[00:00:00] Adam Walker: From Susan G Komen, this is Real Pink, A podcast exploring real stories, struggles, and triumphs related to breast cancer. We’re taking the conversation from the doctor’s office to your living room.
[00:00:17] There’s no way around it, breast cancer is hard, but our guest today will tell you, trying to remain upbeat throughout treatment can have a positive impact on your life. Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks brings a unique perspective. She was adopted so she doesn’t know her biological family’s health history, leaving her to navigate two cancer diagnosis.
[00:00:39] Without the insights many of us rely on to understand risk. However, despite these unknowns, when she found a lump, she stayed at ease, started treatment right away, surrounded herself with people who were loving and supportive, and made a deep commitment to keeping a positive attitude. She’s here today to share her inspiring story with us.
[00:00:58] Amy Elizabeth, welcome to the show.
[00:01:01] Thank you so much.
[00:01:02] Well, I love. Positivity. I like the vibe that you’ve got going on. We’ve already been talking about your happy artwork behind you which maybe listeners can’t see so much, but maybe watching the video can. But let’s start with you.
[00:01:17] I understand before your breast cancer diagnosis, you were already familiar with cancer. So tell me what you and your father had already been.
[00:01:25] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: So in 98, sorry, I have to say for the newbies out there for the younger generation was 1998.
[00:01:33] Adam Walker: Back in the 19 hundreds.
[00:01:35] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: I know, my goodness. So here we’re but no he was diagnosed with cancer called
[00:01:43] carcinoid cancer. And it was a very rare form of cancer at the time. There was no hope. They said, pack your bags, say your goodbyes. And it’s end of the line. But he fought, he with a very positive attitude. He loved, and he loved hard. Everyone around him, he showed joy patience, and just exuded this light and love to others.
[00:02:12] It was just amazing. And I just, I have so much appreciation for that as I reflect back to that time in my life as a teenager and young adult. He survived six years post diagnosis because I truly believe his positive attitude brought forth just a will to live. And that’s, I feel like that’s kind of what it’s about.
[00:02:38] Yeah. He really did his research. And I will say by the end of his treatment and everything he had gone through and he had passed away. They doctors sought his, sought out my brother actually to receive his medical Jo journals to help others who had personal cancer, so.
[00:03:00] Adam Walker: Well, he sounds amazing.
[00:03:02] Thank you. Yeah, he really was. So, so now let’s talk about you. Okay. You found a lump. I did. What was your experience like when you were diagnosed?
[00:03:14] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: I, because I had cervical cancer in 2020 I, that, that was more of a bumpy emotional rollercoaster, psychological gymnastics and things like that, navigating it.
[00:03:29] So for breast cancer, it was more of a, okay, it’s my second rodeo. Let’s do this. Let’s make it happen. Yeah. So it wasn’t. It’s not that it wasn’t a surprise, but it didn’t scare me at the same time.
[00:03:46] Adam Walker: Oh, okay. So you were ready for it, is what you’re saying.
[00:03:49] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Yeah. I was down for the ride.
[00:03:50] Adam Walker: You were down for the ride.
[00:03:52] That’s such a great way to phrase it. Okay. Okay. Now I mentioned this in the intro. We often talk about the importance of knowing family history to understanding risk, and of course, like I mentioned, you, you were adopted, so you don’t know that biological history. And I’m curious like.
[00:04:11] I want to say this too. I have an adopted son and so I’m keenly aware that when we go to doctor’s appointments and they ask family history and we just deer in the headlights I, we have no idea and we have to kind of express that over and over again. And so, like what was that like for you?
[00:04:29] Did that bring extra anxiety for you? I mean what was, just walk us through that experience, I guess is what I’m trying to say.
[00:04:37] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: By not knowing my adoptive family history?
[00:04:40] Adam Walker: Yeah. And what that was like navigating the breast cancer landscape when knowing family history is such a key part of that.
[00:04:48] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: I think I just didn’t worry about it because it was my mentality anyways, is that it’s out of my hands, it’s out of my control. Right. And so what case or s or whatever we will be. Yeah. Yeah. I’m like, if my family has a history of cancer, breast cancer, whatever the situation may be. I mean, here I am and this is what my journey is.
