00:00:11:17 - 00:00:35:20 Unknown Hi, I'm Gail. And I am Catherine. Welcome to women Over 70 Aging Reimagined, our award winning weekly podcast with visit at women over 70.com to learn all about our offerings and ways to become involved. Consider joining Aging Reimagined Circle as a member, enjoy free participation in our online monthly programs, and we want to thank our sponsor, Women's Connection. 00:00:35:22 - 00:01:13:19 Unknown This is a nonprofit women's group with chapters around the country. Members are vibrant, accomplished women aged 50 and forward who connect around common interests, empower each other to thrive, and stick together. As I travel through the stuff of life, no matter what comes their way, it find the best women connecting.org. And today we're happy to have with us advocate Deb Greer, who was heavily living her life as founder and CEO of Wise Woman Communications LLC, an award winning, full service public relations and marketing firm. 00:01:13:21 - 00:01:43:21 Unknown She was the successful host of Business Power Hour and C-suite radio, and had earned a wide reputation as a LinkedIn strategist. In 2015, all that changed when Deb learned she had metastatic breast cancer. Trying not to die that live was her heartfelt initiative, born from the realization that amidst the challenges of cancer, we often become consumed by the fear of dying. 00:01:43:23 - 00:02:17:17 Unknown Overlooking the importance of truly living, her mission is to remind those on this journey that while fighting for survival is crucial. Embracing life is equally essential. Deb career is rewriting the playbook on how to live with cancer. In her words. I was diagnosed in 2015 with stage four triple positive breast cancer, basal cell carcinoma in 2021 and papillary thyroid carcinoma in 2023. 00:02:17:19 - 00:02:45:03 Unknown I've experienced the disconnection and despair of a system where cancer is the star of the show. While people with the cancer are silently watching from the sidelines. Now, she uses her experience and expertise to kill cancer with honesty, communication and collaboration. So welcome to women over 70 Aging Reimagined. Deb, you are oh my gosh, thank you so much. 00:02:45:03 - 00:03:13:00 Unknown I am so honored to be on the program. Oh, we're glad to have you. And really, your courage is exemplary and you're a beacon of light in in all who follow in your footsteps. Thank you for light. So having experienced cancer twice myself, I know that these diagnoses can just throw people into a tailspin and you know what? 00:03:13:00 - 00:03:34:03 Unknown How did you how did you turn that around and make it? What it was for you today? Well, it did throw me into a tailspin. You know, my initial diagnosis was stage zero, and so we weren't even all that concerned. And then several months later, they went, oh, oops. And and I remember I told my doctor, I'm sorry, I don't have time for that. 00:03:34:09 - 00:04:02:10 Unknown And she looked at me like, but you're all you have to hear is the word cancer. And it's like a cold shiver. Right. The, you know, all of those things because we all know people who have died from cancer. I mean, you know, that's just and you know, it's is this kind of the thing. And so that's our first thought where I'm going to die now we're all going to die. 00:04:02:12 - 00:04:24:17 Unknown I mean, you know. Yeah. But you know, I, I really don't want it to be from cancer, you know, and, and but it does throw us for a tailspin. And, but I think the thing to do is to acknowledge I'm scared. I'm hurt, I'm angry. All of those things. Give yourself the grace to go through those emotions. 00:04:24:19 - 00:04:44:04 Unknown Don't try to ignore them because it's very normal to to have those feelings and then go, okay, now what are we going to do? How are we going to get through this? You know, and and I think that's the thing is, and, and and periodically through we backslide. Right? We have pity parties. We do all of those things. 00:04:44:06 - 00:05:13:10 Unknown But again, that's normal. That's natural. And it's okay to feel those emotions. Just don't get stuck there. Right, right. So what did you do about this? How did how did you, you know, move forward with your life? Well, many years ago, I worked for an oncologist who was absolutely wonderful. I would have gone, I actually thought, I live in Atlanta now, and I thought about moving back to Denver. 