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Test Those Breasts ™️
This podcast by Jamie Vaughn is a deep-dive discussion on a myriad of breast cancer topics, such as early detection, the initial shock of diagnosis, testing/scans, treatment, loss of hair, caregiving, surgery, emotional support, and advocacy.
These episodes will include breast cancer survivors, thrivers, caregivers, surgeons, oncologists, therapists, and other specialists who can speak to many different topics.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and not all information in this podcast comes from qualified health care providers, therefore does not constitute medical advice. For personalized medical advice, you should reach out to one of the qualified healthcare providers interviewed on this podcast and/or seek medical advice from your own providers.
Test Those Breasts ™️
Episode 68: Empathy & Advocacy: Breast Surgeon, Dr. Deepa Halaharvi’s Transformative Breast Cancer Experience
Join us as we welcome Dr. Halaharvi , a fellowship-trained, board-certified breast surgeon who faced her own breast cancer journey just 8 months after completing her fellowship. Her unique perspective of experiencing both sides of the diagnosis has profoundly influenced her approach to patient care. She reflects on her immigrant upbringing, the strong work ethic instilled by her parents, and how her personal battle with cancer reshaped her mission and dedication to the breast cancer community.
Dr. Halaharvi shares her story, emphasizing the importance of listening to one’s body and the critical role of early detection. Her journey in selecting a surgeon underscores the value of compassionate care, effective communication, and second opinions. As a surgeon-turned-patient, she delves into how her personal experience has deepened her empathy and commitment to providing holistic, patient-centered care and maintaining strong patient-doctor relationships.
Discover the latest in breast reconstruction options, tailored for women with high BMIs, smokers, diabetics, and others who might not be suited for traditional methods. Dr. Halaharvi discusses an innovative, one-stage surgery, called the "Goldilocks" method, designed to offer equitable care, especially for Medicaid patients.
Breast Doctor on TikTok
Dr. Halaharvi
The Breast Cancer Podcast on Instagram
Dr. Halaharvi's Website
Dr. Halaharvi on YouTube
Dr. Deepa Halaharvi on Facebook
Dr. Halaharvi's Favorite Resources:
BreastCancer.org
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines
Breast 360 - Engage/Educate/Empower
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I am not a doctor and not all information in this podcast comes from qualified healthcare providers, therefore may not constitute medical advice. For personalized medical advice, you should reach out to one of the qualified healthcare providers interviewed on this podcast and/or seek medical advice from your own providers .
Hello friends, welcome back to the Test those Breasts podcast. I am your host, jamie Vaughn. I'm a retired teacher of 20 years and a breast cancer thriver turned staunch, unapologetic, loud supporter and advocate for others, bringing education and awareness through a myriad of medical experts, therapists, caregivers and other survivors. A breast cancer diagnosis is incredibly overwhelming, with the mounds of information out there, and other survivors A breast cancer diagnosis is incredibly overwhelming, with the mounds of information out there, especially on Dr Google. I get it. I'm not a doctor and I know how important it is to uncover accurate information, which is my ongoing mission through my nonprofit. The podcast includes personal stories and opinions from breast cancer survivors and professional physicians, providing the most up-to-date information. At the time of recording Evidence, research and practices are always changing, so please check the date of the recording and always refer to your medical professionals for the most up-to-date information. I hope you find this podcast a source of inspiration and support from my guests. Their contact information is in the show notes, so please feel free to reach out to them. We have an enormous breast cancer community ready to support you in so many ways. Now let's listen to the next episode of Test those Breasts. Hey friends, welcome back to this episode of Test those Breasts. I am your host, jamie Vaughn, and today I am so thrilled and excited to have my guest, dr Deepa Halaharvi, on my show. Dr Halaharvi is a fellowship-trained, board-certified breast surgeon and breast cancer survivor. She graduated from Kansas City University in 2008 and went on to complete her general surgery residency in 2013 at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, ohio. Dedicated to being a lifelong learner, dr Haller-Harvey continued to master her skills by focusing on breast surgical oncology through a fellowship program in 2014. Through a fellowship program in 2014. Only eight months after completing her fellowship, dr Halle Harvey learned firsthand what it feels like to hear those words you have breast cancer. Despite the different forms of crises, setbacks and illnesses, dr Halle Harvey realized she had the courage and resiliency to keep going, using her voice and experience to help her patients. Now, having seen both sides, as a breast cancer surgeon and breast cancer patient, dr Halle Harvey has gained a unique insight and perspective into what it is like to face breast cancer. She has since started the Breast Cancer Podcast, a YouTube channel and social media outlets to help educate others about body awareness and managing a breast cancer diagnosis. Dr Halle Harvey continues to challenge herself and others in learning new skills in order to achieve better outcomes and improve the patient experience.
