Join me as I talk with Risa about her diagnosis with Acromegaly (A rare benign cancer). Learn about Risa's Symptoms and how she deals with her condition on a day to day basis. Risa decided shortly after having surgery to go on a 1845 mile bike ride from Colorado to Mexico despite her doctors advising against it. You can read more about her story in her book The Road Unpaved: Border to Border with a Brain Tumor and a Bike available on Amazon. Her book is being turned into a movie. Use the link below to order your copy. Please consider subscribing to both this podcast and my YouTube channel Rare Chef. Follow us on Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter) and join our Facebook Group.
Chapter Markers
0:00:00 Intro
0:04:10 Diagnosis story
0:09:23 MRI Image Pituitary Gland
0:11:54 Acromegaly explained
0:14:31 Missed Signs
0:18:45 How the Acromegaly diagnosis changed Risa's outlook on life
0:20:51 treatments and navigating the healthcare system
0:23:53 How the brain tumor affected Risa's daily life Physically and emotionally
:25:42 Why Risa thinks Acromegaly might be more comon than we think
0:28:26 What more doctors should know about diagnosing and treating Acromegaly
0:30:36 Average life expectancy
0:31:26 Advice to undiagnosed
0:33:14 Risa;s biggest challenges in advocating for herself
0:36:31 How Risa's diagnosis changed her approach to life
0:39:58 Favorite travel spot
0:40:59 Misconceptions
0:46:47 balancing act
0:49:07 inspiration for Risa's book The Road Unpaved:
0:52:14 Whar Risa hope's people take away from her story
0:54:21 What's Next
0:56:40 Advice for other facing life altering diagnoses
1:00:23 Risa's advice to herself
1:011;44 conclusion
