This week, we are delighted to host our dear friend, Katherine, who you may know as Central from the @Design_Central_Project on Instagram. Our guest, Katherine, recently received a breast cancer diagnosis and walks us through her current journey. We hope you'll buckle up and join us on this ride.
Hit us up on Instagram and give our hotline a call at 864-982-5029. Happy listening! And remember to leave us a rating and review.
We mentioned The Nested Fig App in this episode. You can Tap Here to get our app and join our live sales on Sundays and Thursdays at 8pm est. Use Code Fig10 for 10% Off.
Follow Steven on Instagram at @Keepinupwithsteven and follow Wesley on Instagram at @Farmshenanigans. Shop our online store at TheNestedFig.Com Use Coupon Code Fig10 for 10% Off Your Purchase. Find The Nested Fig on Instagram at @TheNestedFig
This week, we are delighted to host our dear friend, Katherine, who you may know as Central from the @Design_Central_Project on Instagram. Our guest, Katherine, recently received a breast cancer diagnosis and walks us through her current journey. We hope you'll buckle up and join us on this ride.
Hit us up on Instagram and give our hotline a call at 864-982-5029. Happy listening! And remember to leave us a rating and review.
We mentioned The Nested Fig App in this episode. You can Tap Here to get our app and join our live sales on Sundays and Thursdays at 8pm est. Use Code Fig10 for 10% Off.
Follow Steven on Instagram at @Keepinupwithsteven and follow Wesley on Instagram at @Farmshenanigans. Shop our online store at TheNestedFig.Com Use Coupon Code Fig10 for 10% Off Your Purchase. Find The Nested Fig on Instagram at @TheNestedFig
It's the holiday season, let's go. Are you here?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You ready? Yeah, are you feeling festive? Oh yeah, you got your bells on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, took my riddle away A little pinch today.
Speaker 1:It's December. I know it's time for another episode of who's Driving. Welcome to who's Driving. I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 3:And I'm Stephen Merk. We're two best friends and entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1:Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the behind the scenes of our lives, friendship and business.
Speaker 3:The stories we share and topics we discuss, as two best friends would on a long road trip.
Speaker 1:Along the way, we'll check in with friends and offer a wide range of informative topics centered around running small businesses, social media and all things home and garden.
Speaker 3:Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Speaker 1:You never know who's driving or where we're headed. All we know is it's always a fun ride and on this week's episode we have a hitchhiker we're going to pick up. We're going to pick up our friend Catherine, aka Central, from Design Central Project on Instagram later in the show.
Speaker 3:I never call her.
Speaker 1:Catherine, I know it's hard, I cannot call her Catherine.
Speaker 3:It's central.
Speaker 1:I mean not it.
Speaker 3:It's just because we've had. We had another Catherine.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, and so Catherine and I met on Instagram before you knew her and we just randomly started chatting back in the day, I mean like way back 2017, 16, when do we move here 16. So I guess it'd been sometime 16. We started chatting and then just randomly, like we would start, you know, messaging each other on Instagram like regularly, and then Daniel would say who are you messaging? And I would be like oh, that's central girl. So it started off as that central girl.
Speaker 3:And then, because you know it was just beginning, like oh, and then you would call her Catherine to me and I'm like Catherine, we've been talking to Catherine and you're like no, that girl from central. I'm like, oh, central.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because we had an employee named Catherine and so that caused confusion if I'd be like, oh, I'm talking to Catherine or whatever. And so her name went from central girl to just central and it stuck and I can't call her anything different. Yeah, and it's not a bad name. Central. Yeah, and it's design central projects Her name. She lives in the town central. Yeah, it's central. It's central and I'll put her up in a bit later in the episode, but before we get there.
Speaker 1:Funny thing is I was talking to my mom and she was talking about last week's episode and we've gotten several messages about last week's episode where we talked about poinsettias and how helpful it was. But my mom was like I was sitting here at the table doing office work and I had y'all's podcast on talking about the poinsettia and the way you described it it's a little stick with four little leaves left on it. She said I looked over in the corner and said, well, you got to go. She said there, I had one sitting there. She's like why did we do that? And I was like I don't know.
Speaker 3:It's a southern. I think it's a southern thing. It's a southern mom and grandma thing Just gonna hold on to that poinsettia.
Speaker 1:Just gonna keep it.
Speaker 3:Poinsettia, ponsettia, ponsettia.
Speaker 1:Ponsettia.
Speaker 3:Oh God, it's so funny.
Speaker 1:She's like sometimes you just need to hear it, but it's okay to throw it away.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I used to be like, I used to struggle throwing plants away Right, and we'd like throw them away, but I have always, always put the looks of my home above any living creature, right. I mean, if it's gonna make my home look bad, that puppy is out, yeah, but then I might take it one time and set it under a bush in the backyard just to give it, just to see if it can.
Speaker 1:and now I'm like it's always funny speaking to that. I'm the same way with plants, or have been the same way with plants. When we have them, especially house plants, if they get scraggly, they're gone. Like you said, they're an aesthetic thing, they're there to be pretty and that sort of thing. It's always funny, though, when we get new employees at the garden store, because when they're first brand new, they'll take home any plant. We're like oh, this one's gotten a little laggy, it's been here too long or something.
Speaker 1:I'll take it and they'll do that for about the first six months, and then they're like, oh, throw that thing away. Yeah, I'm like, yep, everyone gets to that point. If you're around it long enough and understand the process, that just throw it away.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we've been in the swing of it. We've been working Of the holiday season, yeah we've been working day and night packing boxes and doing all this stuff.
Speaker 1:But you know, which I'm so thankful that we've had the business Absolutely, and we're having to pack night and day. We do not mind.
Speaker 3:But it's been busy, but I did take a break the other day. I want to say it was Saturday. We have beverage bars at the retail stores and they needed restocking.
Speaker 1:So it really wasn't a break. You went to do something else for the store.
Speaker 3:It was a break from doing packing and so I said, well, normally I would just go to Harris Teeter and the supermarket and pay more. But our warehouse is across from Sam's Club. So I said I'll run over to Sam's and grab some drinks for the stores. And so I went in and I really was at shopping. I was on a mission. I had my cart Picking up some supplies. I had my shopping cart and I was going to get this stuff and I saw this couple and you can just look at people sometimes and maybe I'm just a hateful judgy person oh Lord, where is this going?
Speaker 3:But I said they just don't look very clean. How you think? I'm always like I think like that when I'm in any store with shopping carts. My mind goes to that. And then you look at these people that are pushing another cart and I'm like gosh, they just don't look clean, they don't look well kept, they weren't pitiful, they just look like I don't know Dirty, yeah, like they partied a lot the night before and probably did the kind of people that wash their sheets every two months. But I was like Steven, just focus on getting your drinks. So I go over and get my drinks on that aisle and then I load the cart up with the waters and the soft drinks and then I'm pushing it back to go to the self checkout and I look and I'm looking down kind of and I didn't realize it was the same girl. But I see these leggings. Oh Lord the leggings.
Speaker 3:She shouldn't have had them on either, but that's another story.
Speaker 1:Well, that's, you have the sides ago.
Speaker 3:And I'm thinking what is in her pants? You know, she had her back to me, yeah, and I'm like what, what's in her pants?
Speaker 1:What is your like looking down.
Speaker 3:I'm looking kind of down, but she was over to the right so it's kind of my you know, I'm just yeah my peripheral vision and I'm like what is in her pants? She had her entire arm. Wait what Down the back of her pants? I mean, I don't know what she was clawing out, oh my that is not where I expected that.
Speaker 3:I was like, oh my gosh, who and I mean she was busy doing something down there, I don't know what. I kind of just I know my mouth dropped open and she just stood there and then took her arm I'm talking up to her elbow took her arm out of her leggings and just slapped them on that shopping cart and went right on about her business. I was wrecked because you know, if she's doing that, do you know? I mean, maybe she just had a little wedgie. You don't have to stick your arm in your leggings if you got a wedgie and can't you go behind a a kiosk or something.
Speaker 3:I mean it just, it just wrecked you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is too fun. That is not what.
Speaker 3:But I mean I, I just couldn't believe it, that is so funny.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, it is crazy what you'll see in public for sure.
Speaker 3:So anyway, I I'm just going to start saying I that just it. It still just baffles me. Yeah, I don't, I mean, why would you do that?
Speaker 1:I guess you know there was probably a, a situation, an itch or a something.
Speaker 3:The restroom was right around the corner. Go in there.
Speaker 1:Maybe I don't know, you know, maybe just wasn't aware of where she was.
Speaker 3:I don't know that that's too big In her husband or partner, friend jailmate, I don't know. He stood there like it was, just like normal.
Speaker 1:Was he looking at her?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean like he's standing like yeah, like sitting here looking at you, like oh, oh my goodness. She's got her, she's got her whole arm.
Speaker 1:Okay, we need to move on from from that one. I'm just not over it. That was Saturday. That really wrecked you.
Speaker 3:It. It really did Like I was. I just I went, had to go to the bathroom, wash my hands, wipe down the cart, handle it. Just the OCD just went oh.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, and moving on from that, if we still have any listeners, I have to tell you something cool. I got a few messages, you know, at the end of the year or like we're kind of at the end of the year, spotify sends out there like Spotify, your Spotify, rap to you. You're probably not in that sort of thing, but it tells you like who your top songs were that you listened to throughout the year, your top artists several people screenshotted and we were their top podcasts that they listened to.
Speaker 3:Yes, I got. I got some of those that was. That was so cool.
Speaker 1:I know I was so flattered, I was like what I was like we must be the only podcast.
Speaker 3:Must be some bored ass people out there.
Speaker 1:But we do appreciate you listening? If you're still here with us. Yeah, oh my gosh, I thought that was really cool, yeah.
Speaker 3:I thought that was really cool too. I forgot to mention that to you because they, I kept, they, people kept sending them and I was like oh yeah, we were in their top five.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one sent me, we were her number one. You know, I was like, I mean, that's very flattering, I just can't still keep going.
Speaker 3:But when I drive on the freeway, a lot of times people are waving at me. You're number one, you're number one.
Speaker 1:That's a different, oh, different number one oh.
Speaker 3:Different finger. Oh yeah, oh, I'm confused.
Speaker 1:I know, but can you believe we've been doing this? We were talking about that, I think, on a live last night. I think this is like episode 38 or 39 or something like that.
Speaker 3:It's crazy, but I love doing it, I know. I mean it is fine, it is really fine, and it's crazy the amount of interactions we get outside of doing the podcast. You know how many messages and how many more people we've met. It's just crazy in a fun way.
Speaker 1:It is crazy in a fun way and I'm glad we have stuck with it. Yeah, we are going to be taking a short holiday break coming up, but we got a few more episodes. We'll let you know.
Speaker 3:We're going own holiday.
Speaker 1:We're going own holiday, so oh my gosh, I think we have at least three more episodes coming up. Let's see, we will have an episode on Tuesday the 5th, which is this episode right now. Then we'll have the 12th and the 19th. So, including this one, three episodes. And then we're on holiday, and then we're on holiday and we're going to be on holiday until late January. But Because we have, I Go Home to Tennessee for the holidays and then we are going to Florida for New Year's and we're staying. I don't know how long y'all are staying, but we're staying a few days.
Speaker 3:I don't know what we're doing. We may drop the key waste.
Speaker 1:I don't know what we're doing and then we come back and you and I go to the Atlanta. Like if we stay the whole time, that we plan I will be back Friday, saturday and then Sunday we go to the Atlanta market. Yeah, I can't, I've got to be home before then.
Speaker 3:I know you like to have your time.
Speaker 1:I've got to and then we're at home. I mean, we're at the Atlanta market for like 10 days and then we'll come back and pick up. We'll have so much new things, yeah, things to talk about.
Speaker 3:But we're going to replay some episodes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll repost some episodes while we're on break, because there's some from the beginning that if you jumped in later you need to go back and listen, because I still get asked all the time like how did you and Steve and me, how did y'all do this? Or whatever. I'm like we covered that way back in episode one, so we'll have some replays for you, but that is coming up. I can't believe it.
Speaker 3:So I mean, it is the holiday season but I can't believe it has literally just flown by. I know.
Speaker 1:And I'm already, and I, you know, I get to that point where I'm like, okay, well, we're going to have a break, like holiday January. And then I look at the calendar, I mean I guess we do have the Florida break, but you know the holidays is season, you know like Christmas is a break, but then I'm busy because I'm traveling to my parents' house and then back and that sort of thing it's exhausting.
Speaker 1:That flies by. So we do get a break in Florida, but then we're back to market and then we're going to be moving warehouses. So we're like right back into that and I'm like, oh my gosh, the first three months of the year already booked up and planned out. But you know, it's the way it goes. Got to keep it going. All right, let's pick up our friend Central. You want to see if we can pick her up and get her in here. Yeah, we did it. We picked up Central, and Central, aka Catherine, is in that car.