Speaker 1:And before I bring Dr Hala Harvey on the show, I'd like to clear up one part of our interview when we are discussing the Goldilocks procedure. Dr Hala Harvey is incredibly good at communicating with her patients. She calls them the very next day to make sure everything is going well after their surgeries. In this episode, she mentions calling her patients the night before as well as the day after. To be clear, she calls her patients the night before surgery only for the Goldilocks procedure, because it is a longer, more complicated surgery. If you have any questions about that, be sure to connect with Dr Hala Harvey. Her contact information is in the show notes. So welcome, dr Hala Harvey. How are you?
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, jamie, for having me on your show. It's such an honor and I've listened to your podcast and your inspiration to this community and to everyone out there listening to this podcast, and so thank you so much for taking the time to have me on your show. I'm doing great. How are you doing?
Speaker 1:today I'm doing great. You and I've been talking for a little while now. I've found you on social media and I've been following you and, as my audience knows, I'm always on the lookout for excellent surgeons across the country. I look for oncological surgeons, I look for plastic surgeons who are microsurgeons and also, you know, a fellowship trained, and I've just really found your content very fascinating, very informational and valuable to the breast cancer community. So thank you. So one of the things that drew me to you at first was that not only are you an excellent surgeon, have very good reputation, but you also had breast cancer. What I think it was like eight months after you became a surgeon. And I'd like to start with helping our audience understand who Deepa Halaharvi was before your breast cancer diagnosis.
Speaker 2:You know that's such a great question and I do so many interviews and I've been on my podcast now for a few years now. No one has ever asked me that question. I know who I am now after the breast cancer diagnosis, but before the breast cancer diagnosis, but before the breast cancer diagnosis, I think, thinking about it, I was probably a spectator in my own life and I was a good surgeon. I was a good doctor, good mom, good wife, all those things. But I think I was just, you know, living my life day after day, just going to work, coming home. I was wanting to take good care of my patients and all of that.
Speaker 2:Growing up, we migrated to the United States when I was 16. And growing up as immigrants, my parents emphasized this hard work, ethic and be the best. You know that you can be in whatever field you're in. So if you're going to be washing bathrooms, be good at it. That's what my dad would always say. So when I finished my training, my prayer was how could I be the best breast surgeon? And I really will say eight months after that prayer, the answer came in form of my own breast cancer diagnosis. And you never think that, as you're diagnosed with cancer. As someone who's diagnosed with cancer, you would know you never think it's a gift or a prayer answer prayer. You just think, oh my gosh, I just finished this 10, 15 years of training after high school and put my life on hold and holding my breath to now enjoy my life and now I get hit with diagnosis and you know I wasn't expecting that. But I think it really answered prayer.
Speaker 2:I was a good person, but more of a people pleaser still I am to some extent. I'm getting better, working on it every day. I was very goal-oriented person. I was very focused on the goal, not so much the journey, so it's more the destination I was focused on. I don't think I really took care of myself physically, emotionally, spiritually. I didn't spend that much time other than my immediate family because I didn't have time. I was in training, taking care of my father who had a stroke, and so I didn't really have much time to spend with close family and friends other than my own kids and my husband, so I really wasn't spending in quality relationships. So I was not who I am today.
Speaker 1:I'm a little bit different than that today, so yeah, it seems like that and I get a lot of responses very similar in that people before breast cancer really weren't thinking first of all, it wasn't even on their radar about breast cancer.
Speaker 1:I mean you had been dealing with people, but it's not even on your radar. It's the last thing that you think is going to happen to you, because it happens to everybody else, right? So, but also, it's very common for people to say things like I never took care of myself, I always took care of everybody else. I didn't even know what it looked like to take care of my own mental health, and that's kind of where I was. In a sense, I knew a lot about breast cancer because I had friends who had breast cancer. I've talked to people and I knew in the back of my mind that I could possibly have breast cancer someday, because I've had two lumpectomies. I had very dense breasts, like a lot of people do, but it was still this little thing in the back of my mind that happens to someone else, right? And I was working really hard too.
Speaker 1:What was your diagnosis? Walk us through what the diagnosis was, what your treatments were like.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So just to kind of go back in my life. So after we married in the United States, I was going through undergrad, actually got married in undergrad, I was getting ready to apply to medical school, had just finished pre-med and my dad had a meningioma, my brain tumor. During surgery to remove the brain tumor, he had a huge hemorrhagic stroke and he became quadriplegic and my mom and I and my brothers took care of him for several years 16 years and so I was very focused on that. I was focused on my husband and kids and the school, and that was it. So as after I finished my training, you know, my prayer was how could I be breast surgeon? Then I was, and I really was not taking. I actually was not.
Speaker 2:I had turned 40, did not get a mammogram. I was so busy with my life, really wasn't taking care of myself, I was not practicing what I'm preaching it's very different today, by the way and so I was on a spring break with my kids. You know, my father had just passed away, just a few months before my diagnosis. He was in my dream and I was telling him Dad, my right side of my chest hurts and he said you need a stat mammogram. He's an engineer. By training he was not in medicine. I woke up and he's like in my dream, I'm going to call you an ambulance, you need to get a stat mammogram. So I woke up next day and I'm like okay, I'm due for a mammogram, I need to go get a mammogram. And then when I got my screening mammogram, there was a mass in my right breast. Oh, my goodness, the biopsy results that in breast cancer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, it's almost like it's not true until it's true, right, wow, thank you dad.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Yes, thank you, dad and mom, and yeah, they've been lifesavers. I took care of them, but they've been taking care of me, you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, that's a great story. Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, thank you. And it was an early stage cancer, stage one, invasive ductal carcinoma. I also, you know dense breast tissue hard to see cancer in the dense breast tissue Stage. One personal decision for me was a double mastectomy with reconstruction. Only because I was early in my career, I was focused on my job, I didn't want to worry about radiation and other things, so that was the best choice for me. That doesn't mean it's the best choice for everyone. For my life, where I was in my life at that point that's what I wanted.
Speaker 2:So I did have a double mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction. And of course you know you're young and healthy, you don't have diabetes, you're not obese, I never smoked, barely ever drank, don't have risk factors. Two weeks later I developed infection in the tissue expanders and those had to come out, okay, and I kept having abscesses on my chest. So for a whole year I developed infections on my chest for different reasons and I didn't have anything. I just wore prosthesis for a whole year and anything. I just wore prosthesis for a whole year and a year later I went and had a deep flap reconstruction. So did not have to get chemo, but I did take tamoxifen for several years.
Speaker 1:And no radiation or anything like that, so you caught it real early. Good for you.
Speaker 2:No radiation needed.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I don't know.
Speaker 2:if you know I was one of those lucky people.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, you listened to your body and your dad, of course, and that's one of the. I don't know if you know the background. One of the reasons I named my podcast Test those Breasts is because I am so focused on reaching people who've never even had breast cancer, because I was one of those people who I do listen to my body. I've always listened to my body. That's why I went in. But Test those Breasts.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to get people to really pay attention to the signs and, regardless of whether it's visual signs, whether you're feeling it, whether your mom or dad or somebody is telling you in your dream, I don't care what intuition, I don't care what it is. If you feel something's, you know you need to make sure you go in. So, just, I love the fact that you got to catch it so early. I am curious did you know right away when you had your surgery, which surgeon you were going to go to? I mean, I know that some people struggle with which surgeons should I go to? What questions should I ask? How do I know that this isn't you know what?
