Advocate for Yourself | Army Veteran Liz Blackmon

In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Ashton speaks with Liz Blackmon — Army veteran, breast cancer survivor, retired Department of Justice law enforcement officer, veteran advocate, and realtor.

Liz shares her journey from military service to a breast cancer diagnosis that was caught early because she advocated for her own health and pushed for a mammogram. Diagnosed at stage 1, grade 2, Liz chose to undergo a bilateral mastectomy and later spent years on hormone therapy as part of her treatment.

Throughout the conversation, Liz reflects on the importance of listening to your body, asking questions, and pushing for the screenings you feel you need. She also talks about the challenges many veterans face navigating healthcare and why early detection can make all the difference.

Beyond her cancer journey, Liz discusses her continued work supporting veterans, including advocacy efforts for female veterans and those transitioning out of military service.

This episode is a powerful reminder that self-advocacy, regular screenings, and community support can save lives.

In this episode we discuss:
• Liz’s time serving in the U.S. Army
• Her career in federal law enforcement
• How her breast cancer was discovered
• The decision to undergo a bilateral mastectomy
• Life after treatment and hormone therapy
• Why veterans must advocate for their healthcare
• Resources and support available for veterans

About Veteran Cancer Talk:
Veteran Cancer Talk is a podcast by Veteran Cancer Network, sharing honest conversations with veterans, caregivers, and experts about cancer, early detection, and navigating the journey together.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Veteran Cancer Talk by the Veteran Cancer Network. I'm your host, Ashton, and today I'm joined by Liz Blockman, Army veteran, breast cancer survivor, retired DOJ law enforcement officer, veteran advocate, and worldwide realtor. Liz, my goodness, that is a mouthful to sit there and say, first of all, I, you know, commend you for everything that you're doing. But welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Thank you so much for inviting me. And thank you so much for all you're doing for us.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Absolutely, absolutely. And I'm I'm happy to sit there and uh start advocating for veterans that have uh, you know, cancer and just trying to make things happen. So um, Liz, go ahead and tell me uh just a little bit briefly about your your military history. Uh, first of all, why the army?

SPEAKER_01 0:40

I went to college for two years. I got my associate's degree and I ran out of money. I went to the different recruiters and discussed with them, and the army worked best for me.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Okay. Now, when did you enlist?

SPEAKER_01 0:54

I in 1988.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Okay, so it's been a couple days. Yes. Now, what did you do in the army? Actually, 86. Oh, 86, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

I was married in 88.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Now, uh, what what did you uh what did you do for the army?

SPEAKER_01 1:10

So I was a communication specialist, um, tactical communications specialist. I worked in the motor pool, and back then we had the old vehicles, we had the actual wires for the radios and things like that. So I guess you'd call them the used to say like a wire rat.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Okay. Now, how uh how how long how long did you serve for?

SPEAKER_01 1:34

So I did two active and then reserves for the six, so eight.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Okay, wonderful. Now, uh, where all were you stationed at?

SPEAKER_01 1:44

So I did my uh basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, um, AIT at Fort Sill, and the rest of the time was at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Fantastic. No, well, thank you for your uh you know, thank you for your service. Now, I know that you said that when we were talking offline, um, that you marry got out and you know was a caregiver as well for or not a caregiver, but a support person for your your spouse, correct?

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Yes, yes. So my husband um did 28 years. So he is also we met in the military at Fort Leonardwood and we're married there. So I say I got my college and my uh college and my husband from him, from the military.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

I love that. Now, where all was he stationed at? Um, you know, because obviously you were traveling with him, correct?

SPEAKER_01 2:34

So actually he got out not long after I we went after we were married. He after we were married, we went to um Fort Leavenworth and he worked there for several years and then he got out too.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Okay, okay. So you got out of the military. Tell me just a little bit about your experience because you worked for the Department of Justice as a Leo, correct?