[00:05:15] Adam Walker: That’s a very stoic philosophy sort of mentality you’ve got going there. It’s like, I’m going to worry about the things that I can control. Everything else is I can’t worry about. Right. That’s a, like, that’s, that is stoicism in a nutshell. Right? Well done. That was great. I like that. I’m a, I read a lot of stoic philosophies.
[00:05:33] I very much appreciate that. So okay, so then it, going back to sort of this family history concept, I mean, at what point did your doctors recommend genetic testing? And did you do that?
[00:05:45] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Right away. Okay. They did. And I have the BRCA gene.
[00:05:48] Adam Walker: So, so you have the BRCA gene now that moving forward.
[00:05:53] Were there any other, like was there any o were there the other nuances for you around genetic testing? Like any ahas or any kind of experiences there?
[00:06:01] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: No. Okay. Just kind of went through the process from finding out. Okay. Moving forward. Yeah.
[00:06:07] Adam Walker: Alright. So, so now to sort of, I think, get to the topic at hand, which is that breast cancer.
[00:06:15] And you’ve been through two types of cancer. So, so cancer is not easy, and yet you maintained kind of this positive attitude. So I guess, I guess what I’m asking is like, what helped you the most to get through that, to get through your toughest days?
[00:06:31] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: I had a very positive support system. And through my church family, through my bar community.
[00:06:41] I’m not a heavy drinker or anything like that, but I love to socialize and I just just found this whole network of people that were so wonderful and loving and caring. So the Nate’s bar here in Budda just really rallied and it was just awesome. And then my church family really came together for us too, and just combined was this.
[00:07:08] Awesome sense of community in, in the situation of having breast cancer. My husband was a huge part of my journey and encouraging me, loving me through it. But also I actually some friends of mine gave me a full blood German Shepherd from Germany. He has had a passport and he was my, he was my ride or die.
[00:07:39] Wow. He was on my worst days he was there, I would literally be laying on the couch. He’d be right by my side. And normally when a animal or pet comes to your home, there’s a transition period. There was no transition.
[00:07:55] He was just in it to win it. And he was like, I’m here for you. I love you.
[00:08:00] He was just the sweetest thing. He’d follow me everywhere, wow.
[00:08:06] Yeah. And that included the bathroom. Yeah. Wow.
[00:08:08] Adam Walker: Yeah.
[00:08:08] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: So just everywhere.
[00:08:09] Adam Walker: Yeah.
[00:08:10] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: He was, he, but he was so sweet and he and animals never ask for anything in return. I know that. But he was so giving and loving and it was just, he just part of my healing process.
[00:08:24] Adam Walker: That’s beautiful. Now I ask that question a lot. About supports and I always hear family and I hear faith communities, you’re the first one that said bar. And I gotta say, I really love that because like what that says to me is that you can find supportive communities in all kinds of places.
[00:08:43] Oh, absolutely. If just look and like, there’s just something really beautiful about that.
[00:08:47] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Yeah. So Nate’s cocktails and coffee here, or Coffee and cocktails here in Budda I met all these wonderful people. They all rallied and I have a huge heart for singing. I mean, when I was adopted at 15 months, I’ll tell you what, I was on the heart singing my heart out.
[00:09:05] Nobody knew what I was saying. It was just a bunch of, like nobody knew what I was saying. But that just, my dad was a singer. He led worship in church and I solos, things like that. Growing up, doing that. So as I got older and realized that I can do karaoke, that’s where things really turned around.
[00:09:27] Adam Walker: Okay. Okay. So this is a, this is not just a bar, it’s a karaoke bar, which is that’s next level. Is that..
[00:09:32] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: No. This is a mingling bar. Okay. More of craft pocket, things like that. Okay. But I met my good friends there.
[00:09:40] Adam Walker: Got it. Got it.
[00:09:41] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: So they were so kind and would go support me.
[00:09:44] When I would go around town singing karaoke and I was a part of a karaoke competition in town and everybody was there. It was so amazing.
[00:09:52] Adam Walker: That’s amazing.
[00:09:53] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: I love, and I won.
[00:09:54] Adam Walker: I love Oh, you won. I did. I love the concept of finding community in unique places. Absolutely. I think there’s just something really beautiful about that.
[00:10:01] So so going back to your support team for a minute. Do you have any advice on how people that want to support someone with a breast cancer diagnosis can best do that?
[00:10:12] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Absolutely. So I feel like people ask questions or tell people, this is the worst thing that you can do is say, I have a family member, I have a loved one or a friend who battled breast cancer and they didn’t make it.