Speaker 2:In the car.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's a long long for the ride. At the beginning of the episode I was saying how we only call you Central because back in the day when we started messaging on Instagram, back in like 2016,. Can you believe it's been that long?
Speaker 2:Right, I know, I was just thinking about that.
Speaker 1:I know Daniel would be like who are you messaging? And I would be like that Central girl and so it's stuck.
Speaker 2:You know, what I used to say was that foreign boy. I'm just talking to that foreign boy, that foreign boy.
Speaker 1:Little did. I know. I know and she always likes to bring up that she just accidentally messaged me and that's it.
Speaker 2:It was an accident.
Speaker 1:That's how it was it was an accident.
Speaker 3:Sorry, I like it. Was it really an accident?
Speaker 2:It was I was. It was when Instagram had that like when you could comment under a photo but it would send it to direct messages. You know, I don't know, it was a weird Instagram thing back then and I just said like oh, I love your house. And he messaged me like I love yours too. And I was like, oh my God, I'm sorry, I'm not a stalker.
Speaker 1:But it was funny because back in the day you had, your smallest child was I did Like a baby.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, she was a baby. She was there like six months old, I think at the time, and so I'm not sleeping ever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm a night owl, night owl, and so I would be up in, like you would be feeding or something, and that's when we would chat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I know, I think you're the only person ever that was awake besides my infant, so it was a good match.
Speaker 3:And the crazy thing was is when I was like who is the central girl? And he and Wesley was telling me I was like, oh my God, I know that house yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:Because you grew up right there, right next to central yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Small world and small world. You knew all about it.
Speaker 3:Mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:So since then we became friends. A lot of people don't know. If you don't know central on Instagram, you need to follow her at design central project is her handle there.
Speaker 2:Right yeah.
Speaker 1:But we do. A lot of people know we do like the janky to swanky. If you've been there for that on Instagram where there's a group of us yeah, let's take a janky item and we switch it and we make it into something semi-swanky. No, we don't Okay.
Speaker 2:I mean you came up with that and everyone came up with that like I know.
Speaker 1:Four summers ago, six summers ago, so long ago, it was so long ago we were like we need to do something and so we came up with janky to swanky and it's been a lot of fun, which is about time, well we kind of had one started and then we all kind of fell off. I don't know where we are on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're terrible at that.
Speaker 1:We got to get a big band back together there, I know, but I got a really bad item. So I'm like we kind of just need to restart.
Speaker 2:I'm hoping mine. I know I think I lost mine, so we can just yeah.
Speaker 1:We might, we might need to just do a restart at this point.
Speaker 2:That would be. Yeah, that would be good with me.
Speaker 1:So we do that. So a lot of people know who follow me, know you from that, but they don't know that we central, not talk like every day.
Speaker 2:That's true, we are. Sometimes, I'll. You know, we use Marco Polo the app. You know where you can talk and see videos, and I forget sometimes. If I do, I'm like did I say that on stories or did I say it to the left?
Speaker 1:Right, Like where did I, where did I talk about that?
Speaker 2:I get my conversations confused, but yeah, we talked, for I feel like Tripp is so grateful that we're friends because he we talked about things that he doesn't do anything about and he loves that. Oh, yeah, he can also.
Speaker 1:He's like I don't have to hear about this or that.
Speaker 2:or he's like please don't make me pick a rug for you. Please don't make me. You know he loves that you can jump in. He can jump in for those kind of things. So you like that?
Speaker 1:You know you always need that gay friend for that right.
Speaker 2:And we know how Stephen feels about Tripp, so that's a whole other thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a whole and how Tripp feels about me.
Speaker 2:I remember, you remember, when you brought that flower arrangement to our house on my Christmas party and he you handed it to Tripp and he just put it down and you were like, oh he is so straight, Did he put it down like a back?
Speaker 3:I don't even remember that. Why did he just flop it down backwards? He?
Speaker 2:just like flopped it down backwards with, like the ribbon in the back and you were like, oh it's so straight what, what a wave, what a wave, yeah.
Speaker 3:That's something I would have said. That is hilarious.
Speaker 2:He is a looker. Classic Stephen, he's a looker, he is.
Speaker 3:And the and your two girls are absolutely adorable, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Is that why you told me you want to cut my face out of our family photos and put your face in there. Well, I mean just saying no, I did, they're good ones. I have to. I'm partial, but I agree yeah.
Speaker 3:They are super, super sweet, it's so true. And you live in my favorite house in Pickens County, that's crazy.
Speaker 1:That's something. If you don't follow Central, you got to go follow because it's. What year was your house built?
Speaker 3:in, I think, 1895. Am I correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is correct For the win, you win.
Speaker 1:It's an 1895 mansion back in the day. Oh now I love that one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is a. That is the style. It is a 1895 Victorian mansion.
Speaker 2:Home. It's just a home. It's a home.
Speaker 3:It looks way bigger than it actually is, but it looks like a mansion?
Speaker 2:I don't think yeah. You can put yourself up or something there that I just didn't say no.
Speaker 3:It looks to me, and maybe it's because I admired that house since I was a kid. But as a kid it was a mansion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know that one, because it's tall, it's really tall. I think it's a big home. Yeah, it's a big home.
Speaker 3:I mean it looks even bigger than what it is because you know it's close to the street.
Speaker 1:Yeah, again you set yourself up for something.
Speaker 2:When you get up close it's not nearly as big as you.
Speaker 3:No, I mean, I don't mean that. It's a lot cozier than it looks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's much more livable. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:It's not as haunted looking on the inside.
Speaker 1:It's not, and you're always working on some type of project which is awesome to follow.
Speaker 2:Always working, yeah, never ending, but that house was neglected.
Speaker 3:Let me tell you. Catherine and Tripp were the first people. So you've been there. What six or seven years? Well, she made the same time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I go in on seven. Okay, yeah, same time.
Speaker 3:So my entire life that house was neglected until you and Tripp got it. You are the first people in my lifetime that actually have shown that house the love and attention that it truly deserves, and that's why I think it's just beautiful now because you're just.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I wish I'd seen it like back in the day, but it is no, you don't.
Speaker 3:No, you would have cried yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, when we bought it it was definitely not. It looks like people have been kind of camping out in here, honestly, like using a couple rooms and shutting the doors on the rest of them. It was a little spooky or a little. It needed a lot yeah.
Speaker 3:But the way you guys have tackled it. Like Wesley said, you do a little project here, a little project there, a little project here. You know, I feel like you've got.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you've accomplished so much. Yeah, yeah, so speaking of janky to swanky. Oh, that's rude, but yes, is that a good lead in. So we wanted to. That's a terrible segue, but okay, we wanted to check in with you.
Speaker 1:A lot of people do follow me and you but may not know, and I thought this was a good thing to talk about. But you have some janky boo problems at the moment.
Speaker 2:I do have a janky boo problem. Yes, thank you for saying it that way. Okay, first of all, I think this is so funny because I feel like the irony is that both of you are so repulsed by the female form that I'm just going to say as much as I can about like nudity and nipples.
Speaker 3:I'm just going to really make you uncomfortable, actually actually, if you remember, I have a lot of nudes in my home of women as well. Yeah, you do so architecturally.
Speaker 2:Nude sketches.
Speaker 1:we should say yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So so you like them for like an architectural standpoint.
Speaker 1:Right, we got it Right.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Me not so much.
Speaker 2:Perfect, yeah, no, no, no you got only male buffs in there.
Speaker 1:So you were recently diagnosed with breast cancer, which no one wants to go through, and is it?
Speaker 2:No correct.
Speaker 1:You know, a friend on the sideline of seeing like, oh my gosh, something might be going on. Oh my gosh, I have to have more tests. You know, going through that side of the yeah. Process or whatever, because like and I think it's is something important to talk about just going through. You know, like I said as a friend on the sideline, the process of like you're going through life is just fine, and then one day it's not, and so yeah, it definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a mockerance, for sure. I mean, it is for everybody, I'm sure. But it is wild how quick it can change, you know right. It can change quick and.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I on the sideline I'm like asking all the questions because I always see, you know, you see different people on social media have obviously, you know it's not an uncommon thing to go through and you're like right, Did they have symptoms, or? Yeah, I know you always wonder like how did they find out?
Speaker 2:dirty, but like, yeah, like, what do you feel? What does it look like, what is it? What do you know? What do they feel like after you have a treatment? I don't know. Yeah, I always wondered that too, and I feel like for me it's such a personal thing, but for me personally I feel like it's not like a private. I didn't get like knocked up by the pool boy. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:It's not like a shameful thing and it's so common, I don't know it makes me feel better to talk about it just because I feel like that way. It's like so many other people are going through the same thing or have gone through the same thing and it's just. I don't know, for me it's comfortable. I know that's not the case with everybody, but for me it feels comfortable to get it out there.
Speaker 3:I guess For me it's been hard, for me, as your friend, knowing what you're going through, just because you know, I lost my mother almost five years ago from cancer, not breast cancer, but from cancer. Cancer is cancer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I hate that. We unfortunately have that in common. Yes, I know we both feel like it's not a fun fit.
Speaker 3:That's what hurts me, and I think, when you called and told me, I think that's what hurt me for you is more because you lived it on the same side as I did, losing your mother to breast cancer.
Speaker 2:Right and yeah, well, ours wasn't breast cancer, but, yes, another one.
Speaker 3:Oh, I thought it was it's so awful?
Speaker 2:No, she had. It was a particularly rare gallbladder cancer, so not related to mine, but still very traumatic and terrible. Yeah, it's still traumatic.
Speaker 3:Yeah and oh, yeah, yeah, and I just can't imagine what it's like going through that. You know when you yeah. When your parent or anyone close to you has cancer, the whole. What people, a lot of people, don't understand is your loved ones have cancer with you and yeah, it definitely changes everything around you, yeah it changes your perspective and maybe it maybe in some weird way. It I don't know you, I mean, I just admire the way you're handling it. I couldn't do that Right, but I don't think that's true.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't feel like that's true.
Speaker 1:I think you can watch your in it and I feel like everyone's you know it's everyone's cancer journey is different and the fear that comes along with it is different.
Speaker 2:Right and so and that's been a huge fear. I mean, like you said, steven and my two, like everybody's fear, but especially like that's my worst fear. Right there I mean really one of my worst fear Besides, like my children, of course right. That's what I'm saying. Like we're in it yeah.
Speaker 1:But when it happens to you and you're forced to process it, yeah, cause that's right.
Speaker 3:This is a whole different thing. Right, that's my. I mean it was mine too. Yeah, that's like Go ahead, sorry.
Speaker 2:I think I've seen other women go through it. No, I've seen other women go through it on, on on different platforms and thought you know, I don't want to. They're so brave. I don't ever want to feel like I have to be that brave, like I don't want to be tested that way because I'm going to suck it. You know, I just don't. I just thought I'm never going to be able to do that. But in the circumstance, like, what else can you do? You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:It's not, I mean.
Speaker 2:I'm just going to flop over and not do anything about it. You know, I'm just doing what they do when I'm supposed to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a different feeling. Let's start back. How did you find out about this Cause? You said you you had regular. Had you had mammograms before? Yeah?
Speaker 2:I think you know they say just 40. So I'm 41. So I had one last year, like in October. That was a normal first one, and then I just had, um, like right, I'd already had an appointment for my regular one, my yearly one, and I sort of noticed something that was like I mean, I know you two don't have boobs, so it's hard to describe like in a relatable way to you but it just felt, I just felt something different kind of, but I was like I don't know and it didn't feel like it wasn't like some boulder in there or some like marble, I don't know. It just felt like maybe nothing, maybe something, so that. So then I just have, I like maybe two weeks later or less I had an appointment anyway. So then I went for mammogram and then they wanted me to do an ultrasound and then I had a biopsy and then I had the diagnosis after that, so probably in the span of like how long was that? Do you remember? It's such a blur. It was in October, like mid-October.
Speaker 1:I feel like it was like a month process probably.
Speaker 2:It was probably a full month, you know, and that was honestly with me putting a pretty good bit of pressure to scoot appointment up, because I know, um, like, at first they're like, oh, we can get you in another four weeks, and then you're going to be in your ultrasound and then another three weeks after that we can be, you know, biopsy, and I was like, oh, my God, that's so much Like, I think my, you know, it could have gone on a lot longer than that, even unfortunately, but we are able to get it a little bit escalated. So, yeah, and about a month probably. Yeah, nothing weird to the diagnosis and a little bit less than a month. So that was a pretty quick, jarring.
Speaker 2:I mean it's hard I mean it was a little hard to judge, yeah.
Speaker 3:I think it's hard to see that. That seems quit, because, like when you're through it and like when I was waiting on you to say you know the different results from from different things, I'm like, oh my God, this is like forever yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:I know, I know that's how it goes, but it feels like it should be like one day, the next day, the next day, like come on, let's, you know, let's get it in there, but it's just yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But then now I think, God you know, if I had put off my mammogram for even till, say, the beginning of the year, like Right, and now I think I'm like like that would have been a pretty big disaster considering what I know that I have. So I'm, you know, glad that it Right and that was one of the things.
Speaker 1:You know, that's one of the things I said to you when I was like you need to come on our podcast so we can talk about this or whatever. Was, I think, the whole anyone listening right now. The whole point of this is, if you think something is abnormal, whether it's your boob or not, I don't wait.
Speaker 2:I feel like people during the holiday season are most likely to wait like, oh, I'll get that checked out later if it's not like some problem, and with you that could have been even just yeah, I mean, it could have been a whole different story just because of you know, my particular type is pretty aggressive and I know, yeah, like you said, it's not like it was hurting me and I didn't feel thick and I didn't have a history of it. Technically, I could have been like, oh you know, I mean, that's sort of even something that I had been guilty of in the past. Truly, so I'm just glad that I didn't do that this particular time and I would do fast Nobody did that if you feel like something's up, like you said, or even if you don't, but you just need to go get a check up, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't, don't put it off.
Speaker 3:So did you. Were you doing an oppressed exam on yourself, or are you just like?
Speaker 2:showering. I just like showering. You know, I don't think I don't know that I was as good about like officially formally doing one like exam wise. But you know, you can kind of tell and I'm like happened to be pretty large pretty quickly, like it was like out of nowhere almost. So had it been like a lot smaller, I don't know that I would have noticed it. Honestly, it was just a quick growing one apparently. So, and I thought it was like maybe a sister who knows what, like I don't know. I don't know what goes on in there. A lot of other things can be going on in there too, but our cancer. So I was hoping for that, but it didn't end up being the case in my particular circumstance.
Speaker 3:So you just never know. My mother had a mass in her cleavage when I bought my. I was in the process of buying my first McDonald's and she decided not to tell me because I was very stressed. And so she told me the day before and she had had nine, nine biopsies and they were all benign. But they kept saying but we think it's cancer. So she called me the night before. I'm having a lumpectomy tomorrow. So I flip out, of course, and I go and we get, she has the lumpectomy and I'm like, okay, we're done, you know it was benign. Then the surgeon comes in and says, yeah, it just looks cancerous to me. I'm like, oh, my gosh, right. So they had to be sent to pathology and thankfully it came back as benign. It was not cancerous.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that's good. I mean there is, they said it was like 20% of stuff that goes to get biopsies is cancerous. So really like, even if you do feel something or something feels off, odds are it's nothing but right, it's just good, right. But you've all got about it, Just think hey, yeah.
Speaker 1:But it could be something. It could be and you don't want it to, especially like if it's an aggressive form or something, you want to get it before it can spread, or anything like that and I'm not a doctor or anything and don't know very much about this, and I don't have breast, but I do have a friend you have. You have man boobs. I had a friend that has thermo.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:They're called thermograms. What is that? It's a. It's a different type of, I don't know, something like a mammogram, but insurance won't pay for it. It's highly sensitive and it will pick it up sooner, supposedly. But you have to pay out of the pocket Very.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the sense, along with all that stuff. It's a shame that, like the really good things cost more.
Speaker 3:I don't know it's, it is a shame, yeah, like if that works in, that detects. If it's a true master, then why is that not readily available for women?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's just a lot of medical things. So so you've got through the diagnosis process and you've had you were one round of chemo and you're doing you're doing. Tell us what. Tell us again. What is it? Four rounds of the strong or six rounds.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have four. Every three weeks I have four rounds of like this really aggressive type red devil chemo treatment and then after that I'll have it once a week for 12 weeks, but it's less harsh. I guess the chemical or whatever it is is less aggressive. So I'm ready to get the four, the four over with, but it's not okay. So I mean, you know, every day I'm just like, if I wake up and I feel good, I'm like, okay, today's a good day. You know, yeah, it hasn't been horrible and I hope it'll just go, get by fast and we'll get on to the next thing and then be done.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so hopefully that that goes by quick, because I know you do that. You do the red devil. You said this one can, or that's what they call it, the red devil, chemo Like it makes sure it makes your liquid red, my liquid yes it makes anything like it can make your tears. Yeah, any liquid.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Your spit, your pee Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I pee like yes, I pee on like Kool-Aid red for like three, probably three days. Isn't that crazy? I mean, I'm talking about just. I went to the bathroom at the chemo treatment center after I was done and peed red. You're like really, but does it go into the body red.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's bright red.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it's bright red. I don't know what it is Like, I don't probably want to know what it is, but it's red, very red, and it goes in red, comes out red, and the sign on the toilet says to flush twice because there's chemicals. They're like give it a second flush because you're peeing out toxicity so pretty well that that should be in your body. I know and the lady that gave it to me was wearing a hazmat suit Just, you know that they're giving it to me, so it's serious.
Speaker 1:In me, but you're wearing a husband yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she was suited up, man, oh my gosh that is Now. The other kinds weren't like that.
Speaker 3:Are you still peeing red?
Speaker 2:No, it was only like Maybe two or three days and that was normal again. So just one of those things. But yeah, they told me that they thought he could cry red tears. I was like trying to get tripped and make me upset. I was like make me cry, let me see, come on, punch me in the face.
Speaker 1:No, that's funny. Yeah, I just found that I was like that's crazy. I've never heard of so many like weird.
Speaker 2:There's several things like that that I'm like like what you know? Certain things that just feel like this can't be a real thing. Or like Like I was saying you know, my hair supposed to fall out this week. Yeah and they gave me a day that it's supposed like this is it's supposed to fall out. You know, in two days and I'm like you know they could pinpoint that, yeah, and right now I have a full head of hair.
Speaker 1:So yeah. So right now, Right now your hair hasn't started falling out, but it's going to, it's coming.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Your doctor said like in two days from now, like Wednesday, yeah, he was yep, he was counting, he, like you know, counting my treatment days and he was like, oh, it'll be Wednesday and you're like what I know? I don't, I it just doesn't, I can't, my brain can't process it still and it's like a bright about to happen. I can't still picture that. I know, you know it is. I mean, it happens, happens everybody. So, and I know that there's like other like people have messaged me on instagram about that cold cap. Have you seen that where?
Speaker 2:you like, wear it and it like freezes your hair follicles or something. But I mean I'm gonna have Tima till May and I just felt like I don't want to hang on that long. You know, it's kind of a fighting up uphill battle. I just wanted to kind of let it right do its thing and then grow back later.
Speaker 1:So and just yeah, just go through.
Speaker 2:And they've on yeah, that is a whole hard.
