Facing Pancreatic Cancer: How Early Detection and Self-Advocacy Changed Everything

WELCOME TO EPISODE 235

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

0:00
So May of last year, Friday night, maybe 7730, wife comes in the bathroom, I'm on the floor like writhing in pain, sweating through my T-shirt and I just thought it was just indigestion.
I was just like give me some Pepto it'll be fine.
0:16
I had some bad food whatever.
She was like no no, no, we're going to go to the ER OK cool.
Go to the ER Think it's my appendix.
It's not.
And again, luckily since my wife has a background and health and healthcare, she knew to say let's do ACT and see what's in there.
0:32
I would not have known to ask for ACT.
So they do.
And that's when they come out.
Oh, do you have pancreatitis?
And I'm like, I don't think so, but maybe.
So anyway, jump go to see my doctor.
This was a Friday night.
I get to see my regular doctor on Monday morning.
And one of the tests she runs the CA 19-9, which looks for, you know, the cancer antibodies, the presence of cancer, etcetera.
0:54
And the normal range is 0 to 32 I believe and I was at 379.
Welcome to the Beautifully Broken podcast.
I'm your host Freddie Kimmel, and on the show we explore the survivor's journey, practitioners making a difference, and the therapeutic treatments and transformational technology that allow the body to heal itself.
1:22
Witness the inspiration we gain by navigating the human experience with grace, humility, and a healthy dose of mistakes.
Because part of being human is being beautifully broken.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Beautifully Broken podcast.
1:41
Here we are again with Kyle Samuels.
Kyle, welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me, Freddie.
Kyle, you have a very impressive LinkedIn profile.
I dabble in LinkedIn, but I was really impressed with the profile.
All you've done and you've achieved in your professional life, What would you tell people you did if we walked down the street, we bumped into each other?
2:01
I'm a, I'd say I'm a recruiter.
Like at the end of the day, I've had a few different jobs.
I work in a few different industries, done HR, but like that's what I am like.
I love finding talent, connecting it with clients.
You're solving a puzzle for a company, right?
And it's also that interesting thing where you just, there's someone just chilling in their office, minding their own business and then you reach out to them in three months, they, they're like, how the hell am I in Florida as AGM of this, you know, $1 billion company, Like that's crazy, right?
2:30
So I love the idea that we're bringing opportunity to people who weren't even looking necessarily.
Yeah, I have to imagine as an entity and you're trying to build your team and you're build your mission, that trying to find the right people is incredibly challenging, especially in today's world.
2:46
And now I know we're more connected and there's more information, but to really get to that gold employee that has the skill set and they have the charisma and the charm, how have you made a business of that?
How do you find that talent?
Well, First off, you know, our company is 8 years old and when I started, technically I was in Orange County, but I moved to Charleston, SC very quickly just because I was in Orange County, because I used to work for Taco Bell and the HR leadership team there started the company.
3:15
There's no reason for me to be in, you know, Orange County, California.
So I moved to Charleston.
Much better food and lower taxes.
So before the pandemic happened, I was like, I love Charleston, it's an amazing city, but it's not known to have the world's best recruiter.
So I don't want to limit myself by saying, well, my company's here, I can only hire from here.
3:31
So that's how we were, you know, fully remote before we got all trendy.
And what that did is it mean that it meant that we didn't have to settle for the best recruiter in Charleston when you could get an amazing recruiter in California or Texas or wherever else, right?
3:48
And so to understand how the right fit for us, we're fully remote.
We're very much autonomous, meaning an executive search.
It's typically a solitary role.
There's one recruiter usually who's calling and and controlling everything.
4:04
And so we got to make sure that people are self motivated, that they don't need someone to tap them on the shoulder because it's time to do some more interviews, right?
Like that's super important because this is not an office where you're walking down and seeing who's in their cubicle with their head down working hard.
So there's got to be a lot of trust.
4:19
Another way that we found is just try before you buy, right?
For some of our recruiters, we will do but 1099, right?
So we can see what you can do, see what it can be a good fit to protect the company.
And that's something you learn.
We didn't always do that.
And so taking a lot of LS waste a lot of money, a lot of money to some, but you learn by going.
4:40
And that actually helps us as well when we recruit for our companies or for our clients, just because it's like, all right, we got to make sure that they are the right fit for that particular culture.
There could be VP of HR who's amazing at company A who would not be a great fit at Company B.
Their skills are the same.
4:56
It's just that the culture is a little bit different.
So we want to make sure that we, you know, probe for that as well and bet that out.
Yeah.
And so like, on a scale of zero to 10, you know, I know some people have a job that they have to do.
They're obligated to pay taxes and rent and sustain a life here in this system of capitalism.
5:14
Like, do you like love your work or is it something that you do because you have to?
I love it, but or, and I'm not one of those people, especially now, who, you know, lives to work.
