What To Do After a Cancer Diagnosis with Deb Krier

Have you or someone you loved received a cancer diagnosis? Chances are you just said yes. If you've ever felt talked down to when you are not feeling well or someone says something really unkind, this episode goes deep on how much we need people and how we can tell when we don't need some people in our lives. Deb Krier is an entrepreneur, cancer advocate, and the visionary behind TryingNotToDie.LIVE. With a background in communications, marketing, and public relations, she's navigated diverse roles, from spearheading communication strategies for large corporations, small companies, and nonprofit organizations to founding her own marketing agency over 20 years ago. It wasn't the game plan. It wasn't on her vision board. Deb says she was sailing along at her marketing firm when she had a nasty diagnosis pop up. She'd gone in for her annual physical and had a mammogram. The office called her before she'd even got home from the appointment. "What they discovered was not a lump, not a bump, not anything easy to find. They found microcalcifications," says Deb. "The vast majority of the time, they flit away and never have any problems. ... They start gathering, and when they gather, that's when there is a problem." Deb was initially diagnosed with zero-stage breast cancer, which is sometimes called pre-cancer. She saw a specialist and did some biopsies that came back negative, but her surgeon suggested checking her lymph nodes to be sure. Eight of 12 lymph nodes came back as cancerous. "We decided, you know, let's really kill this and do it really hard. Well, they about killed me. I got a complication," says Deb. "I ended up with septic shock and was this close, as in hours away from dying. My doctors were fighting about it. The one surgeon didn't want to do anything because I wasn't going to make it through the day. And the oncologist said no. And I remember thinking, excuse me, I get a vote." Deb started working with a business coach, who pointed out to her that she didn't go through everything she went through without using it to help others. This push led to the creation of TryingNotToDie.LIVE. "The try not to die part comes from the fact that when we have anything that is very serious, or even if it's just how we live life, we are living just to try not to die. And that's what we're focusing on," says Deb. "And the live part is we've got to focus on living our life five hours, five days, 50 years, whatever it is, we absolutely have to live our lives." The concept is to build a support system for anybody who has cancer. Deb says one of the biggest questions she receives is what to do when someone you love gets diagnosed with cancer. What tends to happen is that people do nothing because they don't know what to do. Sometimes, the elephant in the room is small, and occasionally, it is giant. But it is there, so don't ignore it. "When you do go to them, don't just say, tell me if there's anything you need," says Deb. "Our little brains are so full of trying to not die that we can't think about that. So say, 'Can I bring you dinner on Thursday? Can I take your kids to the park?' Give them something specific to say yes or no to." She also encourages people to feel anger. It's okay to get angry. Deb recommends visiting the Mayo Clinic and the American Cancer Society rather than consulting Dr. Google if you're given a specific diagnosis. "But remember you are in charge, not your doctor, not your spouse, not whoever you are, the one in charge," says Deb. "So research it and do what YOU want." Free Gift: We are proud to offer our "Bear Hug" Care Package™ as a way for someone to show their support to a friend, loved one, co-worker, etc., as they are on their cancer journey. Featuring a cuddly stuffed bear named Warrior, the care package comes with essential items for someone who is bravely fighting. Use code 10SPECIAL for a 10% discount: https://tryingnottodie.live/bear-hug-care-package/ Connect with Deb Krier: https://tryingnottodie.live/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1465660477225232 Other GoG episodes you might want to check out: Don't Believe the Hype: You're Not Special https://sarahwalton.com/notspecialv You can check out our podcast interviews on YouTube, too! http://bit.ly/YouTubeSWalton Thank you so much for listening. I'm honored that you're here, and I would be grateful if you could leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking “Write a review.” Then, we’ll get to inspire even more people! (If you’re not sure how to leave a review, you can watch this quick tutorial.) #CancerDiagnosis #CancerStories #CancerSurvivor #Cancer #Health #WomenInBusiness #IntuitiveBusinessCoach