Speaker 1:I can process with the Um, the cap or whatever to make it cold and, like you, had to wrap it up all time.
Speaker 2:Now I think if I were just doing the second half of my treatment, that's not as aggressive, I would try it, but this first half I mean you. I'll have no hair on my body left. It's gonna be like a porpoise. So I just felt like I didn't want to fight against that.
Speaker 3:Let me ask you because when my mom went through it she was like she had the attitude cancer is not taking my hair. So we went to Her salon and she had her head shaped. Are you how is that going to be your approach?
Speaker 2:Um, I probably will. I think after it starts really like, if I can tell, all right, it's like this is happening, I'll probably we'll do that here. I mean trips got like flippers, I guess I can do. I have a ton of. I mean I have a kind of a lot of hair and I'm not trying to like, like get everywhere.
Speaker 1:I mean that's just such a weird thing to make it like yeah, yeah, because I don't think like we were talking about this the other day, central, not where, like, when it starts falling out, it's gonna be like it's not, like it just lightly starts out so you can't be walking around the house and like no, and it even when tumbleweeds of hair coming out.
Speaker 3:We had my mom's my mom buzzed her head, yeah, but, um, when it started coming out like it, just, I was like I don't think anything. She looks the same and my mom was adorable. She was a gorgeous woman, even with her head shaved. But then all of a sudden I was finding like hair. Because your hair had started to grow, yeah, back a little bit. Before you know, it fell out and, oh my gosh, it was like and I tried not to bring attention to it because I didn't want to upset her and one day she was like what is this? And I was like, well, it's hair.
Speaker 2:She's like really like her little little hair yeah. I know that's what they said like even if I, you know, buzz it, they're still like, like your roots come out, like your hair's all told and whatever. Like that's wild to me. So definitely a thing. That is, I got a wig, so we'll see. I'm like, I'm sitting here staring at it, it's just hanging out over there.
Speaker 3:It looks just like your hair.
Speaker 2:Um, I mean, I would say there's good ways. It's just bizarre to me. It feels like just I can't picture it yet, but we'll see, but we're about to have to picture it.
Speaker 1:Well you're right I mean, if you need us to help you, you know we're. We're big professionals.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:Ruby and Darlene, if we need to help you, you know, get your wig on, just let us know.
Speaker 2:The one day I feel like Westlain's yours looks like my hair kind of.
Speaker 3:Yes, the one, darlene, looks like you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she has. We have some similarity, so I might need to borrow that one for a little while.
Speaker 1:That's funny. Mine probably won't fit, because when I got the wig at the wig shop the lady kept saying Uh, you got a really big head. She told me over and like like 12 times.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you've got a big head. Yeah, I was like I did it. Evidently, and I said, well, I thought my head was bigger, and she's like, oh no, he's got a big oh yeah, that's like it does.
Speaker 2:It looks like a normal size. But Wesley on market the other day he said well, do you even have food? Like, what are your boobs even like? Like, are they big or they small? I don't even know.
Speaker 1:Because I don't pay attention, I guess I'm so good, she's talking about big boobs she was talking about Later on, like what if she has to have a mastectomy, or what? She was just talking about that and I was like I can't even picture your big like.
Speaker 2:Oh my god.
Speaker 3:Now will you go bigger, good, oh no no.
Speaker 2:I don't. They're too much trouble. I honestly thought about not even getting reconstruction.
Speaker 1:I don't know yet, yeah, she's debating whether to do anything at all, or go smaller, or whatever.
Speaker 2:Well, definitely it would be smaller, but or maybe zero, maybe really that's interesting Well you know, I I don't know yet for sure, but to me, like I think I'm gonna be so done with everything by the time I get to the surgery part that you know I don't want to. There's other things. If you do reconstruction, for me to understand, there's like spacers in there and then they have to do drains to get make sure your body doesn't make fluid to fill In the face, and then you have to go back and get a build in and then there's complications. If you get alert, you know if they irritate you or if you're allergic to the stuff or they get infected. I don't know. Part of me is just like I'll see. I have time to decide on that, but sometimes I feel like that's a.
Speaker 1:It feels appealing to just be fully done, but so I have a Question, and you may not know the answer to this or whatever, but it's a legitimate question. So if you have breast cancer, boob cancer, and you have a lump in your in your boob, how come they can't just slice off your boob and be done?
Speaker 2:Oh, like before treatment. You mean, yeah, like right now.
Speaker 1:It's just because you it's contained in your boob. It hasn't spread anywhere, anything like that. Um so why? How come they don't slice it off first?
Speaker 2:I don't what so yeah, I thought my first thing would be. Surgery is what I thought too.
Speaker 2:But for my particular type, they all they waited till like they knew the full, not just what type of cancer, but what kind of um, so they call it biomarkers and my particular cancer is aggressive enough where they felt like they wanted To first of all shrink it down to almost nothing is the goal, I think by the time that the treatment's over they said it should be like almost you know, undetectable, yeah, but they said like my particular area probably had like four billion cancer cells and they can't pick those up on, they like a MRI, they can't trace really small amounts of cancer cells visually or anything. So they just said they felt better about the shotgun approach of just trying to get everything either killed or small or shrinking before the surgery. They can sometimes do surgery first, but this my particular type.
Speaker 1:They just felt like they want to have it under control and contained.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and anything that's, if one or two cells sneak down and try to get aggressive and go somewhere else, they can't see that, but they want to make sure they just kill it before it does anything like that. So that was from what I understand. Anyway, that was there. Yeah, I thought that too. I was like, okay, just get it out, come on, come off.
Speaker 3:It's amazing what they can do with genetic marker testing. I had no idea and I told you when I went with my mom, because my mother had not smoked in 36 years and she was a health nut. And so the oncologist said, oh, we, and there's other ways to treat one cancer, too many different ways. And they said, oh, this isn't from smoking. And I was like well, what's when?
Speaker 2:did he say?
Speaker 3:Well, we'll do the marker test. And they came back and it was from smoking.
Speaker 1:Isn't that crazy that they can tell that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean they can. The science behind it is and I know because you had called me that day. You had the marker testing and you were.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was trying to tell you to do it, yeah.
Speaker 3:I just don't want to know.
Speaker 2:I know I mean they tested. Yeah, they said right now they can test for 80 different genetic mutations and they tested all 80 of mine and nothing came back abnormal. Which?
Speaker 3:is great.
Speaker 2:Very out of the blue. Yeah, for my girl especially, like I mean not that they couldn't get cancer, but I'm glad to know they want to have an increased risk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's not something genetic that you're passing on to them.