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Yes. So I after we got out of the military, or we were I was following him at Fort Um Leavenworth, and he worked at the disciplinary barracks, and I worked for several government agencies there after I got out trying to figure out my niche. And I um applied, I worked at the state corrections and then I went to federal corrections at the Federal Bureau of Prisons there at Leavenworth, and we um traveled several times with them. I started as a um correctional officer, and back then there was there wasn't female correctional officers in the penitentiaries, so there it was a different change for them to have us there. But I worked at Leavenworth, um, Tallahassee, um, Lompoke, California, um, McKean, Pennsylvania, which is right outside Buffalo, New York, Seattle, um CTAC is a detention center, which is really neat. You could see it from the airport if you ever fly into Seattle. And then my last 10 years were with the central office headquarters in Washington, DC. And um at that point I was working labor relations. I worked affirmative action and then labor relations, where I would represent um the agency in front of third parties, like um MSPB, EEOC, and a lot of arbitrations with the union. After I finished the 20 years of law enforcement, I went back to DOD. I worked DOD for several years, and then I ended up um with Department of Transportation with the FAA. So that was the government. During that time, I also had a really good girlfriend, close friend, that had started a real estate company and asked me to join her, uh, which I did. I had also, I was dual career for um 10 years, almost 10 years, doing um that as well. So um, and that's what was really neat because I love helping people. And when I worked human re uh human resources and training with the Bureau of Prisons, um, I would help people with all their moves, you know, things like that. But then as a realtor, you get paid for it, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Wow, that is fascinating. What a, what a what a fun, you know, lived experience. Now, at what point in your in your career after the military and you know everything, did you um start realizing something was going on and prompted you to get checked for um breast cancer?

SPEAKER_01 5:42

So I had um three aunts that were diagnosed. One was several years before, but then I have two aunts that were closer to my age that were diagnosed, and um so I had asked to have a mammogram. Um my primary care, I asked to have a mammogram. And it was so weird because she was like, Well, I don't think we need one yet, it's not your time, whatever. Um, but I had the mammogram, and that's I never had any symptoms, and actually, the um surgeon, you could never even feel the lump because it was so close to my chest wall. So had I not had the mammogram, yeah, who knows? And they were so wonderful. It was at uh Fort Belvoir radiology, and the um the radiology tech was so amazing. She was like, I just have to do a few yoga poses, you know, to be able to see it. But they were able to see it. They got and did the um ultrasound and the biopsy the same day.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Oh. Now I I I mean I find that really interesting. So you went you went to an active duty military base and you know had to advocate for the test based on your hereditary. So um how did that, you know, I guess how did that, you know, impact you at that time? Because that was stage one, correct? Or were you further along? Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Yeah, I was stage one, grade two.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

And um it was not what that means.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

What no, it's interesting. There's so much that we don't know until you have to be faced with it. Um, this stage one is the size, and then the grade is the aggressiveness. So it goes stage one, two, three, four, grade one, two, three. So it's the three grades, but I was grade two. But um, they were they got it all. I I had them um bilateral massectomy because of the family history and I just didn't want to deal with it again. I I elected for the bilateral massectomy, and I actually had all my treatment. The although I was at um Fort Leavenworth at their radiology, it was through the VA uh Bach there, the clinic there at Fort Bellvore, and then I went over to the radiology right there at Fort Bellvore. But I had all of my treatment at the Washington DC VA and the surgeon, everybody was so wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

That's wonderful to hear. Now, after your bilateral misactomy, how long was that recovery?

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Actually, I'm bad because I don't sit still. I don't I as the realtor I would say um because I could um schedule my own hours and everything, so I didn't have to go out of the house. I didn't go out of the house and actually start showing homes for probably a month, but I was still working within the first week.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Oh my goodness. That's a typical veteran for you right there. Okay, so after after you um, you know, obviously back at work and everything, what was the was there a treatment regimen that you had to do? I know some people have to go through either radiation or chemotherapy. What was that like for you?