Speaker 2:I mean, how did you?
Speaker 1:know yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the surgeon I chose obviously was the guy who trained me in my fellowship, so he was my program director in my fellowship. I just saw the kind of care he took care of patients, his bedside manner, his skill in the OR. And the plastic surgeons are also the surgeons who kind of helped train me in my fellowship as well. No-transcript. Are they explaining everything to you? Are they showing you the images? Are they talking to you about your pathology? Are they talking to you about your staging of your cancer? Are they giving you more than one option there's a number of options with cancer diagnosis and are you being involved in the decision-making process? Are they empathetic? Are they compassionate, are they kind? And you have to feel connected with your surgeon and I think that's really important and it's okay to get a second opinion, and these are the things I tell my patients as well, I love that, your latest podcast episode.
Speaker 1:You were on there with your surgical partner. You worked together. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, and he's the one who operated on me.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay. Well, I was just going to ask you that because he also had some really great things to say about, first of all, holistic care, but also talking with your patient and getting to know them and what their desires are, and making sure that you are educating them the pros and cons for whatever they are deciding to do, whether it be implant-based reconstruction or autologous type surgeries. And so great. It sounds like you went to the best person you could possibly go to. So you were diagnosed eight months after you became a breast surgeon, right. So it wasn't a lot of time, right. But how did that change to the trajectory of how you communicated and felt about your patients? Because you had been dealing with people who had had breast cancer, but you never knew what it was like. Knowing what it was like at that point, how did that work out?
Speaker 2:Yeah, walking in someone's shoes who's gone through the same thing. It hits home every time you have to tell a patient that they have breast cancer and initially I really did struggle telling women that you have cancer. I would re-experience my own diagnosis, all the emotions I felt, and I had to really train myself and educate myself that I'm here giving this news to this person but I also get to help them. I get to help them from this dark place to light. I get to be part of their journey. So I had to reframe the dialogue in my own head and once my patients are diagnosed with breast cancer, they become my family.
Speaker 2:My relationship with my patients, I think and I hope they think too is very different in a sense. I call them every time, any time of the day or night. Not to say I'm not putting boundaries, I mean I still take care of myself and everything. I don't ever feel like it's invading my privacy or anything like that. I give them my cell phone number. They can reach me anytime, calling your doctor's office and no one answering or not getting a call back till the next day or the day after.
Speaker 2:It's really hard on patients to wait. The waiting is the hardest part of diagnosis. I know that and so, like just yesterday, I performed a mastectomy. Today I texted her, asked her how she was doing. I think that's not something other physicians do, other surgeons do, but I do check in on them. I call them the night before the surgery, I call them the day after. I just want to make sure that if there is anything that I can do to help to make this journey easier, I want to be part of it and, having gone through it, I just have the empathy factor. I think a lot more. And not that you have to get cancer to be a good doctor, I'm not saying that at all. But it definitely is very much different being in those shoes of being told that you have cancer. It changes you to the core.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and just to add to that, you don't have to have cancer to be an empathetic person. Yes, yes, no, you don't. My surgeon that I ended up getting my deep flap surgery from Dr Cabling at Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and he had to be the one of the most kind people I'd ever met. He gave me his phone number the day before I went into surgery because some of the things that I had thought was going to happen sort of changed a little bit and he had a way of listening to me and asking me what I wanted and what the outcome that I wanted. And he actually said look, I want you to go and have yourself a nice dinner with your husband. Here's my phone number.
Speaker 1:I think he even grabbed my phone and just put his phone number in there for me and he says if there's anything that you want to talk about, if you're freaking out about what our plan is for tomorrow, anything, I don't care. He says, just call me, text me, whatever it is. And even to this day, if I have a question and I've had surgery with him twice even to this day I have his phone number. If I have a question that I don't know the answer to like if somebody asks me, I feel comfortable sending him a text message and asking him. He gets back to me right away. I mean, I don't text him all the time or anything.
Speaker 2:So I know that people have to have boundaries and things like that.
Speaker 1:But I just feel that more and more doctors are kind of being encouraged to have that empathy bone in their body. You know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So did you get your deep flap in Ohio?
