What if one moment, one discovery, could completely change the direction of your life? In this episode, we're diving deep into a story of courage, resilience, and transformation all spurred by just one moment.

Many of us face unexpected challenges that test our strength and purpose. This episode relates to anyone seeking hope, inspiration, and a reminder of the inner strength we all possess.

What's It All About?

Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of Thandi Montgomery. Her story is not just about surviving breast cancer but discovering her true self, the strength of faith, and the power of family. From finding a small lump to battling through treatments, Thandi shares her raw, unfiltered experiences and the profound lessons she learned along the way. This episode is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of facing life's toughest challenges head-on.

Some Key Takeaways:

  1. Embracing Resilience: Learn how Thandi navigated her cancer journey with courage and strategic planning, transforming adversity into strength.
  2. The Power of Support Systems: Discover the importance of leaning on family, friends, and support groups to get through challenging times.
  3. Finding Purpose: Understand how facing a life-threatening diagnosis helped Thandi find her true purpose and inspired her to help others shift from merely existing to truly living.

This is an interview you will not want to miss! Thandi's empowering story paired with her magical personality will capture your attention and warm your heart from the first moment you meet her!


LINKS & RESOURCES

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE



BE IN THE KNOW!

CLICK HERE to Get on The OFFICIAL Email List for the Podcast!


TODAY'S AMAZING GUEST

THANDI MONTGOMERY

In 2021, Thandi was diagnosed with Stage 1B breast cancer, and won the battle after enduring 4 surgeries, 16 rounds of chemo, and 30 days of radiation. This battle gifted her with a profound sense of purpose and self-awareness.

Now, as a survivor and advocate with over 15 years of marketing experience, Thandi and her team are dedicated to supporting cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and organizations through transformative courses and services focusing on mindset, habits, nutrition, and creative expressions.

Please visit Thandi's website to learn more.



Hey, it's Kevin!


I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!


  • Start Receiving my Weekly Midweek Pick-Me-Up!

    Show Notes

    What if one moment, one discovery, could completely change the direction of your life? In this episode, we're diving deep into a story of courage, resilience, and transformation all spurred by just one moment.

    Many of us face unexpected challenges that test our strength and purpose. This episode relates to anyone seeking hope, inspiration, and a reminder of the inner strength we all possess.

    What's It All About?

    Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of Thandi Montgomery. Her story is not just about surviving breast cancer but discovering her true self, the strength of faith, and the power of family. From finding a small lump to battling through treatments, Thandi shares her raw, unfiltered experiences and the profound lessons she learned along the way. This episode is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of facing life's toughest challenges head-on.

    Some Key Takeaways:

    1. Embracing Resilience: Learn how Thandi navigated her cancer journey with courage and strategic planning, transforming adversity into strength.
    2. The Power of Support Systems: Discover the importance of leaning on family, friends, and support groups to get through challenging times.
    3. Finding Purpose: Understand how facing a life-threatening diagnosis helped Thandi find her true purpose and inspired her to help others shift from merely existing to truly living.

    This is an interview you will not want to miss! Thandi's empowering story paired with her magical personality will capture your attention and warm your heart from the first moment you meet her!


    LINKS & RESOURCES

    MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE



    BE IN THE KNOW!

    CLICK HERE to Get on The OFFICIAL Email List for the Podcast!


    TODAY'S AMAZING GUEST

    THANDI MONTGOMERY

    In 2021, Thandi was diagnosed with Stage 1B breast cancer, and won the battle after enduring 4 surgeries, 16 rounds of chemo, and 30 days of radiation. This battle gifted her with a profound sense of purpose and self-awareness.

    Now, as a survivor and advocate with over 15 years of marketing experience, Thandi and her team are dedicated to supporting cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and organizations through transformative courses and services focusing on mindset, habits, nutrition, and creative expressions.

    Please visit Thandi's website to learn more.



    Hey, it's Kevin!


    I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!




    Stay Awesome! Live Inspired!

    © 2024 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

    Show Transcript

    00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:07.677


    What if one moment, one discovery could completely change the direction of your life?



    00:00:07.957 --> 00:00:14.117


    Today, we're diving deep into a story of courage, of resilience, of transformation.



    00:00:14.637 --> 00:00:20.457


    It's the story of my absolutely phenomenal guest today, Tondi Montgomery.



    00:00:21.517 --> 00:00:25.977


    Her journey, it's not just about survival. rival. It's about discovering her



    00:00:25.977 --> 00:00:30.357


    true self, the strength of faith, and the power of family.



    00:00:31.237 --> 00:00:37.557


    Tandi, she's going to share with you her real, raw, unfiltered story that goes



    00:00:37.557 --> 00:00:44.197


    through the course of a chapter in her life that started with a moment, just a second.



    00:00:44.277 --> 00:00:48.717


    It was just the size of a pea, and yet it all changed from that day forward.