Speaker 2:Right, and it wouldn't relate to my mom's cancer either. Nothing particular, just isolated instances, which is even like a little scarier in a way, because I'm like well, where is? It. Why did it Not? Why me? But why did it get in there? What made it get in there? What made it do that? But my uncle just was like you'll never know, Just They'll mutate it, and kept mutating.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:The end. Yeah, that's crazy. But yeah, I know it as well Lots of, If I never considered before till the last month or so.
Speaker 1:So you have, let's see, so you've had your first treatment, you, I guess you'll have another one next week. Is that about time?
Speaker 2:Yeah, next Wednesday. Yeah, so that'll be the. I'll be halfway through the first half, which I know is math, incorrect math, but I will be halfway through the first, the bad part. So I'll be glad to do that. And then, yep, two more in January and I'll be done with the red chemo and onto the more fricking chemo, I guess, if there is such a thing, yeah and so.
Speaker 2:It's a, I could maybe get some hair sprout, like back on the second round, so my hair could start like doing sprouting. Oh, I keep getting it on that, yeah, yeah, maybe you said it just depends, but potentially I could get little baby hair sprout for the next round, so that would be nice, maybe that is so crazy or maybe I'll just love it. Maybe I'll like, feel like this is my destiny. It could be a bald lady that just throws on a wig and, you know, rolls out the door.
Speaker 1:Maybe, so Maybe it won't be Like.
Speaker 2:Dolly Parton right, and that's what Dolly does.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, fixed out her wig for the day.
Speaker 3:And you may be surprised, you may be pleasantly surprised with how you feel about not having hair, because before my mom shaved her head, we were wig shopping. You know I was like, oh, this can be fun, we can do different looks, you know, trying to, you know, keep her positive. But you know, after that, after she shaved her head with her full makeup on, oh my gosh, she looked great, yeah you know, she, she looked. She looked like Sinead O'Connor or something. She didn't need it. She always and everybody.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I do think yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, it just depends on your, your head and your face.
Speaker 2:Now, my face. I will be honest, my head is not a bald. It is not going to look.
Speaker 1:And that's not me.
Speaker 2:No, listen my head. It's like you know, the planters peanuts, the mister peanuts, the peanuts, that's. That's just not reality, and it's not. I don't feel bad for myself in that regard, I'm just being realistic. So I don't feel like the straight up bald look is going to be something I feel comfortable like. Yes, boarding Sharing probably. No, I don't think so.
Speaker 1:But that's what I was going to say. Do you think you will show like on Instagram stories yourself bald or no?
Speaker 2:Um, I I so hard to imagine. My instinct is no, because I just feel like that is such a vulnerable. It just feels almost a shame. I don't the words come to mind as shameful, even though I don't want to do it, that there's just like a weird feeling about it.
Speaker 1:But you know, I don't, I mean it's hot Like almost being naked, yes and yeah, Like, and you know it feels like private or something, but but you know, when it starts getting hot down here in April you might just run in a ramp over it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's great as your attitude is and is. I mean, it wouldn't surprise me anything that you did, because you just have the best attitude, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's Instagram filters too, so maybe I can just get a filter rocking. Yeah, you know, like, like a, like a be happy for something. I don't know. It really is so foreign to me that it's hard to say, but, um, I don't know. Well, just have to say.
Speaker 3:Well, you have to cheer up the people around you when you're getting chemo treatments and everything, because your attitude is so great.
Speaker 2:Um, I don't know, I the first one. I cried a little bit, did you?
Speaker 2:I don't know, Well, not like I didn't like wait. It just was like when I get like very stressed and like I don't know what's going to happen, and then someone's like really nice in the middle of that, I'm just like oh gosh, yeah, and the ladies are so like. I was just nervous and the ladies were being so nice and saying like it'll be fun, and the one lady had gone through chemo herself and she was telling me about how she remembers how exactly how it felt, and she was in the chair. I was like yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Just family. But but that was quick and then I don't know. It's really chill there. I thought it was going to be like that's the had met has met. So you know that it's pretty chill. You just sit there. I sat there and read a Britney Spears biography, so and I feel I mean from my experiences, everybody is so nice and so loving.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, I support it.
Speaker 2:It's like they're all. It's amazing Really. They're so friendly and you know they're cheerful and they have it all decorated for Christmas and they're and you know it's very, I'm very thankful that everyone I've ever even the doctors, nurses, everybody has been so friendly and like, willing to answer questions or just supported. That's a good part for sure.
Speaker 3:Well, and I'm happy, like I've told you, anytime you want me to go with you, I'm happy to take you.
Speaker 2:I can't take through that. I feel like, first of all, you're going to ask inappropriate questions to the nurses. Exactly, we'll do that. Yeah, you'll be asking. You'll be getting to feel some kind of lump in your testicle.
Speaker 3:You're going to go you're going to, I'll probably cry. I would be the one. This is the bad thing is I would probably be the one that they would have to be consoling.
Speaker 2:Stephen, would you bring any snacks?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I would, and he would leave there thinking he had some form of cancer.
Speaker 2:They'd have to push him out and I will share.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just roll him out.
Speaker 2:I would probably drop home. I would probably drop home.
Speaker 3:Exactly. It's so true, y'all, and I hate. I'm weak. I'm not a weak person, I am a strong person, but that just did something to me, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean.
Speaker 2:I hear what you're saying, but I think honestly, being in it is less traumatic than thinking about being in the middle of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what we were talking about. I feel like the fear of having it is a little bit stronger than like. Obviously, when you get it or whatever, there's that fear of what you're going to have to go through or whatever, but you know once you're processing and going through it and you're like, okay, this is the steps and everyone's being very nice to me there is a comforting thing there as well, I feel like I know my brain motto has meant to just let it happen.
Speaker 2:They know what to do, they have to go sit and then let it happen to me. That makes my brain feel like I don't have to know what they're putting in me, I don't have to know what they're like, I just have to sit there and let it happen and then I have to go home.
Speaker 3:You're doing the right thing, You're awesome. No, you're awesome.
Speaker 2:I mean I feel like when you're this nice to me and makes me uncomfortable, right, you're so mean.
Speaker 3:Well, well Wesley can attest to this. Like the first 18 months after my mom passed away, I had cancer every month and oh, gosh, I know I felt that I've been that way too. That it's definitely easy to get yourself in that head space.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is Right, but I mean it is so common, unfortunately. And I mean at some point you're either going to know somebody close to you, really close to you, probably, or it's going to be you which is not trying to be scary, it just is.