Speaker 2:Yes, In Columbus Ohio.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Okay, it's called Midwest plastic surgery, midwest aesthetic and plastic surgery. That's the group that we used, yeah.
Speaker 1:And you would clearly highly recommend them.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, oh yeah, they're really good. There's three surgeons in that practice and they're really good.
Speaker 1:Oh well, we need to talk then, because again, I'm trying to find all of the good, the excellent plastic surgeons out there, and I assume they are also microsurgeons. They are microsurgeons.
Speaker 2:That is correct.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome. Well, we'll be talking about that later then. Yes, on your podcast that I just listened to and you and I talked about this before, there is a surgical option. It's called the Goldilocks surgery. Can you explain what that is?
Speaker 2:Yes, Goldilocks mastectomy is a mastectomy that's performed in women. The most ideal candidates are those patients who have really large, droopy breasts, and this is an option for women who don't want traditional reconstruction with implants or reconstruction using their own belly tissue or body tissue to create a breast mound. So what we do is we remove the breast, just like we do with any type of mastectomy, whether it's skin sparing or nipple sparing and we use their skin to create a breast mound so they don't have a foreign material in there, it's just their own skin. We remove the outer skin and we use the dermis to roll it up as a burrito on the inside. So when they wake up they look like they had breast reduction and we are able to preserve the nipples.
Speaker 2:It really looks like breast reduction and we've just been doing a number of them, and I do this with my partner, dr Mark Kripe, who's also a breast surgical oncologist. Typically across the country it's done with a plastic surgeon, but we have been perfecting this procedure by ourselves, where it cuts down time and anesthesia is working together, and this has been a great resource for those women who are BMIs over 37. They're traditionally not a good candidate for reconstruction using implant-based reconstruction or even autologous reconstruction. This is also a great procedure for those women who are smokers, obese, diabetic, have other medical problems and don't want a traditional reconstruction. But they want to look like they have a breast mount and on clothing or without clothing. If you look in the mirror, they just think they just had breast reduction.
Speaker 1:Right. So there are a lot of people who go to surgeons and they have consults with them and they're told hey, you need to lose weight or you need to gain weight or whatever All these things, that they aren't a candidate for this or a candidate for that. This is a good option to look into.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so one of the reasons that we got this procedure back into Columbus Ohio is we really don't have plastic surgeons who take Medicaid or for patients who don't have insurance. So it bothers me if you're not providing equitable care to patients. So that's always been my thing, that I fight for, and that's one of the reasons of the podcast is I want to provide the same care across board. I don't even want to look at the insurance, but we have private practice plastic surgeons who don't take Medicaid and so we had to come up with an option to provide for these patients. So that was one of the main reasons I brought it back from California.
Speaker 2:It has been really great for those patients who don't want implants. You know they don't want to worry about infection, things like that, but they don't want to have a large surgery or long surgery such as deep flap. So this has been a great option for them. And it's a one-stage procedure. That's the great thing about it. There is not too many revisions or anything like that, unless there's infection or bleeding, which is extremely rare that happens, but most of the time it's one-stage procedure and it comes from that Goldilocks the fairy tale that Goldilocks gets lost in the forest, you know, drinks the hot porridge, cold porridge, but you know it's know, so just right. Procedure is like she finds just right comfortable bed, you know, just right porridge, so it's the just right procedure. And also it does not burn any bridges. If they do want reconstruction down the road, whether it's in plant-based reconstruction or autologous using the deep flap, so yeah, you're not burning any bridges. Say you wake up and you're not happy with the size you are, you can definitely get reconstruction down the road.
Speaker 1:So oh, that's very good news. So do you have a lot of people come in from other states?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Now I'm having people come from states around Ohio. Yes, Because of the podcast, I have people from different states, you know, reaching out to me and asking for a consultation.
Speaker 1:So so let's get into your podcast, your podcast, I'm assuming that part of that too. I don't know what kind of work that you do. If you do any kind of like, are you an activist? Are you a lot? I mean, do you connect with the government to make create changes? Does that play into your life?