SPEAKER_01 9:11

So I did not, I was very blessed because of the um type of cancer that I had, and the um because it was a smaller, I did not have to do um chemo or radiation. One other thing I did not realize, of course, until going through it, had I not had a mastectomy, I would have had to go through radiation, but I elected, I elected for the masectomy. So, but I did have the um anastrazole, which is uh um because mine was um it um estrogen-based, was a high estrogen ERPR, uh estrogen progesterone based. Um I did take the um anastrazole, which is a pill that suppresses the estrogen, um, for six years afterwards. And it's so weird because it's not a cancer pill, but a lot of people say it is a cancer, yeah, um, a chemo pill, but it's not, but it is really hard on you because you don't realize how your estrogen is so important. Like I would have a hard time getting out of bed, your joints would hurt so bad, and that was that was the the biggest thing the joint pain um and things like that. I felt like a 90-year-old um where I had just turned 51. Goodness.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Now, um, had you done any like gene testing or anything? I mean, have you done anything like that since?

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Yes, so I did have genetic testing um through the VA and was told that it was not genetic, even though I did have a family history that it was not genetic. I um I don't know. I did not, I was not deployed, but I did work in the motor pool along the petroleum and things like that. So they um we just don't know. Or it could just be a gene that they don't know about yet. But um, had I not had the mammogram, it would be a different story.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

No, absolutely. Now, obviously the PACT Act, they, you know, obviously put um, you know, certain cancers and you know into a service-related, you know, service-related injury. Is that the same for you um with with everything?

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Um they do did put that it was um TIRA, that was um the substances, but they um they they have not said that it was related. They have not said that at all. I had asked a few times and I had because there's a lot of statistics of um those in the military, the higher rates of of cancers is specifically there's been a lot of testing on breast cancer, but um they never would admit that with mine.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Goodness. Now, um, you know, kind of looking, you know, looking forward, you know, through your your health journey and everything, um what I guess is the I guess silver lining and and all the looking back and and everything, what were some of the I guess the positive things that kind of came from this experience?

SPEAKER_01 12:16

So the biggest thing, and and I'm sure you've heard this from other people, is you appreciate every day and um maybe not take things so seriously, try to slow down, which is really hard for us, as you say, uh military, that it's hard to do that, and um advocate for yourself. Um with that again, I've now said several times, had I not had the mammogram, but had I not insisted on having the mammogram. And then additionally, after that, I had um requested a pap smear, which you shouldn't have to request it, you know, that should be um that you get that. And um the primary care didn't really want to do that right away either, which I'm not sure why, and I can't remember. And um, but when they did that, they had seen I without TMI that there were issues and I had to have a hysterectomy, which nothing was cancerous, but that helped prevent that. So but the other um again, for advocating yourself and testing, it's so important. I had um when I was of age, uh the colonoscopy. In my colonoscopy, I had a precancerous, aggressive precancerous polyp. But the good thing is when you get a colonoscopy, they can take care of it right there. So it's it's um but you have to get that colonoscopy.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