Speaker 2:I mean, that seems to be what it is. So I feel like before I knew for sure it was so much more miserable. I mean, I just was not in a good head space. I was just wondering and worrying and stuff, but I mean not that I wanted it to be this, but now that it is, it's like, well, I mean here's what you do.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Yeah, it's like now. This is the steps to handle it.
Speaker 3:Let's well you're going to get cancer. As I asked, I have, I have, I have zero doubt.
Speaker 1:So we'll definitely have to check in with you along the way you can tell us you know because, I'm sure there's going to be some good, bad and ugly and everything that you're going to agree, and then next year, this time cause you will have cause. Your treatment should end in cause. It's going to be almost like a year process by the time you do.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, when I first diagnosed, the doctor said get ready for a year of hell. And I was like well, shit, wow, all right. But then, but he said like a year of hell to give you 60 more years of your life, or whatever it is, you know so. I feel like but yeah, so I'm not treating, everything stays. I counted out, if it stays, on course it'll be May 1st, it'll be my last treatment. And then he said five weeks until surgery after that approximately.
Speaker 1:So it's June-ish, yeah so you're your journey there going on almost yeah, so we'll definitely be, you know, checking in with you and everyone who's listening. You can follow central at design, central project. I'll put her handle down below in the show notes as well, so you can click directly through that and your reminder if you're listening, if you feel something odd or think something's odd, don't wait until after the holiday season.
Speaker 2:Cause, like you said it would have been super easy cause it was right before Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1:You could have. Just luckily and you know honestly, probably maybe you wouldn't have, but if you hadn't already had your yearly one scheduled, you probably do. You think you would have scheduled one, or would you have put it off?
Speaker 2:I think I probably would have, but it would have probably taken longer. You know, cause I was like I don't know and then, like you said, it doesn't hurt, I don't feel anything, I don't have, it's not in my family, I don't I need to do, I have these other things I need to get done first and then I'll do it. You know, I think I could have, probably I could have seen myself doing that for sure. So it just ended up being a good timing in that regard, I guess.
Speaker 2:So, definitely glad I didn't do that, like if I'd waited until, yeah, the new year it would have been, you know, who knows. I hate to think about it, but I'm glad that it wasn't the case for sure Me too Perfect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right. So we are pulling up to our final destination. We're going to let you out of the car and let you get back to your day, but of course we're sending you good vibes, praying for you, rooting for you. I know being nice to you makes you uncomfortable, but you know we got to.
Speaker 2:I know don't be too nice. I know you got to. You got to nod me back down sometimes, yeah.
Speaker 3:I've still tried to be, you know, a little sassy with you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it comes out I'm not repressing for too long. I appreciate that. Thanks for their ride. Thanks for joining us. Bye, bye, bye.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3:I have to tell you, central's attitude is so inspiring Right, it's just amazing.
Speaker 1:It is, and you know she has to stay strong.
Speaker 3:When you're in that situation, you have to try to stay strong, which is, I know, hard to do and it's been an adjustment for me because I do get emotional right, but I haven't. I've separated that from her, so I try to maintain my sarcastic bitchy.
Speaker 1:You know, like she appreciates that we normally I'm trying to keep it normal we were she. You know she has a fun sense of humor too, and you know. So we go back and forth on Marco and we were. We were Marcoing the other day and you were like y'all have to stop, you cannot be.
Speaker 3:Well, and I do appreciate her too, because she also knows that I you know I have a sensitive issue where the C word comes, so she gets that but, I do try to keep it normal with us because I do love her and I would take her to get treatment. I would probably go to the bathroom and cry, but I would be fine.
Speaker 1:Yes, you would definitely do that. Yes, but she is.
Speaker 3:I have to say as much as you know. She's just. That's the way you need to be when you're in the middle of it, when you're in the thick of that. She has the attitude. Yeah, she's just inspiring, and I know that. I know that her attitude in her sense of humor and everything has to be good for everyone around her, even at the Cancer Center. So I think it's, I applaud that, yeah.
Speaker 1:And just your reminder one more time if you're feeling something, something's off. Don't wait.
Speaker 2:Check it.
Speaker 1:I was so crazy, like I was saying talking to her you know, I talk to her every day and so you're going along and everything is fine. And then one day she was like we got a mammogram yesterday and something came back and they want me to do more tests, and just like that, you know that started that whole you know journey or whatever you want to call it. And then you're like, and I was like, oh, it's going to be fine. And then she's like, but what if it's not Like, what if it is something you know? And then it's like, well, I got to have more tests and whatever. And then I'm like, when is that for? You know, I'm instantly like two weeks, you got to wait two weeks to do that sort of thing. And then it's well, now they want me to do Bobsy. And then it, you know it came back.
Speaker 1:It was Cancer. So it's crazy being, like I said, on the sidelines and seeing how it can go from. You know, she's just like, oh, I'm sure she's like, oh, I feel something in not thinking anything about it. And then here you are in the treatment process and how things can go quick.
Speaker 3:And you have to be your own advocate. Right, like, my mother went to a not so great physician and you know, she felt something was wrong. Right, her mother, my grandmother, was in hospice care. So it was a stressful time. But, you know, she kept going to the doctor and the doctor was saying, you know, she was like I have short, I'm short of breath, and he told her it was anxiety. Yeah, and had you know, had it been caught sooner? You know, things may have been a lot different, but by the time, you know, we insisted on more tests and found out, my mother was already at stage four, you know, and the cancer had gone to her brain and her bones. Right, so it is so important you know. Anything, any lump, anything you're feeling, that's not right. Make a point, yeah, Don't wait.
Speaker 1:Don't wait till after the holidays and if you, still don't feel right, go see another doctor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like you said, you do have to be an advocate for yourself. That's going to wrap up this week's episode. Remember, if you want to follow Central on Instagram, her handle is design central project. You can also see it down below in the show notes. I know she would love encouraging messages. If you want to send her a little message to brighten her day, I know she would certainly appreciate that. Remember to leave us a review wherever you're listening to your podcast.
Speaker 1:It helps us get noticed and you know there's some kind of ranking something system just give us a five star review, even if you don't, even if we don't deserve it, just give us a five star review and leave us a good comment. It helps somehow along the way. So we certainly appreciate you being here. We are going to head out over to the warehouse and we are going to be packing some.
Speaker 3:Get to work.
Speaker 1:Getting those. We are going to be spreading that holiday cheer, getting those boxes right out the door. So we're going over there to work on that and we will see you next time.
Speaker 3:Thanks guys.
Speaker 1:Bye.
Speaker 2:Hi