Speaker 2:right now I work 12, 14 hours a day doing what I do with my job, and you know I take care of patients. I also teach the residents and the fellows, and then my number three focus goes on my podcast and community education. I haven't really had the time yet. That's definitely on my list of things to do. I consider myself a patient advocate besides being a breast surgical oncologist, and so the reason the podcast came about is during COVID.
Speaker 2:I was doing all this virtual lecture series with Ohio Health, where I work right now, and I thought, gosh, this is such a great opportunity for patients to get information Prior to COVID. I would go into churches and mosques and different organizations to talk about screening guidelines, breast exams, and I'm just very passionate about educating. I think my job as a doctor means teacher, a physician means a teacher, so whether you're teaching your residents or fellows or community, and so when I have a discussion with my patients, I spend about an hour going through the images, the pathology, the staging, the treatment options. It's overwhelming for people to listen to so much information, so I wanted to create a platform where they can go and listen to everything that I just told them. So that's how the podcast came about for my people, for my patients locally in Columbus Ohio. Never in a million years I thought this would be 115 countries and it's downloaded like worldwide, and so that was kind of a surprise to me, and I think a lot of the different topics I have on the podcast are very relevant to people, regardless of where they are in our nation or outside our country. So it has been very fulfilling.
Speaker 2:I don't get paid for it. Initially I paid someone to edit and post it. Now my husband has been doing that. So I don't get any kind of monetary benefit from it. I do spend a lot of hours but I get so much gratification from contributing to the community and to educating the community and now the world, which I never in a million years I thought that I would do that. But I also get a lot of opportunities from different companies, you know wanting to be a patient advocate in their groups, so that has been a really great and I do think my job is to serve, you know, serve my patients, serve the staff, serve my family, serve the world, and so this has been a great avenue to do that.
Speaker 1:That's great. I feel like you and I have a lot in common as far as our feelings go about having the podcast. Mine just started a little over a year ago and that was the one year anniversary of my diagnosis. So I've only been podcasting for this particular one for a little over a year, releasing every single week, and I originally started it because after I was deemed disease free, I was in my very first year of retirement. I don't know if you caught that from any of my episodes, but I had retired from our school district here. I taught social studies. That's why I like your map in the background. I was a social studies teacher for 20 years. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:And my husband had had retired the year before I retired. I was sliding into retirement, had a huge retirement party and literally one week later I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So I spent my first year of retirement doing that. After I was disease-free, I just felt like, oh my God, what am I going to do? Who am I? I don't even know who I am so.
Speaker 1:I decided that I wanted to give back to the breast cancer community as well and I already knew how to podcast because I had an education podcast before retirement. I also do not make money from my podcast. It's all been self-funded. However, it was encouraged that I make a nonprofit out of it, which I did, and it is brand new. I have the test those breasts website, where not only donations will help with fun, because we know how much it costs to run a podcast If you're hiring people to edit and advertise and all the things and all the platforms. But I also envision taking that excess money at some point when I have it and donating it to a patient that needs it, so they would apply for it on my website. My board members would be the ones who would decide where the funds would go. That's my vision and so that's my part of giving back to the breast cancer community and seeking out amazing people like you and other survivors and caregivers and I mean that's who I interview. So and again, I'm not a doctor.
Speaker 1:My comments that I make on my podcast are my opinion based on my experience, and also bringing actual professionals to the platform to be able to help people. Also making sure that people know that things change, science changes, we evolve so I always try to encourage people to make sure that they are looking at the date of recording and to consult their medical professionals at the time that's needed. So I love your podcast. I think I've looked through I mean there's a lot for me to get through but so far what I've heard I find that it is very fascinating. I will definitely have a link in the show notes where people can find your podcast, along with all of your social media links.
Speaker 1:And you have such an amazing presence and I appreciate and I know that so many people appreciate your giving your time and effort and expertise to help shorten the learning curve, if you will, for breast cancer patients and even for people you know what to look for before they ever even get breast cancer, Because, let's face it, there are so many people who are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, week, you know, and so we need that information out there to help put it on people's radar as to what to look for. I always ask this question because I think it's very fascinating what people say. I want to know if you have any big piece of advice for people who have never even been diagnosed with breast cancer. And again, I've interviewed people who are in their early thirties, maybe brand new moms, who got breast cancer there. They were blown away because they weren't even thinking about it, and I'm just so on a mission to get good information out to them. What kind of advice do you have?