00:05:13:10 - 00:05:40:03 Unknown And then I realized he's probably dead. He was, you know, in here. But, he was he was just incredible. And and then I also worked for the American Cancer Society, so I know just enough to be dangerous. Right? I see those words, and I'm like, oh, I know what those words mean. And so it was one of those where I really did think, okay, how am I going to get through this? 00:05:40:05 - 00:06:06:13 Unknown And the thing that Doctor Rabinowitz many, many years said ago said was, you're 99% of this is in your head. If you think you're going to die, you will die. If you think you're going to live, you will live now, you know, might be five days, but how are you going to live in that time frame? And so I made up my mind this was not going to be the end of me. 00:06:06:15 - 00:06:30:15 Unknown And even when they said stage four, you know, it was like, okay, well, that's annoying, but, you know, it really was. I'm I'm just going to keep going. I'm not going to let this stop me. Good for you. Yeah. Right. So this was back in 2015 when you guys. Yeah. Yeah. And so yeah I'm, I hit my ten year mark last week with no other reoccurrence of the breast cancer. 00:06:30:15 - 00:06:35:01 Unknown So yeah. Your party time. 00:06:35:03 - 00:07:03:04 Unknown So you started trying not to die that live? I didn't know that was an extension. You know, you can have pretty much any extension anymore. I think. Is it live or online? It's live. Right. Because, the concept is that we get so caught up in trying to not die. And whether it's cancer or anything that we forget that we have to live our lives. 00:07:03:06 - 00:07:28:22 Unknown And so, yeah, you know, you mentioned I'm a marketing person. So I said, okay, that seems like a good thing to to be adding on there, I'm pretty sure. And and you're also a cancer coach. I am, you know, and and so and that's fairly recent. I passed my certifications earlier this year, and I work with executives and business owners who are told that they have cancer. 00:07:28:24 - 00:07:49:17 Unknown Because there are, you know, you're told that, well, like we said at the start, total tailspin. But then when you're in charge of a business, it's even more so, you know, and, and, and, and the big thing is, in many cases, they don't want to tell anybody, right? You know, they might lose clients, he might lose employees, all of these various things. 00:07:49:23 - 00:08:21:04 Unknown And we think, oh, we're business owners. We must be strong and tough. And so they need but they need somebody to, to talk to and somebody to, to, you know, share with them what this journey is going to be like. The I know someone who was a professor who had the same diagnosis as you and she absolutely refused to tell anybody at all about it, not a close friend's name, anybody who worked with her. 00:08:21:06 - 00:08:45:21 Unknown Nobody. So do you, do you recommend that as an approach or why do you think you know obviously it's a personal choice. Now I'm Chatty Cathy clearly. And so I told everybody, you know, and, and, and part of that was because I did want to use it as a way to educate people. And I suppose that goes back to, you know, when I worked for the American Cancer Society and, and things like that. 00:08:45:23 - 00:09:10:06 Unknown But many people just are not comfortable sharing things like that, and that's perfectly fine. Also, but the one thing that I advise is people will start guessing, you know, hey, there's something going on. You know, maybe you're the the boss, the owner of the company, and all of a sudden, you don't look good and you're coming in late every day. 00:09:10:08 - 00:09:37:02 Unknown Well, if you don't address something, your employees will make it up. We don't like a vacuum, right? And they never make it up in a good way. You know, it's going to be, oh, he's out partying all night and, you know, all these things. So I tell people share what you're comfortable with sharing again you know if you, you know and and so you might just say I'm dealing with a medical issue. 00:09:37:04 - 00:10:02:02 Unknown You know I have to say anything more, but then say I'm going to need your help and your employees, your staff, you know, whoever is will step up, you know, and that's the the good thing. Yeah. Yeah. If you're working with both men and women. You know and, and the, the issues do seem to be pretty much the same. 00:10:02:04 - 00:10:27:00 Unknown You know I think we see men being more tough and not wanting to share. Right. I mean that's just, just what they do. And women we get we get more concerned about everybody else, you know, and we forget that we're the sick people, you know, and, and because we fall back into that caregiver role. So again, you know, that's part of why we don't share. 00:10:27:02 - 00:10:51:21 Unknown But it is it is a challenge, you know, and, and, and I think you. Yeah, it's always a challenge because then people are going to ask, they're going to say things. And so what the, you know, what do you say? And that's sometimes why people don't want to talk about it. You know, because we always get the oh, well, my Aunt Mildred had the same type of cancer, and she did this and this and this and this and say, oh, and she died. 00:10:51:23 - 00:11:22:15 Unknown Or I think it almost never say. And now she's running marathons, right. And so, you know, it's that and and I those people, they always mean well, but, you know, sometimes we need to nip it in the bud before they get to that point. Well, she died part. So, I'm just I'm curious about the oncologist you worked with years ago who said it's 99% your attitude. 00:11:22:17 - 00:11:47:05 Unknown So what has helped you besides your, your, your positive attitude. What did you take, what treatments that you do etc.. Okay. So I, I went with the very traditional type of approach. And you know I tell people you have to do what you think is going to be best for you. And maybe it was because of my background and, you know, some things like that, but I chose I was going to do chemotherapy, then surgery and radiation. 00:11:47:07 - 00:12:15:03 Unknown And, you know, just kind of do, you know, the traditional things. Now, unfortunately, my very first chemo treatment almost killed me. You know, we we kind of laughed about that, but it really did. I mean, I ended up in the hospital for seven weeks, and I had septic shock. I was, at that point in time, the only person the the complication I got happened less than 1% of the time, which is why you ended up in, you know, with sepsis and then eventually septic shock, because they didn't, you know, you didn't know. 00:12:15:03 - 00:12:40:10 Unknown Hey, something's going on. This is bad. But, you know, I, at that point, I was the only person that had ever survived it, and my oncologist had someone who had died from that complication, so she knew exactly what was going on. And so, you know, and, you know, I did I spent, you know, seven weeks in and out of ICU, in and out of lots of surgeries. 00:12:40:10 - 00:13:03:08 Unknown My scars have scars, and, you know, all sorts of things. And then I decided to have, a double mastectomy, and I decided to not do reconstructive surgery. Partially. I just like I'm old, I'm new, and I, I wanted to do the double. So both sides because I didn't want to have to worry. Hey, you know something going to happen with the other side, right. 00:13:03:10 - 00:13:22:20 Unknown And so I now I got a complication from that that my surgeon had never seen, you know, but but, yeah, it just, I did, you know, and now the funny thing is, when I had radiation, I. So my treatment was 30 days. And I went every day except weekends. So it was pretty much, you know, a month. 00:13:22:22 - 00:13:51:04 Unknown And, I had nothing that happened. And, and they were actually very amazed at that because this redheaded freckly kid should have gotten some, some burns. And, yeah, you could not tell that I had had radiation. So they bring other doctors in and they poke and I guess, you know, but yeah, like I said, I chose the very traditional approach to dealing with cancer. 00:13:51:06 - 00:14:15:12 Unknown And, and so, so this upbeat attitude and the way you've approached all this, it's not all that unusual. And so I'm, I'm wondering wasn't there anything in your upbringing in your early days that might have prepared you for this journey. I'm always like this, I'm here going this way. Yeah. I was born like Dawson says. 00:14:15:12 - 00:14:39:00 Unknown I was born this way. So my maiden name was Gore. And, when I was little, I remember they called me Debbie Go Gore. And so, yeah, I mean, it's just I'm always on is maybe the thing and, and so when I'm not, people know, oh, there's something going on. But but yeah, it just and and I don't I'm an only child. 00:14:39:00 - 00:15:01:19 Unknown I was raised in the mountains of Colorado. Had to fend for myself. I mean, you know, all sorts of things, but, it's just this has always been me to to kind of be like this. Am I like this? Always know. You know, when I hit the wall, I hit the wall hard and, but but yeah, I'm just I'm like this and and but my mom was one who was. 00:15:01:19 - 00:15:19:06 Unknown She was very independent. My dad worked for the state of Colorado and was was working a lot. So a lot of times it was just me and my mom. And I always remember her saying, you know, you you have to be very independent. You you are responsible for you. You know, all of these. I'm married to an absolutely wonderful man. 00:15:19:08 - 00:15:47:08 Unknown But, yeah, mom was always you, you know, you take care of yourself. And that stuck with you. It did. Yeah. So did were there any warning signs that due to the diagnosis there was absolutely nothing. I went in for my annual checkup, had a mammogram. And I didn't even get home. 00:15:47:10 - 00:16:08:13 Unknown And I'm five minutes from the hospital and they called and said, you need to come back, and, you know, and, and of course, they can't say why or anything, and, and but I, you know, it was like, oh, you know, wasn't that I didn't smile pretty. Right. And so, I went back and what the diagnosis was, was micro calcifications. 