Like there's a lot more exciting things that I'd rather do, right?
5:34
But I'm very grateful that I have a job that I actually genuinely love and like find interesting.
And, you know, most of what I do is I get to talk to interesting people all day, right?
And learn about what they do, learn about what they need, learn about what's going on in their industry and their function.
5:50
And so it's like I'm kind of getting paid to learn and that it builds on itself, right.
So like you talked to one client, they tell you something, then you go to the next one, like, hey, did you know that they're like, oh, you're so smart.
Yeah, I know.
So I really enjoy it.
But I said to say this, if I won $100 million in the Lotto, I'm gone.
6:08
If you think I'm going to sit here, sit here and be on the phone all day when I got 100.
No, I'm out of here, brother.
We'll see you later.
Yeah.
So since one has to work, right, I love doing what I'm doing, but there's a million other things I'd rather do, you know, if if all things are being equal, right.
It's not like, you know, there might be an artist.
6:25
I have to paint.
It doesn't matter.
I could have a billion.
Like I'm not drawing like I don't think I would be like, you know, no, I need to start recruiting.
Give me a job.
No, I'd be happy doing something else.
But I do love what I do.
And like I said, I'm very grateful I get to do it.
Yeah.
So as you're going through your journey on planet Earth, you're having this human experience.
6:44
We were connected because somebody recommended you said they said Kyle would be a great guest for you on the Beautifully Broken podcast.
We talked about this idea that the times we fall down in life or the times that are challenging can be a catalyst for growth.
So would you mind sharing what your big catalyst has been in recent history?
7:03
Yeah, man, in June of last year I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic.
There's no good cancer, but pancreatic cancer is one of the most insidious.
Typically because it doesn't show up until it's stage 4.
I was very lucky, blessed.
7:21
Whatever words you want to use depending on your value system.
But mine was found very early.
And part of that I'm always going to thank my wife.
Great advocate.
So I'll take you through the story.
Long story short, because it's important.
I like to talk about this because I want people to know what the warning signs are.
7:39
So May of last year, Friday night, maybe 7730, wife comes in the bathroom, I'm on the floor like writhing in pain, sweating through my T-shirt.
And I just thought it was just indigestion.
I was just like, give me some Pepto, it'll be fine.
7:54
I had some bad food, whatever.
She was like no, no, no, we're going to go to the ER OK cool.
Go to the ER Think it's my appendix.
It's not.
And again, luckily since my wife has a background in health and healthcare, she knew to say let's do ACT and see what's in there.
8:10
I would not have known to ask for ACT.
So they do it and that's when they come out.
Oh, do you have pancreatitis?
And I'm like, I don't think so, but maybe.
So anyway, jump go to see my doctor.
This was a Friday night.
I get to see my regular doctor on Monday morning.
And one of the tests, she runs the CA 19-9, which looks for, you know, the cancer antibodies, the presence of cancer, etcetera.
8:32
And the normal range is zero to 32, I believe.
And I was at 379.
So again, it doesn't mean you have cancer, but it ain't looking good, right?
And so you see that.
8:49
And then we did the biopsy or endoscopy.
I'm sorry.
And that's when they, hey, it's, it's cancer.
So this was in June, right?
Again, like I said, one of the things I get to do is talk to really interesting people.
And one of the people in my network is this wonderful lady who is an executive at a big pharma company, but she runs cancer like patient advocacy.
9:10
So I was like, OK, I have cancer.
Who's the one person I know who knows a lot about cancer?
Yeah, Doctor Franklin.
So let's reach out to her.
And again, she's someone who reached out to her network and, you know, was able to get me into Duke, which has an amazing Cancer Center.
9:27
And so that's where I did my surgery.
So July 17th of last year, that's where I had pancreatic cancer.
And I'll stop right there.
Just again, talk about how lucky I was to get it that quickly.
First off, I'll I'll use the rap.
I like to give, you know, the phrase comparisons, the thief of joy.
9:43
I love that, right?
And so in my journey, I've been using it the opposite way.
So I would say that I've had the best cancer journey of anyone I've ever spoken to, except for one lady who had a Melanoma on her shoulder.
And the doctor was able to like didn't even have to put her under just like go in, take it out 17 years ago.
10:03
She's been cancer free since.
So besides that, I have had the best journey.
So because mine was caught so early, they didn't have to do the Whipple procedure, which is 1 where they basically got you from belly button on up your chest and take out your whole pancreas.
Mine was laparoscopic.
I still have the majority of my pancreas.
10:20
The other part that was great is I know a gentleman, he had stage 4 when he went in for surgery and he's he's doing well now, but his surgery was I think 16 hours.
Mine was like 6 or 7 hours, right?
He had to get the Whipple.
I didn't, he was in the hospital for like 2 1/2 weeks.
10:36
I was in the hospital for five days.
I've only lost about 10 lbs during this.
He lost 40 lbs, right?
And so that matters because if you don't have a certain weight, they can't give you the chemo properly and etcetera, etcetera.
So Long story short, I was very lucky in terms of, you know, my wife, my network, and then, you know, honestly, having great healthcare, which not everyone has, right?
11:01
That's, that's a whole other conversation.
But Long story short, finished chemotherapy, my I had six month chemotherapy regime or regimen rather I finished that three weeks ago this Thursday.
My scans are looking good.
And so how this is transformed me is just like trying to get people awareness of specifically pancreatic cancer.
11:24
So the only symptom I had was it my left side, my lower back hurt.
As you start to get older and age, you just think it's from working out or getting older.
No, it was the tumor pressing against my spine making my back hurt.
But again, when your back hurts, most people don't go, oh, it must be cancer, right?
Like it's like the old adage, when you hear hoofs coming, you don't think zebras, you think horses because that's more likely what it's supposed to be.
11:47
And so like, this is a totally different story.
If my wife hadn't said, let's get the CT because I might have been like, oh, I feel better.
I'm just hanging around.
Tumor just growing, growing, growing.
Having a blast.
It's important to advocate for yourself when you go to these hospitals.
12:02
Don't always assume that the doctors, and I'm not saying there's any malfeasance or whatever, but don't assume that the default is they've done everything they could possibly do.
When they come back to you, you can ask for things and they will do them or not.
You can press them, but just don't assume that.
But then the other part is not all of us have medical backgrounds.
12:19
We don't necessarily know Oct, you know, MRI, take pulse ox, right?
These are all terms we hear on Grey's Anatomy, but we don't necessarily know what they mean.
So for me, it's been a lot of, it's pretty much anyone I've spoken to since I give them a rap about what to check for.
12:35
And you know my story because it's not to talk about myself, but I just want people to know what the symptoms are.
Because again, quick story, while I was recovering in the hospital, there is a congresswoman, I think it was Shirley Jackson, who died from pancreatic cancer.
12:51
Like I'm in the hospital recovering and they're like, Yep.
And what happened to her was a typically happens in June of that year.
So a month prior it was like, hey, I have this thing, I'm going to fight it.
And then it was like, yeah, she's gone.
And so that's what typically happens because people get at stage 4 and it's late.
And so my old thing is anything I can do to help people realize what the symptoms can be and, you know, advocate when they go to the doctor's office.
13:14
That's super important to me because there are certain situations where I'm just not here right now.
I'm gone because my, my tumor was growing very quickly.
It was, it grew 50% from June when they did the endoscopy to when they took it out, which is insane.
And so I, there's again an ultimate reality where like that night I take the Pepto makes me feel better and things just growing.
13:36
And then by the time, Hey, Kyle, you look a little yellow.
You, you've lost some weight.
Why are you so tired?
Then?
You're you're in the danger zone.
Yeah, man, I celebrate your first of all, I celebrate the way you embody and tell the story.
There's like some real, some ownership in there.
13:52
And I, I'm also want to just celebrate your wife for having the intuition and the awareness to do that second, third layer of questioning, especially from the bathroom floor to the ER to we should get the secondary scans because I would join with you, Kyle.
14:07
I mean, I know all these things because I've been in the bucket of Wellness for over 20 plus years.
And so everyday I'm living and breathing new tests and diagnostic methods.
But most people, you know, they, they aren't clear on even what the machine does or why they would ask for that over something else.
So man support system is everything.
14:25
And it certainly does color how the story unfolds.
It's really.
It's a fact.
Yeah, it's a fact.
Now, when your doctors sat you down, I know I've talked to a lot of survivors on the show and and it's that the moment when you hear the words Kyle, you have dot, dot, dot.
14:44
This is what it looks like.
Was there any unique weight or emotional charge to when you were given your diagnosis?
That's the ill thing.
So First off, I believe that because of my age and my general health and stuff like that, and no, prior to the cancer in the family, IA 100% believe that the doctors when I went to go get the results without as the run-of-the-mill like, Oh, you're fine, get out of here, buddy, right.
15:08
And then I think they were like, oh, like they weren't like, Oh, we got to tell somebody they have cancer today.
We weren't planning on that, right?
It was weird.
I didn't feel scared.
Listen, none of us get out of here alive, right?
So we know that, right?
Like life is very capricious.
To this day, that is still a fact.
15:23
Yes.
Yeah.
So life is very capricious.
So it really went to like, OK, So what do we do next, right?
Like solutions focused.
I didn't have time to be scared.
I was just like, all right, well, how do we fix it?
Right?
Like before we start doing anything.
So like, honestly, and again, maybe it's because I don't have kids.
15:40
Like I have people I care about, but like, maybe it's different when you think, Oh my goodness, I can't be here to see, you know, Bob's, damn you kid.
Bob's crazy in 2025, but I'm not going to get to see Freddy's, you know, high school graduation or something like that.
I didn't have any of that, right?
And so it was just like, all right, well, how do we fix it?
15:57
Like what are the options before there's a freak out time, let's figure out what the options are.
And so that actually carried through to how I handled this with clients, how I handled this with employees, because listen, I told them I'm going in, I'm having surgery.
16:13
You know, I'll let you know when I get out and update you on everything.
But I was vague.
And the reason why I was vague with clients and with employees was this, even though they'd taken all the Mris and the scans, there's always an opportunity for them to go in there and be like, oh, we didn't see this or it's in his blood, you know, something like that, right?
16:29
And so I knew that if they went in there and they're like, oh, my goodness, it's everywhere.
Just sew them back up and let them have a good six months.
That means CTE is out of here.
Like I said, I'm not Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs died from pancreatic cancer.
They told him he was like, oh, I'm busy, I'll get to it.
I'm not dying so you guys can have a iPhone.
16:44
Sorry.
Like, I'm going to be like, oh, all right, let me, let me take a little hiatus and let me figure out what's going on in my belly before we pump these iPhones out.
And so not knowing how it could turn out, I didn't want to say anything because that changes things.
I wanted to know.
And so luckily we had the positive outcome where it was like, hey, it's pancreatic cancer prognosis is super positive, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
17:06
But if that wasn't the case, it would have been like, all right, here's some severance.
CTE is closing down.
I'm going to hang out with my friends and family until I die, right?
And then you think about clients too, right?
Like, love our clients.
I know the clients love us, but they have businesses to run.
And they might say, well, if Kyle might not be here in September, maybe we don't give them any new work, right?
17:26
So like, these are things you have to think about, let's be honest, right?
And so like, until I knew what that was, I didn't want to say anything.
And then lucky, the prognosis was positive.
And it's insane when I think about I had surgery on July 17th and like August I think 14th, I was in LA because I had a pre-existing, pre-existing condition, not a pre-existing speech to give at a conference.
17:49
And like it's wild to me that I did that in retrospect, right?
I was about a month off the table and I'm standing here doing the things.
But like again, because I'm relatively young for this, I know y'all say the Grays, but I was able to recover more quickly than say the typical pancreatic cancer person who usually is stage 4 in their 60s, seventies, etcetera.
18:10
And you know, they might have knee replacement arthritis, all types of other things that are adding.
And so I was able to bounce back quickly.
But there's also the part of like being an entrepreneur, I'm not going to lie to you, this is the only time in my life I've ever said not my life.
It's so started the business that I do wish that I was a corporate because a corporate could be like, oh, we have, you know, 12 other people on the team.
18:31
You can everyone can cover a slack.
Kyle can go, you know, recover because he's not responsible for bringing in the revenue for the business.
But in this case I am.
So it was like part of it was like, you know, but you just got to keep going, right, because there's no one here to to pick up for you.
You got employees and employees families who depend on you.
18:48
So you got to get busy.
Yeah, you do, You do, team.
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21:18
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When you did sit down with your medical team and you said the prognosis is good, did they offer you all the details?
Because I know sometimes people will say, you know, I sat down with my team and they said, look, here's the cancer you have.
21:38
Here's the stage.
Here's your expectation there.
A lot of times you will, you know, because I did this, I was like, how, how long do I have?
Do people die from this?
Do did you have that conversation with your team?
Listen, 100%, I'm a very curious person.
That's why I love doing what I do.
And so I asked them.
So basically the options were this surgery first or chemo first.
21:57
I was like, I listened to doctors too, but I was also like, I want to get it out.
I would be like, you know, annoyed.
I'd be to go through six months of chemo and then like, oh, got to do surgery anyway, right?
So I'd rather just get the damn thing out and then worry about the chemo.
But I did ask, I said nothing, I was going to take this route.
22:15
I was just curious.
I was like, because again, there is a reality where like, I don't know that I have this thing growing inside of me.
So I was like, what would happen if I didn't know?
And I was just going along with my life.
And this was in June and they're like, you'd be dead in December because it was growing very aggressively.
So that's when I was just like, wow, like that.
22:31
Now that was one of those things where you're just like, and you start to think about like how easy it would be not to know and to be one of those stage 4, like all of a sudden start showing symptoms.
So yeah, that was probably the most impactful, just understanding that like if I didn't do anything like I'd be a gone.
22:48
Yeah, with the word brick wall came to mind.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
So you know on the other side, so you've completed chemotherapy.
Yes, Sir.
And how was that experience for you?
I know everybody has a different way of some protocols are very intense and some people are on the floor for the whole time.
23:06
This is why I say like I'm just blessed and lucky.
So the only real side effects I had from chemo was nausea and the pills that they prescribed help with that and just fatigue.
Like you're just like tired, you know, there are a few times where I had just like, sorry, I got to wipe my whole schedule because I can't, I just can't today, right?