[00:10:28] It’s like cool.
[00:10:28] Adam Walker: Yeah. Yeah. I, that, that’s a common response to people that have breast cancer and I don’t understand that. Why would you ever tell them that? I, you like tell ’em the other story. I have a family friend that battled it in one and they’re doing amazing.
[00:10:41] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Yeah, that’s fine.
[00:10:42] Adam Walker: But don’t share the other one.
[00:10:44] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: That’s, yeah.
[00:10:45] That’s hard. Pass on that one.
[00:10:46] Adam Walker: Yeah, no, I totally agree. Any other advice come to mind?
[00:10:50] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Yeah, just. Be that positive light in their life. When they’re having a down day just say, Hey, you want to grab coffee? Do you want to go somewhere that makes you happy? Whatever that may be. Hey, let’s, I had a friend last night, even I’m going through survivorship, and she’s like, do you want to go do pottery and paint pottery with me and kind of get yourself out of your head space?
[00:11:15] I’m like. Yes, please. That sounds amazing. Like just there is something about art and expressing yourself through art and that sort of thing that I feel like that kind of gets pushed by the wayside. And so when people and friends who are in the supportive network, if they could just do things are out outside of the box, like it really does help because it takes your mind off things you’re not hyper focused on, Hey, I have breast cancer and I’m trying to beat that.
[00:11:50] I’m trying to make it to survivorship. No you’re like, you’re in the moment. You have to live moment by moment, and that’s where it’s at.
[00:12:00] Adam Walker: You mentioned people being a po like positive part of your life. Let’s talk a little bit more about the importance of positivity. Like why do you think that’s important?
[00:12:10] And then how do you stay positive?
[00:12:13] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Honestly I have friends in the medical field and I truly believe that when you remain positive, the cortisol levels in your body are just lessened. And even if you do or don’t have cancer, if your cortisol levels are high, it can cause all sorts of health issues.
[00:12:37] So I, I feel like, in my opinion, I’m not a medical person, but you just have to recognize
[00:12:49] if you have high levels of cortisol you’re doing yourself a huge disservice and you’re causing your body to stress more. And that causes not only anxiety and things like that, which is terrible, but it’ll help you help in the long run. And health wise, big time.
[00:13:10] Adam Walker: Yeah, I’m, I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of it in those terms, but I mean, it makes sense and then I think there, there’s just that value of enjoying the moment as well, right?
[00:13:20] You got, this is the moment you have Yeah. And positivity can help you enjoy this moment right now, right? Absolutely. Yeah. I like that. All right. Last question for you. What advice do you have for someone who has just learned that they have breast cancer?
[00:13:36] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Wow.
[00:13:40] There’s a huge community out there that either has it, has loved ones who have gone through it, that it is scary. It is the unknown, and that’s okay. You have to be with okay, about not being okay, and you’re going to have your moments, you’re going to have your, you’re going to win. Have your wins, and then you’re going to have your, not necessarily losses, but
[00:14:08] your hardships within your diagnosis, things like that whether, what stage it may be. And so I think that when you’re diagnosed it, it is a scary thing and there’s no denying that. Yeah. But I will say that for me, my faith is what really held me together. And I know that I had a different perspective because I truly believe that being healed on this side of heaven is a win.
[00:14:41] Adam Walker: Yeah.
[00:14:42] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: But if I’m healed and I go to be with the Lord, like that’s a double win because I’m fully healed. Like all of this that we experience on this earth is just a tiny sliver of what we’ll experience in all of eternity. Yeah.
[00:14:56] Adam Walker: Well, Amy, Elizabeth I love your perspective. I love the attitude, I love the positivity.
[00:15:01] Love the community that you’ve created. Oh my goodness. All kinds of places. You’re amazing. Thank you so much for joining us on the show today.
[00:15:09] Amy Elizabeth Chalmers Hicks: Absolutely. I appreciate you and I’m honored to be here. Thank you.
[00:15:18] Adam Walker: Thanks for listening to Real Pink, a weekly podcast by Susan G Komen. For more episodes, visit real pink.Komen.org. And for more on breast cancer, visit Komen.org. Make sure to check out at Susan G Komen on social media. I’m your host, Adam. You can find me on Twitter at AJ Walker or on my blog adam j walker.com.