00:16:08:15 - 00:16:29:20 Unknown So not a lump, not a bump, nothing you could feel. I mean, the computer saw these things. This is before I was doing these things, right. A computer saw it, and it's just these tiny little spots. So I go to Doctor Google now don't do that. Doctor Google's bad. But I didn't know what a micro calcification was. 00:16:29:20 - 00:16:48:21 Unknown And so I looked it up and discovered that women over a certain age get these. As the hormones in our bodies change, we just get these little things that are floating around. The vast majority of the time, there is absolutely no problem. But what happened with me is they started to gather, and so that was the problem. 00:16:48:21 - 00:17:11:07 Unknown But it also meant that they probably were throughout my body. And so that was part of why I had, you know, a really, really large dose of chemotherapy. And but, yeah, I mean, there was absolutely nothing there that, you know, was, was in, you know, an indicator that, hey, there's going to be a problem. We and that was ten years ago. 00:17:11:10 - 00:17:35:00 Unknown It was. Yeah. So what were those other diagnoses? So, it's been about four years ago, basal cell carcinoma. And that sounds horrible and awful. It's your basic garden variety skin cancer. I had, gone to my doctor and, you know, see anything else? You know, those type of questions? I said, well, you know, and I got this sore on my arm that doesn't want to heal. 00:17:35:02 - 00:17:59:01 Unknown Was tiny, was about the size of a pea. And she took one look at it. And across the street I went to the dermatologist, who did a biopsy, and it came back as, basal cell carcinoma. Mine was extremely easy to treat. It was probably due to the fact that and, you know, I am this redheaded, freckled kid from Colorado that never knew what sunscreen was and was kind of surprising that I never had skin cancer. 00:17:59:01 - 00:18:25:14 Unknown I'd never been to a dermatologist, until that point. Now I get to go every six months. But, you know, and and so, yeah, I mean, they didn't even take a stitch. It was, it was so easy to treat. And then two years ago, I was we, I had a Pet scan for something pertaining to my breast cancer that didn't show anything on that, but they said, oh, by the way, you've got, a lesion on your thyroid. 00:18:25:14 - 00:18:49:18 Unknown And there actually were two. There was one on either side, and those came back as basal cell carcinoma, or no papillary thyroid cancer. I get all my cancers mixed up. And but we caught it extremely early. And I again, I had absolutely no symptoms. And I did have my entire thyroid gland removed. And so I get to take a fun pill every day until I die. 00:18:49:20 - 00:19:11:19 Unknown But, yeah, I mean, it was really, again, no symptoms at all, but we caught it so incredibly early, you know, that it it hadn't had a chance to spread. So I my sources of support, I'm sure I'll go ahead and I'm wondering what what else do you do. What, what are you doing here. 00:19:11:21 - 00:19:35:07 Unknown If you have any spare time, I do have spare time. So I do several things as a volunteer. I volunteer with the University of Colorado, even though I'm here in Atlanta. I serve on the advisory board for the dean of arts and sciences back in, in Boulder. And I go back a couple times a year for board meetings, and I do other things, you know, that's the nice thing about online, right? 00:19:35:09 - 00:19:56:19 Unknown I can do quite a few things. And so I do that and then, I'm also very involved in this is just strange in the National Beagle Club of America. So beagles like dogs, right. And so, in fact, we're right in the middle of planning our big national show that will take place in Iowa later this month. 00:19:56:19 - 00:20:19:24 Unknown And I'm the second in in command for it. And and it does take a lot of time. And I've told them this is my last one, folks. Y'all need to find somebody else. But it's it's a lot of fun. You know, and then I read, I, I enjoy my husband's gardening because I have a black thumb, and, you know, and, and so just things like that. 00:20:20:01 - 00:20:41:01 Unknown I to ask you about your, sources of support other than the medical teams, and you just mentioned to your husband, my husband that has been obviously the biggest source of support. I couldn't have done this without him. You know, people tell me, oh, you're my hero. And I say, well, okay, thank you. But our caregivers are our super heroes, right? 00:20:41:03 - 00:21:02:15 Unknown When I was so ill, my mother came out, you know, and, and and and I can't imagine she would have gotten a phone call and that said, you know, from my husband saying you need to get out here. And she was in Kansas. We're here in Atlanta, and you won't make it because they had they were literally arguing over how fast I would die that day. 00:21:02:17 - 00:21:26:01 Unknown And so, yeah, I can't imagine making that phone call right. But she came out, she stayed for four and a half months, which was a little long. You know. But yeah, we meant that, like the all the time I was in the hospital, things like that. I was never alone. And that was so incredible, you know, to to have that because it also freed up the staff. 