Dorothy: [00:00:00] This is a Shrimp Boil! Survivors, volunteers, families share what brings them back to The Rose year after year. You’ll hear how early detection changes lives, why advocacy and community support matter, and the raw truth that breast cancer doesn’t care about your plans. Their stories show how screening support, self-advocacy saves lives, and it doesn’t matter your background or your history at the Shrimp Boil. Everyone is part of a family.
When you subscribe to our show, you help us grow. Someone you know may need to hear this story, so please share with your family and friends and consider. Supporting our mission at therose.org.
Let’s Talk About Your Breast, a different kind of podcast presented to you by The Rose, a breast center of excellence, and a Texas treasure. You’re gonna hear frank discussions about tough topics, and you’re gonna learn why [00:01:00] knowing about your breast could save your life.
Aurora: Hi, my name’s Aurora Garcia. I have been volunteering, doing a lot of fundraisers for The Rose, probably for about 15 years. Um, when I met my husband, Jerry Garcia, he had lost his, his first wife to breast cancer. So we did a lot of volunteering. The Rose was very instrumental in her diagnosis and her, um, her journey. Um, ironically in 2019, I was also diagnosed with breast cancer. Thank God I am a survivor. I’m doing well. And so we continue to do what we can for The Rose. Um, everyone at The Rose has just been wonderful. From Dr. Melillo to [00:02:00] Patricia, to all of the nurses, ev everyone has just been wonderful, um, and has helped me along the way.
When I started my exams, I always had very dense breast. I always had, uh, was prone to like small cysts. And when I met Jerry, of course, because of Anna’s story, I was very adamant about, you know, my sisters, my, myself, obvi, obviously my sisters, my friends, you know, you gotta get checked, you gotta, you know, don’t wait till you know, you’re 40 or you know, you gotta check yourself and always know your body. And I thought because I was so involved in breast cancer awareness and everything that we did that, that would never happen to me. Like I was on top of breast cancer awareness. You know, I knew the lumps and I knew, um, obviously Anna story was not, um, it was inflammatory, so there was no lump.
But I thought, you know, that could never happen to me. Not that I could [00:03:00] never get any cancer, I just never thought it’d be breast cancer. And, um, when I did feel something, it spread very, very quickly. And by the time I did get diagnosed, I was diagnosed as stage three B. Um, so it, did spread very quickly and you know, just don’t let anything go. Don’t say, oh, you know, this year I’m not, I’m not gonna do it. Or I’m, I’m fine. It’s not gonna happen to me because I didn’t have any family history. Um, neither did Anna and a lot of women, you don’t have to have that family history for cancer to affect you.
Russell: My name is, uh, Russell Eckhart with, uh, Reckhart Guitars. I’ve been a, uh, a guitar player and enthusiast since I was in my mid-teens. Over the past seven years, I’ve gotten, uh, into building custom electric guitars, and over the past couple years, I’ve had the, uh, opportunity and honor to donate one to each of the, uh, the past two Shrimp Boils.
This is a, an amazing [00:04:00] fundraiser of, uh, supporting breast cancer. I personally lost my mother, uh, to cancer back in 2009 and, uh, I, I’ve always done anything that I can to support the cause and, uh, help help raise money to help others to fight this terrible disease. My wonderful wife, Colleen, her sacrifice in my time and a allowing me to spend the money and have the shop and be away from her to, to have my hobby is a great sacrifice for her. And I don’t think of it as a sacrifice at all. I think of it as an opportunity to give back and, and it’s just an amazing opportunity for both of us to, to take part in something that’s, uh, that’s so helpful to our community.
Cheryl: Hi, I’m Cheryl Oldweiler and I got introduced to, to The Rose through Shannon McNair. So I, uh, in dec, November of 2017, it was time for me to go in for just for my annual [00:05:00] screening mammogram. And I had recently seen Shannon. I was like, oh yeah, it’s maybe over a year, so I probably need to get in. So just like when you go to the dentist, they’re gonna ask you, did you floss before you came?
And you’re like, uh, so I better floss. Same thing I did. Um, I was like, I better do a self exam. It’s been a while. Uh, and I found a lump. So I go thinking this was just gonna be a regular screening mammogram. And as soon as I said that, I felt a lump. Everything changed. And, uh, so sat there for a few hours and then they, uh, they did give me the screening mammogram or the, you know, the more in depth and then, um, ended up needing, um, biopsy.
And so went in for a biopsy and right after Thanksgiving, uh, found out that I did have breast cancer and my oncologist was very dry, brilliant, but very dry. And the first thing outta his mouth was, oh, you have a good kind. I’m like, there’s a [00:06:00] good kind of cancer. But he said it’s treatable. Um, it’s the most, one of the most treatable.
And so, um, I did go through, uh, the chemo and chemo monoclonal antibody antibodies and, um, then I had a lumpectomy and then I finished with radiation and then still did some more monoclonal antibodies. Um, and my only, or the, I guess the biggest challenge was I had a port infection. And so, um, that was, um, I guess all I can say is really advocate for yourself because I never had a port, you know, it was a surgical implanting of the port to get the chemo and it was painful, but I just thought that was it. Um, and it was right over the holidays, so I didn’t wanna bother anybody. Um, and it got infected and very nearly got into my bloodstream. So the rest was easy peasy compared to that.
So advocate [00:07:00] for yourself. Um, I’ll definitely say that and definitely get those mammograms, but other than that, it’s, uh, I’ve had several people tell me I just don’t know what I would do. I just would never be able to go through it. And you absolutely will. I mean, this is, I didn’t say pick me, pick me, pick me. But, um, I got it and I lived through it and I lived to tell about it. And, um, just make sure that you advocate for yourself. ’cause the doctors do know what they’re doing, but they don’t know your individual story. So make sure that, um, what is going on is right for you, and if you have any concerns, make sure to talk about it with them.
Post-Credits: Thank you for joining us today on Let’s Talk About Your Breasts. This podcast is produced by Speke Podcasting and brought to you by The Rose. Visit therose.org to learn more about our organization. Subscribe to our podcast, share episodes with friends, and join the conversation on social media using #LetsTalkAboutYourBreasts. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Consider supporting The [00:08:00] Rose. Your gift can make the difference to a person in need. And remember, self care is not selfish. It’s essential.