Uh yeah, nope. I uh unfortunately I had to do that whenever I was going through some you know unexpected weight loss. That's not a fun experience to be able to, but it's necessary, it's definitely necessary. Now, I I do find it interesting throughout you know your entire experience with the VA, I mean, you speak so highly of it, which I I you know love that. Um, but you had to advocate for almost every single test, you know, that you would think, you know, if if you're in the military, that you would be able to sit there and just be uh able to ask for it and and be able to receive it. That has to be frustrating.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Yes, and I think I I think it was that primary care physician. I don't the other uh everybody else has been wonderful. I've had since then also I've had um several thyroid issues and thyroid nodules that they've had to biopsy and things like that, too. And like the endocrinologist was always on top of it. Again, all the surgeons, all I've it's crazy since then. I guess you pay more attention to your body, but uh since then I've got like more specialists than my grandmother. You know, it's like but um they've all they've all been very wonderful, and I just think it was a one-off with with that person. Um and so and for her, I always have looked healthy, even when I um after my um vasectomy, I had a lot of issues. I would had necrosis. I got seps sepsis twice, and even when I went into ER with sepsis, they didn't think there was anything wrong with me because I never looked ill. And so that you know, I'm always look really healthy and everything. So that could have been too, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Wow. I I mean, watching my husband go through sepsis, um, obviously he, you know, was in the the the thralls of the chemo regiment at that time, and um it's devastating. Goodness. I'm so happy that you're here and and able to continue with your advocacy work, which I do want to be able to get into. So tell me what have you been up to since, you know, basically post post-military posts, Leo? Um, you've done a lot of advocacy work with a lot of different organizations, actually.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Yes, one of the um ones that I found out about when I was um still with the government and real estate, so very, very busy, is Final Salute. And Final Salute is um for homeless female veterans, is basically, but they have a house in Alexandria, and I had actually seen um the founder is also a cancer survivor, and um she had posted, and I can't, I don't know if it was Facebook or somewhere, but I had seen her, they had a home that they had for female veterans, and the um they had been renting for years and years and years, and it was during the time when a lot of landlords were not paying their mortgages, and then renters were kicked out, and that's what was getting ready to happen. So they um she had asked for support and help and was able to raise the money to purchase that home for the female veterans in Alexandria, Virginia. It's right by a train station, and they've helped so many people, but not just that, also they assist with um if if you need help, uh one of the most touching and of course uh emotional at the time was we I went with her down to Miami. Um, the United Way had um donated funds to Final Salute to provide financial training for female veterans. So they had classes during the day, and each of the veterans were able to write down their utility bills and their rent information, and so we reviewed them all to confirm everything, and then at the end of the um training, um, the final salute paid those for them. And it was so touching was I think it was approximately $45,000 that was given to female veterans, and that was right before Christmas, so it was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Oh, I bet.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

And then as soon as the last veteran left, that's how I um that's when I was told that I I got a phone call. Right after the first person last person was leaving, I received a phone call and it was the VA confirming that the biopsy actually showed that I had breast cancer.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

It had to have been surreal, though. I mean, here you are celebrating with all these other women veterans, and and you had mentioned that one of them uh was a cancer survivor as well. Um, did you I mean, did you tell anybody while you were there? Uh did you family know?

SPEAKER_01 18:38

I did. The founder, um Jazz Booth is her name, and um it was wonderful having her there because she had been through it and she was like, We've got this. I did not tell my family until I flew home that night, and then on the way home from the airport is when I told them.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

My goodness. Now they had known that you had gone for the biopsy um all you know previously. Or did they?

SPEAKER_01 19:04

I'm trying to remember, I'm trying to remember if my daughter did because I didn't want to worry her. Had um I knew the the mammogram. So yeah, I had the initial mammogram and then they called me back. And that second mammogram, I was like, um, oh, it's gonna be just fine. My husband actually was driving a friend from Virginia down to Florida helping helping her move.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

I bet I I will say caregivers, uh I mean, being being one and everything, it it's definitely, I mean, it's hard, you know, being the caregiver because I can't tell you how many times that I was like, man, I just was happening to me. So I don't have to sit there and really, really think too much of it. Because like I said, my husband was stoic. He was great going through all of it. I mean, kind of like your story. He was kind of like nonchalant some of the times. And I'm like, are you sure? Like you're like you you understand what's going on, right? But it's it's goodness, what a what a story. All right, well, Liz, thank you so much for joining us on uh today's episode of uh Veteran Cancer Talk. We appreciate your time. For those that are interested in getting a hold of Liz, all of her contact information is gonna be in the links below. Um, if you're looking at finding a home, make sure you reach out to Liz. She is a uh certified VA home loan specialist. So thank you, Liz, for joining us. Take care.