Speaker 2:Yeah, unfortunately, I've been diagnosing a lot of young women myself, and just pregnant women just this past week, and it is really heartbreaking to see all these young women who should be thinking about having babies, having fun, getting married, dating, and now this gets thrown into their lives. It's really sad. So what do I want to tell someone who's not been diagnosed with breast cancer? I want to say be your own advocate. You know it's really important to know your body and do your monthly breast exams. You know, find out your family history. That's a big thing. You may be at high risk for breast cancer and you could be getting an MRI in addition to a mammogram and ultrasound. And if you don't know your family history, you'll never be able to know that. So, know your body, find out how to do a breast exam, talk to your doctors, your providers, and be your own health advocate, whether it's not just breast. With everything in life like you want to be your own advocate, and one thing for sure in life is life does throw curveballs right. That's just a given. I think. As we're getting older, we find out like life goes ups and downs and ups and downs, and we're going to face challenges and setbacks, but it's important to remain optimistic and I do see patients who are very optimistic and positive do so well, as they're going through journey and it's not something that happens overnight. It takes time to get there, but to have a good attitude really helps in circumstances such as cancer and also just because you have had cancer. It's just part of it, it's just a chapter. It's not your life, and things do get better, as in my own life.
Speaker 2:You know you asked me who were you before your diagnosis.
Speaker 2:I can tell you who I am now and I am someone I found my calling, my purpose, I love to serve, I listen to my inner intuition and I look at this world through a different lens and it's really given me such a great appreciation for life and I want to leave a legacy and do things like this. It's just so meaningful to me and just help people around. You know, not just my community, but around the nation and around the world, and I appreciate what you're doing, jamie, and you know and you keep saying you're not a medical person, but the amount of impact you're making in this world is so profound, that is so beneficial and so useful to people and that's going to help so many people, so not everyone will even tell you how much what you're doing means to them. But this is really great. How much what you're doing means to them, but this is really great. You're giving them the tools, you're giving them the permission to learn and to grow, and they can just do it in their home.
Speaker 1:So this is really great Thank you for all you're doing. Thank you for saying that. That means a lot to me and you are leaving a legacy and I love the fact that you are so passionate about helping people and also providing an option for people who may not be able to get other kinds of. You know, reconstruction with that Goldilocks and I definitely will be putting your contact information in the show notes as well if anybody wants to reach out to you, and I just wish you continued success in supporting our community and I appreciate it and I know my audience will appreciate it. Is there anything else you'd like to say before we disconnect?
Speaker 2:No, thank you for having me here and again. You just be your own advocate. I think that's like the biggest message. And continue to keep learning and live your best life. And we get one life, so we got to make the most of it.
Speaker 1:So yes, we do All right. Well, dr Halaharvey, thank you so much. I appreciate your being here. Keep up the good work, and I will be continuing to watch you on your social media, and we have each other's phone number, so if I ever have any questions, or you do, or whatever, please reach out. I love collaborating with different people and I'm glad that you're in my circle.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Let me know how I can help you too in the future, if you ever made it.
Speaker 1:All right, awesome and to my audience. Thank you again for joining us on this episode of Test those Breasts and, as always, please go to the platform. Go to your favorite platform and rate and review the show. Dr Halahavri can attest to this. It really does help make sure that it's spreading throughout the whole world and I would love to see your reviews. So thank you very much and we will see you next time on the next episode of test those breasts. Bye for now, friends.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for listening to this episode of test those breasts. I hope you got some great much needed information that will help you with your journey. As always, I am open to guests to add value to my show, and I'm also open to being a guest on other podcasts where I can add value. So please reach out if you'd like to collaborate. My contact information is in the show notes and, as a reminder, rating, reviewing and sharing this podcast will truly help build a bigger audience all over the world. I thank you for your efforts. I look forward to sharing my next episode of Test those Breasts.