23:27
So there's some of those.
But again, I've heard stories of people having pus coming out of their toenails and their fingernails and not but I mean, literally by someone who this happened to, not just like a store on the Internet, right?
Like the fact that I was able to at least work and I say part time, right?
23:44
Like so like the chemo weeks are rough and I had a pump so I had a portable.
I was really doing chemo for like 3 days straight from Tuesday to Thursday.
And so you know, we figured out OK, put internal meetings that week because then you don't have to be super up and like all I could be in my pajamas or whatever.
24:02
It's my people if I need to be right.
So just doing that and then also understanding what can happen if you overdo it.
So there's this conference I went to and my dumb ass was like, all right, let's play 18 holes of golf and let's do all the things.
And then by Friday when I had like a bunch of meetings, I couldn't leave my hotel room.
24:19
My body was like, sorry, you've exhausted all of our energy.
You just need to lay here and hydrate.
And so that was a great learning about as ambitious as you can be.
Don't be short sighted because if you don't have the energy to do anything then what's the point?
Yeah, yeah.
Profound, profound, valuable, valuable lessons from somebody who's been through it.
24:40
It's always fascinating to me to listen to how differently everybody experiences cancer and with every diagnosis and every tumor type, it's a different also drug regime.
And the drug regimes hit differently and affect the tissue differently.
24:55
And you know, again, even within what you're saying is even within the same cancer type, same diagnosis, two people with the same tumor can have a very different reactive response to the drugs.
Now that you're on the other side, has anything shifted for you as far as awareness about your body or intentions?
25:17
You know, you mentioned you're like, I think you said you just did your first workout yesterday.
She's like, you know, I remember feeling like rock when I got my tubes out and I got out of the hospital and I was a mess.
I was not like you.
I was not sitting up or anything.
I was down, down, down for months and months and months.
25:33
But I felt like Rocky, even like going out for a walk around.
That was like I had it playing in my head all the time.
What do you feel like now?
So to be honest, feel better because again, this is the longest I've gone without having to do chemotherapy in like 6-7 months.
25:48
So like, that's great, right?
But again, I keep saying like, I know this is a broken record, but like just like you, I don't recommend cancer, but like if you have to go through it, like I think I had one of the cleanest cancer.
Not so like I was on my pump.
26:05
I still got to cook for Thanksgiving, you know what I'm saying?
Like things like that that I don't take for granted the fact that I was still able to run my business.
So for me, I think what I'm most excited about that I think is going to be biggest transition is travel, right?
Being healthy enough to travel, you know, getting out and seeing a bunch of people that haven't been able to see as much just because I haven't been actively traveling that much, right?
26:27
I think that to me, and my plan is to take it easy, get stronger through March and then after April, I'm on the road crazy.
But I just feel so grateful, like if this had happened to my company five years ago and we only had three people, I would have had to close down whether the surgery was successful or not because of that point.
26:48
I was the only person actually recruiting.
So like, there was no one else to fill that void, unlike what happened now.
And so like again, would rather not have it, but since it had to happen, like the timing was Immaculate.
Yeah.
Are you aware we've had a couple guests on, We had a A-Team that's doing a test called EPI Seq.
27:07
There's one called the Gallery or Grail, which is with a liquid blood biopsy it it detects early pre stage 1 cancers.
And then there's things like Pernuvo or Ezra which are full body.
Mr. Is, is there anything like this in your future?
What's your monitoring look like?
27:23
Yeah, so I'm getting a new scan.
I mean a scan again, two months and then I think I'm going to go quarterly.
I think that's what they said.
So every three months I'll get scans and I believe it's like up to or maybe said three years of clean scans is when they kind of like like, all right, you're good.
And we'll do it maybe annually again, right?
27:40
So that's what I'm working on.
But what I did do, and it's a shame not to get into politics, but what's happening in the National Institute of Health, I was able to go there before my surgery and do apheresis, which is a process where basically take parts of your blood out and put it and freeze it.
27:55
So that like if something happens or it comes back, we have clean good blood to use and stuff like that.
And part of me is just been thinking with all this cuts, I'm like, there's a good chance Elon Musk says, oh, turn off building 36 and that's the freezer where my stuff is and it just melts, right?
28:11
So that part is not the best when I think about what's happening there.
But one of the other things you mentioned is the proactive scans, right?
Like those are one of the things that, you know, I talked to a lot of executives.
I'm like even if your company isn't doing a casino, certain executives get the Super duper.
28:26
Yes, there is some package in which they look at every single biomarker, every single organ, endothelial function, everything.
Yep.
And I was like, if you don't get that, you still make enough money to pay for it.
It's worth doing.
Now.
I know some of the other people's like, oh, you know, if you take these proactive scans and you can be like, what's that?
28:44
What's that thing?
You know, I got it.
But actually the Lady Maria Menounos, she's the, I think she's an extra one of those shows.
