Karla Mans Giroux is a cancer thriver living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Karla was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. Eleven years later, a metastatic cancer challenge arose. With a goal to live to be 100+, this did not align, and so she began to manage the hell out of this challenge.
- 01:13: Can you take us back to that first journey with breast cancer?
- 03:00: I had a head-shaving party.
- 05:10: I felt the lump on my own and I thought oh this isn't right.
- 06:57: I went for a free flap reconstruction.
- 09:09: What is one of your theories and what did you change?
- 12:02: What changes those cancer cells from being able to grow and not die off in the way that they're supposed to?
- 13:23: Eleven years later it came back.
- 15:24: There was something suspicious on my spine.
- 17:20: You've got a history of breast cancer and now we see it in the bone.
- 19:21: They never actually got a clean biopsy.
- 21:12: I kept at my lifestyle changes and continue to look at whatever toxins in my life I can control.
- 23:23: I did it because it was the right thing to do, but I stepped up my game.
- 25:09: All those classes are always constantly preparing you for some performance.
- 27:08: What was your worst moment?
- 29:27: The worst [moment] was the metastatic diagnosis and just the fear that came up from that diagnosis and not understanding what that meant.
- 31:47: What was your best moment?
- 33:10: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?
- 34:57: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
- 36:54: Are you ready for the Thriver Rapid Fire questions?
- 40:32: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?
- 43:02: I have found that an integrative approach that [with] conventional meds and these lifestyle changes can make the world of difference for people.
Resources
About the sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Side Effect Support, an online resource for cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to reduce harmful oral side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
