, so you know, but we are running out of time. And that's my that's my that's my tip. Have someone in your corner and just to tell you beautiful, you're fine, you're gonna be okay. And you know, get your rest. If you are dealing with it. Do something time for someone who is going through it. Remember, remind remind your friends to do their self breast exams and to get their annual mammograms. And because early detection truly does make a difference, AVIs, what do you want to leave with people and then we were gonna have to sign off this morning, but

Unknown Speaker 28:36
stay strong, stay strong, and you will get through the battle. Again, it was the American Cancer Society and the information I got from them that helped me get through the battle with their support, and the will to finish the fight. So I hope and pray one day that we will be able to finish the fight. Absolutely cancer patients cancer survivors and their family and friends. So God bless you stay strong, and you can overcome this deadly disease.

Unknown Speaker 29:13
As we round out October in our discussions on breast cancer awareness, I remind all the ladies out there make sure make sure you make yourself your priority and get your your mammogram on an annual basis and just be in tune to your body. No one knows you better than you do. Have a great week. Stay healthy, stay safe and we'll see you next week. I want to thank you for tuning into the scoop with me Tony Flanagan and I want to invite you to get social with me I'm on Facebook and Twitter. My name is my handle TA in YAFL a na GA N You can also find me on Instagram at Tanya almond eyes Flanagan and if you have a thought and opinion or a suggestion, don't hesitate to shoot me an email to tonya.flanagan@unlv.edu Thanks again for joining in. Stay safe and have a great week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai