In our second episode with Tracy Weiss, she and Nicole share their reflections and experiences on the survivorship aspect of their cancer journey. They chat about what it was like to first bring up their diagnosis to co-workers and loved ones, and the challenges that come post-cancer treatment.
Chick Mission is a national community of patients, survivors, parents, doctors, advocates, friends and loved ones who are all working together to preserve hope and choice for women battling cancer in the US. Their mission is to ensure every young woman newly diagnosed with cancer has the option to preserve their fertility through direct financial support, educational programs and advocacy for legislative change. To learn more about them, check out their website www.thechickmission.org.
Resources mentioned:
Fertile Future: https://fertilefuture.ca/
For more information on the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative, please visit https://gynecancerinitiative.ca/ or email us at info@gynecancerinitiative.ca
Where to learn more about us:
Twitter - https://bit.ly/3jsViHM
Instagram - https://bit.ly/3dRQsCF
Facebook - https://bit.ly/3knUgOw
In our second episode with Tracy Weiss, she and Nicole share their reflections and experiences on the survivorship aspect of their cancer journey. They chat about what it was like to first bring up their diagnosis to co-workers and loved ones, and the challenges that come post-cancer treatment.
Chick Mission is a national community of patients, survivors, parents, doctors, advocates, friends and loved ones who are all working together to preserve hope and choice for women battling cancer in the US. Their mission is to ensure every young woman newly diagnosed with cancer has the option to preserve their fertility through direct financial support, educational programs and advocacy for legislative change. To learn more about them, check out their website www.thechickmission.org.
Resources mentioned:
Fertile Future: https://fertilefuture.ca/
For more information on the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative, please visit https://gynecancerinitiative.ca/ or email us at info@gynecancerinitiative.ca
Where to learn more about us:
Twitter - https://bit.ly/3jsViHM
Instagram - https://bit.ly/3dRQsCF
Facebook - https://bit.ly/3knUgOw
Outro
Last time on the GOSH podcast.
I got up on stage and introduced myself. As you know, a Broadway aficionado and a plus chef and a cancer survivor, and in front of a room of 500 people, that was the first time I had ever said that out loud.
Thanks for listening to the GOSH podcast.
Thanks for listening to the GOSH podcast. Gosh stands for the gynecological oncology Sharing Hub, an open space for real and evidence-based discussions on gynecological cancers. We'll share the stories of guiding cancer patients and survivors, and hear from researchers and clinicians who are working behind the scenes to improve the lives of people with gynecological cancers. Our podcast is produced and recorded on the traditional unceded territories of the Musquem, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
It is produced by the Gynecological Cancer Initiative, a province wide initiative in British Columbia, with the mission to accelerate transformative research and translational practice on the prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship of gynecological cancers.
Hi, I'm Nicole Keay and I'm Stephanie Lam, and you're listening to the GOSH podcast.
Nicole
So you know one of the questions that we had for you.
I'm going to flip it around 'cause I think how would you say Chick mission or being involved in Chick mission has changed your own personal journey being a cancer survivor.
Tracy
I mean from that day on that stage standing up there and saying I was a cancer survivor. It was something. That I was more proud of than felt like I needed to kind of paper mache over.
I don't have to explain to you, and probably most of your listeners, what it was like at 30. Having to tell your male boss that you had to go on medical leave because there is something wrong with your vagina you know what I mean like they can't even spell gynecological more or less, you know, understand both physical and emotionally what you go through and I remember this is is like a weird tangent, but when I left media I told my boss that I was going to leave and I was going to write a book about my experience because I felt like I really handled things with humor and really awful, you know, hilarity, you know there was no there was no grace in my experience. Because that's just how I am.
And he looked at me and said, why? It's not like he climbed Everest or anything and I just remember being like BYE!
So to answer your actual question. Immersing myself in my own story and helping people do the thing that was so difficult for me to do makes me feel like perhaps this happened to me for a reason.
I have the strength to make this my life. And to really change the world for a small number of people, but an important group of people, and if you think about not just woman who becomes a mother and her partner, who becomes a parent. And her parents become grandparents and her niece and nephew have cousins.
You know there's so many people who could be affected by this work, and maybe that's why. I'm doing it. And that makes me a happier, more well rounded and frankly, kinder person, yeah.
Nicole
That's beautiful, I'm inspired by you right now. That’s amazing.
Tracy
I'm still I honestly feel like we should do like a, uh, US Canada head-to-head fundraiser with both organizations and you can be team Captain Vancouver. And we'll get a team, captain Toronto 'cause I'm from Michigan. So I basically feel like I'm Canadian and I’ll be Team Captain Ontario Detroit. That's where I grew up and I feel like there's something here.