That's right, she's playing on the gas station all the time.
Little gas station clips.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
She found out she had pancreatic cancer doing one of those scans, one of those proactive scans.
29:03
I think it was literally for the show, you know what I'm saying?
Like it was like, oh, here's this new thing and they're like, oh, you have pancreatic cancer.
So I am huge on just being proactive.
And like I said, again, I talked to people, you make a lot of money you it's, it ranges from 15 to 2500 or whatever.
29:19
But like, I know you got it and it's your health.
It's worth doing right.
That's right, That's right, 100 percent, 100%.
I surely, you know, on the backside of my journey, you know, it's been really important to me.
Everybody's so different.
I had different complicating factors, but to rebuild my body's ability to make energy, to support mitochondria function.
29:39
So changing a lot of lifestyle things, dietary sleep interventions.
I have a sleep hygiene program now, you know, there's glasses that I wear, so the Netflix light isn't disrupting my circadian rhythm.
All the things.
And I think it's, you know, you can go down that rabbit hole.
But I think the most important thing that I would tell people if it's going to overburden or tax your nervous system, whatever you can do to manage the stress.
30:03
Because I know for a long time for me, it was like as a scan came up, I would get a lot of anxiety and fear.
I'd get really nervous about, you know, what they would or wouldn't find.
Is there any way you are thinking about preparing for that?
Or is your personality type your DNA?
30:19
Do you not hold that or harbor that type of stress?
I understand it and going through these scans, it was a little anxiety inducing just because you're just like, well, the chemo was, you know, finished.
It would be great if we could say that this is positive too.
And luckily it was.
But in general, again, it's one of those things like I can't, I mean, I could use like I don't smoke and drink anyway, so I have to worry about that.
30:42
But like, yes, my diet.
But besides that, I can't really do anything to make sure that this doesn't come back.
And so there's a, you know, a weird freedom to that where it's like it's out of my hands.
So let me just concentrate on what I can impact and affect.
And then the other stuff, you know, let go and let God, as they say, like I can't control it.
31:01
So there's no point stressing out about it.
But like, I think that if you're someone who like yourself, you eat healthy, you're doing the right things.
Hopefully, like mentally that puts you in a positive place because like, well, I'm, I'm doing my part of the bargain.
So hopefully it comes out the other way to ask me in a few months when I take the next ones.
31:19
But thus far, if you have to have like if you have to have it, it's been fairly positive.
You know what I mean?
Like I said, my my symptoms weren't super bad.
My stage was caught very early.
And so I'm just so grateful for stuff.
31:35
When things are annoying, I just just say like, but you're alive though, right?
Like, so going back to that, you could be dead by December.
It's like, oh man, my stomach hurts.
I'm feeling nauseated.
OK, you could be dead and your stomach will hurt.
Like, what do you want to choose?
And so I just try to stay at a place of gratitude and like I said, giving back.
31:53
So like quick plug, Purple stride against Cancer, April 26th in Charlotte, NC.
I've been doing some fundraising for that.
Super important because again, this is one of those insidious diseases that most people when they get the heads up, it's I want to say it's too late, but it's in the later stage, right?
32:13
Like, so one of the things that I got to do is last November, I went to the Biden moon shot RP by moon shot, but I went to the moon shot initiative, you know, which is them against Cancer, right?
And I got to meet a bunch of people who were experts and been work in this field for, you know, the longest.
32:30
And I've had multiple people tell me they've never known someone who is had it found so quickly and like survived, right, Like had it found that early and just survived because usually it's when you get pancreatic cancer.
Like that's what people were telling me.
32:46
And like, even the lady I mentioned, the Doctor Who you know, went into her network, beautiful lady.
She said, she told me afterwards, months after, she was like, I hate to say it, but I'm not sure where I'm going, just because, you know, the best predictor of future behaviour is past behavior.
And she is typically seeing it not in the best way, right?
33:02
And so to me, it's like, well, I'm here for a reason.
So part of that I think is like I said, giving back the awareness, letting people understand what this could be when your back hurts, right?
Like it's almost funny, like I thought it was my back just hurting.
I was Thera gunning, I was massaging.
33:18
My tumor was well taken care of because I didn't know it was a tumor.
So I'm thinking it's just a back pain.
I'm just.
Helping with helping with a little blood flow there from the old, that's probably.
Why I grew so quickly, right?
And so oh.
Goodness, that part is super important to me.
Just like I said, the give back, the education, the awareness, if there's someone whose lower back hurts and they go to the doctor and they find out, find it early, that makes me super, super happy.
33:41
So that's a big part of what I'm what I'm on now.
I'm also the ambassador for a group called some by which is basically it's this study, this doctor from Morehouse School of Medicine, she was given a believe is $25 million grant for five years to discover how because there's a lot of health inequity as well, right.
34:02
So like black people, brown people, also poor people, they don't get the same treatment as those with wealth.