00:21:26:01 - 00:21:48:09 Unknown Right. They didn't have to keep checking on me because there was somebody in my, my hospital room all the time. Some of the people I thought would be my biggest supporters dropped off the face of the earth, and that is actually fairly common. You know, they, for whatever reason, can't, won't deal with it. And that's okay. 00:21:48:09 - 00:22:09:19 Unknown You know, you don't ever want to force anybody. But other people who I didn't even think knew I existed have been some of my biggest supporters. You know, I do have a private Facebook group, where I post just about my cancer. It's it's separate from trying not to diet, live. And it's got 400 and some people who are part of it. 00:22:09:21 - 00:22:33:19 Unknown You know, I'm pretty sure they're like ten years. Oh, my God, she's still having treatment ten years into this, but they, you know, there's so much support that I get from them. And I remember one time I was going in for surgery, and I've had over 30 surgeries because of all of this. And and I was in there, you know, and, and and I was it was not one of the I mean, it was, you know, pretty simple basic surgery as far as surgeries go. 00:22:33:21 - 00:23:04:23 Unknown But I remember thinking, why can't die? All those people would be annoyed. But I always knew, and I still know that I have this bubble of support from them. You know, prayers, good thoughts, healing thoughts, whatever it is that we want to call it, they're all there. And to me, that is just absolutely incredible. Wow. Yeah. So what else would you like to tell our listeners that we haven't talked about yet? 00:23:05:00 - 00:23:27:12 Unknown You know, the the really big thing is you are your own advocate. You have to be, you know, and and I don't care if you're 20, 70, 90, you know, you are your advocate. Those people in those white coats are very knowledgeable. They've been to school an awful long time, but it's our decisions to make as to what we're going to do. 00:23:27:18 - 00:23:49:21 Unknown You know, I know people who have not done what we call traditional medicine in any way. That's great. That's their choice. And so but yeah, we need to be our own advocates and you know, if for some reason we're not able to, then we need to have someone who is going to advocate for us. But yeah, it's our decision. 00:23:49:23 - 00:24:24:11 Unknown And I don't care if it's what type of cancer treatment you're getting or I want that promotion at work or whatever it is. We are our own advocates and and especially as women. Right? Right. Did you always feel like you knew your body, that you were able to to be an advocate for your physical self? No. You know, and and I don't know, I it it's it's all it, you know now I if, if there was something where I thought, hey this is not right, I would know. 00:24:24:11 - 00:24:43:04 Unknown But you know, we all, you know, how many times do we just power on, right? I, you know, I, I don't need to do this. I don't need to do that. And but but, you know, I think we do need to pay attention to our bodies, you know, even if it's just things like you're extra tired. 00:24:43:06 - 00:25:08:11 Unknown Your, you know, does something that's different, you know, that's not, you know, not what we're used to. And it we know it could be a scary answer, but that's okay. It's, you know, and and, but yeah, I just, I, I was never one, you know, that really was in touch with my body. In fact, you know, it really did surprised the heck out of me. 00:25:08:11 - 00:25:11:10 Unknown Every time they would say, hey, there's something wrong. I was like, really? 00:25:11:12 - 00:25:15:04 Unknown thank you so much for being with us. And oh thank you ladies. 00:25:15:10 - 00:25:24:18 Unknown and everyone should visit trying not to die dot live. And we thank you again for being with us. 00:25:24:20 - 00:25:25:08 Unknown And listeners 00:25:25:14 - 00:25:58:12 Unknown Our numbers continue to grow. And still we'd like to see more of you at our monthly online programs. So join Agent Reimagined Circle and participate for no charge. Make your voice heard as together we change the conversation about women aging. And if you like this podcast, we would. We recommend the Linda Landsberg Lewis who is host of Wisdom at Work Older Women, Elder Women and Grandmothers on the move CES features energizing and inspiring conversations with older women activists and artists the world over. 00:25:58:14 - 00:26:07:07 Unknown Their wisdom, resilience and continued contributions to improving the human condition is just what we need in these times. 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