And you know I made a joke when we first started that there's so much space for so many different women cancers.
And I feel like that gynecological cancer really gets a bad rap because people are afraid and honestly, it's sometimes harder to diagnose.I had a friend who we did not know that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer until she died.
Yeah, and she had such little time that she decided not to go through the rigmarole where people you know feel sorry for you and give you cancer space and all that stuff, but I think the more space there is to talk about this the more normal, yeah, the conversations become, more normal is not English and I know that, but I just think. It's really important and I think that I'm kind of not sorry it makes people uncomfortable.
Nicole
No, you know I felt that. I I worked in a very male dominant dominated industry for a little while and somebody asked me an older gentleman like. Oh, what were the symptoms that you had before you found out you had cancer and I would normally kind of dance around. It was just you know trying to be polite to people and it just started to get like hey it's not helpful and it's kind of annoying to not just and I was very honest about it and I feel like there was just this blank stare of like oh like this. Mortified, uncomfortable, but since then you know I try and be not graphic, but like just reality of what it is, and I think just the nature of where it's located and the types of symptoms and thing that things that were you know, maybe conditioned to feel shame or taboo, or we don't talk about this just needs just needs to stop.
Tracy
And I think it's a really like lovely way that you try and find a way to communicate your experience without shock value.
I go shock value.
But also I mean. I mean, I don't know I don't want to be off putting, but it's hard to describe that moment where you go through three super tampons in 45 minutes. And somebody says, this is normal. You know, you know when you're trapped in the laboratory at work because you can't stop bleeding and you're texting your assistant. Being like, hey, girl. Hey, can you find something?
You know it's. Forget the fact that it's demoralizing. You know all disease is demoralizing.
So when it comes to the core. In theory, not in modern ways, but of what makes women women, you know it. It's a lot for the individual. It's a lot for their family having to tell my father that they're you know that I had gynecologic cancer like that poor man. But like you said, you just you have to own it.
And I believe in authenticity in all things. Yeah, yeah makes me both fun to be around at parties, but also a little intense.
Nicole
But it gives permission to other people to also speak more realistically share their truth. Be authentic, make the conversation something that doesn't have to be scary and uncomfortable, hopefully one day we got there.
I don't think we're quite there yet, but you know? Feeling like breast cancer, they've done a lot of work in terms of you know, promoting feeling on the 1st is such a great back pain and they feel like it's something that people you know are comfortable talking about it.
I haven't had breast cancer, so I can't speak personally to, but you know, I, I feel like. It's come a long way where it it's a lot easier for for women to talk about I would imagine, but.
Tracy
Yeah, and I was going to say I did not know this. Until I started working with the chick mission. But it used to not be mandated that reconstruction after mastectomy was covered by insurance. So again, they cut off the diseased breasts and left you post surgery where you were, unless you happen to be a affluent, lucky human being who had the dollars for reconstruction and I have to check the date, but I think it was like 1996 in the United States. Uhm, I don't wanna I've already like given so many clues to how old I am but that I was in high school then you know like that's not ancient history and and that's quite feel about hysterectomies and radiation to you know the groin and the stomach, you know that is the same to me at reconstruction because your infertility is a side effect of your disease and side effects like nausea when you have chemotherapy or cover medication to help that, and I think at the end of the day because it's women, people aren't that motivated. And by people I mean insurance companies.
Nicole
I do feel there also is the you know where we're targeting and we're treating cancer and the whole aspect of survivorship, and what that looks like post cancer treatment on the whole person not just, you know moving through the effects of radiation and chemo, but your mental health, your physical health, your sexual health. There are so many different avenues where you are impacted. Even just you know, socially economically there's so many changes that take place and the the sole focus and and grateful for it is that we focus on treating patients and then we move them out and.
Tracy
Saving the life. Yeah, no conversation about what the life looks like and again.
You said it, we're grateful for it. These surgeons who saved our lives are the reason we're standing here talking about quality of life, but I think in modern times there are so many elements that have to be considered and that's why when I had the opportunity to speak with you, you know.
Sexual side effects. People are horrified. People don't want to hear about that.
I'm like, but I'll tell you, and I think that the emotional burden of realizing that you may never have a family or you have to find a surrogate which costs. I don't know what it's like in Canada, but it is beaucoup bucks here in the United States and.