And so I'm a part of that organization that is looking to, you know, knockout those disparities.
And that's another thing, by the way, that is not lost on me is that so I have these pills and they're prescribed to me.
34:21
They help, you know, you lost a little bit of your pancreas.
It helps your basically helps your pancreas digest food better right?
So I pay $30.00 a month because insurance but what do you think the MSRP so to speak is for these pills?
You would never guess.
Oh, actually go, you would guess. 6 grand. 10 grand. $14,000 yeah.
34:41
So basically what it does is it helps you, your pancreas digest food.
And if your pancreas doesn't digest food, then what happens?
You have to go to the little boy or little girl's bathroom.
So basically think what that means is if you don't have money to have fun, you know, wearing adult diapers and and running to the bathroom.
34:57
If you do have money, then you're OK.
And I also think about going to the emergency department, right?
I have no idea what my co-pay is.
Doesn't matter.
It wasn't a financial decision about going or not.
But imagine you are someone who knows that your co-pay is $250 and you feel like I don't want to waste $250.
35:16
I know my body is just bubble guts.
It's just indigestion, right?
And so you don't go because it that $250 means something to you and then you get sick, super sick, and now it's a whole different situation.
So again, very grateful that that wasn't my story and that I had, you know, strong healthcare to go through this, right?
35:35
Because without it, it would be a totally different story.
Yeah, yeah.
And just, you know, the audience at home, you know, basically the pancreas is, is producing enzymes to digest amylase and lipase and protein.
It's helping to prepare things for the small intestine.
35:50
It's also producing insulin, which is regulating all blood sugar and stimulating cells to uptake glucose from the bloodstream.
So it is a vital organ that we cannot live without.
It's very important.
You know, I just want to, you know, say Kyle, you know, it's been my experience in this world that, you know, I, my doctor said when we sat down, he said he and I always think about this, I was 26 years old.
36:13
He's like, there's nothing you did to get this cancer.
From my understanding of, you know, if I said, you know, the body, it's literally like this.
I said this in the podcast last week.
It's like a vineyard.
You know, you want to go grow amazing grapes.
It's the sunlight, it's the soil, it's the ecosystem.
36:28
And that's what outputs this beautiful yield.
But if you take away one thing, like a bird that's eating one specific insect that's changing that ecosystem, you don't get the same yield of grapes.
And that's the same way in the body, you know, as we do, you know, and this is very prominent in medical literature, not to be on the soapbox, but I'm gonna is that if we eradicate our gut bacteria from one course of antibiotics, you know, the time to re establish, to go halfway back gets longer and longer and and eventually we lose this ability and those microbes inside or what is dictating immune function.
37:02
So there's things like that.
There's things like exercise, you know, there's a great study on women with breast cancer looking at exercise and the rate of reincurrence.
It's damn near 50%.
I mean, you, I always tell people you have so much agency post cancer to make changes in your lives that not, and these are not, these are things that we could all it could be a rock, it could be a gym.
37:24
You're you know, you're going to to move the heavy things.
You know, it could be something really, really simple like a just do a base carbon filter on your water supply.
You know, if you're up in Flint, MI and you're a community that's neurological function is impacted by city water as well as mitochondrial function from the toxicants in your drinking water, that's going to impact cancer for sure, 100%.
37:49
And there's our like, you can't worry about everything, but there are simple things that we can say, OK, here's my 8 hallmarks of things that I want to focus on that I just think are so, so profound for people.
You know, the other thing is like, I went into chemo very like very ripped, like I had like a 12 pack.
38:06
And when we, I flipped mine.
The other thing I want to join with you is and celebrate is the fact that you did your surgery first, because surgery after chemo is much harder for the body.
The body's been thrashed through the very toxic drugs and you just, you always are going to, I think that's brilliant.
I I don't know if you research that or not, but I think that's absolutely the way to go.
38:25
That was some of the yeah, we did.
I mean, our surgeon recommended, but we also looked and that was some of the the data we saw right, and I think that that's funny what you said, but that's another thing.
I'm when you said that you ripped you out of 12 pack, like that's because, you know, my pretty abdomen is gone now, right?
38:41
They cut me up.
So I have like, you know, so like I I don't also my old now, so I don't care, but I did have that thought.
I was like, if I was 27, I'd be like, oh, but what about when I go to the go to the beach, to the pool and I was like, I'm washed.
I don't care like it just saved my life, saved my life.
I don't care, save my life. 100% yeah.
38:58
Yeah.
Well, but when I did my surgery finally after the chemo, I mean, he was like my doctor said, I don't remember you being so fat.
He goes, I was cutting through like visceral belly fat.
What happened?
I was like, you told me to keep weight on.
So, you know, I was eating because I didn't want to be, you know, that was the fear.
39:15
It's not great information.
In retrospect, should have been eating clean, good food, not eating double fisting Mcmuffins on the way to chemotherapy.
But you know, I took it for what it was, you know, try to meet the body where it's at and be joyful at the same time while you're going through cancer at a young age.
But had IA time machine, you know, I would I'd probably just do it clean.
39:34
But I think there is so much, I think there's so much beauty in your story for the opportunity for early detection.
Like that's really what I'm, I'm like, man, I, I wish everybody, your experience.
I wish everybody could say this is how my cancer was.
You know what my wife or my neighbor or I did epicyc or I did the pernuvo scan and it was like, you know, pre stage 1 and it was so easy because that's our best treatment option.
39:58
It's our absolute best moon.
That's our moon shot, really and truly it's right now with.
Pancreatic and getting at it quickly.
Yeah, behavior change is hard.
I'm sure you see this in your work.
It's like, I'm sure there's people that you work with and meet that are brilliant, like this person's gold.
40:13
And this person may have a history of not being able to change behaviors that are not ideal for the work environment.
I'm sure that comes up once in a while.
It does, It does.
Or, you know, someone comes from a culture where it's very much in your face and, you know, super radical candor.
40:30
And then you go to another company where it's just like, what do they call it?
Minnesota nice, where it's just like, Oh no, it's OK, ready.
Don't worry about it.
And then you kick Freddie's back in once he leaves the room in private.
Right.
Like there's two different cultures and people who do well at one probably will not do well at the other and vice versa.
40:47
That's right.
Yeah, Yeah, that's right.
I love it.
Kyle.
You know, I want to be mindful of the time and I'd love to ask you a couple more questions to close this out.
We will put the charity that you're doing in the show notes.
So we'll definitely have that there and we'll definitely have we'll definitely have some of the early testing resources that will link to old podcast.
41:06
So people have that resource in this episode and you know, it's it is again, it's the beautifully broken podcast.
What does it mean to you to be beautifully broken?
Means you learn from what broke you right?
Like that's the thing you go through experiences.
Everyone has hardships, but if you can learn something from them, then you'll be stronger moving forward.
41:26
Now again with cancer, it's not like I know how not to get paid.
You know what I'm saying?
Like it's not as clean and cut, but what I will say is that it's kick started and it get a lot of velocity behind me doing philanthropic work and giving back, educating, etcetera.
41:44
And so to me, that's what it means is like, yeah, something may have broken you, but you recovered and you learn from it.
Yeah.
And then if you had a magic wand right now, you know, we live in this, like, super polarized world.
And it's a tough, tough place for a lot of people.
If you could TuneIn everybody's iPhone to channel Kyle for 30 seconds, what advice would you give the world right now?
42:06
Man, we're so much more similar than dissimilar.
And what I find is when I walk around like, you know, I live in Charlotte, all these things that you see on the Internet, like the acrimony, I don't see it in real life ever, ever.
42:24
I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I don't see it in real life.
And so I think that the people realize, again, we're so much more similar than we are dissimilar and just concentrate on what makes us the same, what makes us, you know, what drives community, what drives humanity.
I think we'll be a much, much better place now.
42:41
Easier said than done, but get off the Internet, touch some grass, go meet some strangers and I guarantee you, you will be surprised at how friendly and open and welcoming they are.
Yeah, yeah.
One of the best pieces of advice I've had to close out a podcast.
Beautiful, topical, relevant.
42:57
Kyle, thank you for being a guest on the show.
Thank you, Freddie.
Appreciate you my man.
Yes, yes, big love.
Ladies and gentlemen, here we are with Season 9 of the podcast.
We're about to Crest into year 6.
43:13
Can you believe it?
I'm so glad you're still here.
And I just wanted to remind you, if you like the show, please head over to Apple or Spotify and give us a five star review.
It really expands the listenership.
Now there's one big way you can continue to learn and deepen the relationship that we started in this very episode.
43:34
You can go to Beautifully Broken World and you can check out our brand new website and store.
Listed are all the technologies, the supplements, the self quantification, the products, everything that I love, I personally use and I've curated for this audience.
43:51
Most of the items have a significant discount just by using the link or our code.
Beautifully Broken all one word and they do support the podcast through affiliations.
Now if you want to see the faces of our guest and you want to watch me unbox products and see reviews, you can go over to YouTube at Beautifully Broken World.
44:12
Now this next message is from my vast team of Internet lawyers.
The information on this podcast is for education.
By listening, you agree not to use the information found here as medical advice to treat, diagnose or cure any medical condition in yourself or others.
44:29
Always consult your guiding physician for actual medical issues you may be having.
Now, in my closing, we are truly in a paradigm shift.
We need you at your very best.
So use these conversations as a jumping off point for further exploration.
44:49
Always listen to your own body and remember, while life may be painful, how we put the pieces back together is a beautiful, beautiful process.
I love you so much.
I'm your host, Freddie Kimmel.