Nicole
It's challenging in Canada because you can't pay for it, so it's altruistic. Yeah, you know you have to cover all the costs or anything related to the pregnancy and legal costs, and you know any of the. Uh, fertility treatments? Or that you need to go through there, but you can't actually pay a surrogate to a fee to carry your baby and the offence if you are caught is 10 years in jail plus $500,000. And so there's very you know there are women who do it, but there are not a ton of them and unless you have, you know, I think if you've got a friend or a sister or cousin or someone who's available, it makes it a bit easier. Otherwise, you know you're working through. Uhm, agencies and I need an egg donor and a surrogate, and both of those are um. It's a challenge because of those laws and a lot of it's really gray.
Um so clinics are a bit uncomfortable and. It's it's not an easy system to navigate.
Tracy
You know the path to parenthood when you, even when you have the opportunity to preserve. But that's why the chick mission is. So laser focused on it, because there are ways to work through the rest of it.
There's not ways to work through it once your opportunity is gone.
Nicole
No, and I would say I've. I've said to women before, even if you don't know and you have the opportunity, do it as an insurance package like. You don't know you could change your mind. You may feel differently once you have that option taken away from you, which I have heard.
Tracy
Yeah, I felt I felt very differently. And it took me 10 years to figure it out. But that's the other part. I unfortunately will not have the opportunity to build family.
But what I do? With that sadness and that grief. And that overwhelming emotional. Just the heft of it. Is I help other people and I run my mouth about it. And you know what? I have an incredible number of very close friends with kids that I'm involved in their life and in an unbelievable way.
And I have 4 nieces and a nephew and you know there's opportunities to mother everywhere. And then there's part of part of how I feel is the chick mission is my opportunity to mother women who are very young. Who are sitting in that same waiting room where I sat? Wondering how they're going to pay for their egg freezing if they're going to live. If they're going to look funny, will their partners still think they're attractive. Will they be able to go back to work like will they be crushed under bills that aren't covered by insurance and you know, do they have to drink that garbage stuff in order to get another CT scan. You know, if I can just take one of those things off the list for those women, that's how I mother.
Nicole
Huh, yeah yeah. That's amazing.
Yeah, I'm I'm trying to think like I don't really have anything else to to cover off here, I think we covered some really really good ground.
I mean, the last thing I would ask you is if your listeners are interested in learning more? How can they find out about Chick mission? Where can they go?
Tracy
I mean, the first thing I would ask is to follow us on Instagram at @chickmission. Our website is www.thechickmission.org. My email address is tracy@thechickmission.org. You could just email me if you are Canada and you just want to talk, if you know people in the States who want to volunteer. If you want to give some money to our grant program, if you want to bring us in for an educational event, we have so many wonderful doctors at our fingers tips, survivors of course, myself, Amanda Rice, our board. We come in with a whole bunch of women who want to talk about this, so there's so many ways, especially if any of your listeners live in the state of Texas, we spent a couple months down there on an advocacy push that was not successful but we're going back in in 2023 because no one needs a lesson in government, but their legislative session is every other year. I mean if you live in the States and you care about this. I will find something for you to do. And if you’re in Canada and just want to talk and compare notes and be like a little girl power real talk moment. I am here for it.
Nicole
Yeah, I love it.
Even you know for those of us who are on the Canadian side, just the community as well. Like you know, if if you have gone through this. If you're currently facing it, knowing other women in the same boat is I found it so incredibly helpful.
Tracy
I've only met three people with cervical cancer ever.
Nicole
Really, wow.
Tracy
So for me, I always feel like a kind of a a loner Unicorn. An outsider in a sea of breast cancer and lymphoma. And you know thyroid, you know I'm here to meet my other cervical uterine ladies.
Nicole
Yes, yes.
Tracy
I think we have lot of power in the world.
Nicole
We do, we do, and we need that community so.
Tracy
And we need a better month in January.
Nicole
Oh
Tracy
Yeah, I think it's like women, cancer or cervical cancer and it's like teal And it's January and you know what I want may.
Nicole
Yeah, this month here in Canada is gynecological cancer month.
Tracy
Oh I'm gonna come live. Come live there for September.
Nicole
Yeah it is a better month. Yeah, other than January.
Tracy
Yeah, it's much better.
Nicole
Yeah for sure. All right, well thank you. So much for joining us Tracy.
It was so lovely to chat with you and get to know you more that we really appreciate you sharing your story and tell us all about chickmission.
Keep up the great work and we'll chat with you soon.
Tracy
Thank you so much. Thanks for listening.
Outro
Thanks for joining us on the Gosh podcast. To learn more about the Gynecologic Cancer initiative and our podcast, make sure to check out our website at gynecancerinitiative.ca