    00:00:49.097 --> 00:00:55.377


    So if you were looking for a story to not only inspire you, but to also just



    00:00:55.377 --> 00:01:01.477


    remind you of the strength within us all, then this is an interview you will not want to miss.



    00:01:02.017 --> 00:01:04.857


    This, my friend, is episode 300.



    00:01:05.457 --> 00:01:08.617


    This is the story of Tondi Montgomery.



    00:01:11.457 --> 00:01:15.417


    Yo, are you ready to flip the script on life? Because those bad days,



    00:01:15.537 --> 00:01:17.417


    they're just doors to better days.



    00:01:17.657 --> 00:01:21.577


    And that's exactly what we do here at Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.



    00:01:21.577 --> 00:01:25.237


    Your host, Kevin Lowe, he's been flipping the script on his own life,



    00:01:25.437 --> 00:01:29.877


    turning over 20 years of being completely blind into straight up inspiration,



    00:01:30.097 --> 00:01:32.557


    motivation, and encouragement just for you.



    00:01:32.757 --> 00:01:38.077


    So, kick back, relax, and let me introduce you to your host, Kevin Lowe.



    00:01:38.577 --> 00:01:43.757


    What is up, my friend? Welcome back to the podcast, as always.



    00:01:44.697 --> 00:01:47.657


    Hey, we made it. It's our 300th episode.



    00:01:48.137 --> 00:01:52.897


    I am excited you're here, whether it's your first time or you've been here from the beginning.



    00:01:53.077 --> 00:01:57.817


    I am so thrilled and appreciative that you are here today.



    00:01:58.577 --> 00:02:02.597


    Now, I'm going to get to my interview with Tondi real quick,



    00:02:02.777 --> 00:02:05.897


    but I just wanted to be sure that I told you thank you.



    00:02:06.037 --> 00:02:09.997


    Thank you for being here. Thank you for being a part of this amazing journey.



    00:02:11.137 --> 00:02:14.037


    Podcasting has has brought so much joy to my life.



    00:02:14.137 --> 00:02:19.737


    It has brought so many new opportunities and I just cannot be more grateful.



    00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:23.860


    And so I just wanted to be sure that I said, thank you.



    00:02:23.980 --> 00:02:29.200


    I also want to remind you that right now we are in the midst of summer and I



    00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:36.320


    have my sizzling summer special where I am offering free one-on-one coaching all summer long.



    00:02:36.640 --> 00:02:39.980


    All you have to do is text summer 2024.



    00:02:40.620 --> 00:02:48.940


    That's all one word, no spaces, summer 2024 to the phone number 33-777.



    00:02:48.940 --> 00:02:56.780


    Again, that phone number is 33777, and I will give you a link to book your free



    00:02:56.780 --> 00:02:58.240


    one-on-one coaching call.



    00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:03.220


    30-minute deep dive where we can explore what you've got going on in life,



    00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:08.260


    where you're trying to get to, and figure out what roadblocks are standing in the way.



    00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:13.840


    You can find that information plus a direct link inside of today's show notes



    00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:15.960


    if that makes life any easier. year.



    00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:22.440


    With that out of the way, my friend, it's my pleasure to introduce you to today's



    00:03:22.440 --> 00:03:24.160


    absolutely incredible guest.



    00:03:24.480 --> 00:03:26.700


    Here is Tondi Montgomery.



    00:03:27.700 --> 00:03:32.420


    I refer to the Tondi before the diagnosis as Tondi 1.0.



    00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.900


    So I'll give you a little background about Tondi 1.0.



    00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:40.080


    And so I've been in advertising for almost 15 years now.



    00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:48.020


    So led a lot of really great work from Verizon to Capital One to AT&T, so many great clients.



    00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:55.560


    And so Tani 1.0 was and is still ambitious, just really excited about life and what it had to offer.



    00:03:55.760 --> 00:04:00.300


    I've had two little kids and I've also been married for 17 years.



    00:04:00.580 --> 00:04:05.320


    And so life before the diagnosis on paper, you would think that everything was



    00:04:05.320 --> 00:04:08.820


    copacetic, everything was great, But there was still something missing.



    00:04:08.880 --> 00:04:13.840


    And that was my purpose and my desire to do more than just, you know,



    00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:16.360


    live day to day and check the box. Yeah.



    00:04:17.152 --> 00:04:21.012


    I get it. I get it. How would you describe that feeling?



    00:04:21.152 --> 00:04:25.532


    Like to say to somebody that you felt like there was something missing?



    00:04:25.932 --> 00:04:28.972


    You know, when I woke up in the, you know, every day, I'm like,



    00:04:29.032 --> 00:04:30.512


    okay, I know what I'm supposed to do.



    00:04:30.632 --> 00:04:35.252


    I'm Tandi, the wife, Tandi, the mom, you know, Tandi, the ad executive.



    00:04:35.432 --> 00:04:41.872


    I knew that part, but in terms of who I was at the core, I was still trying to find who she was.



    00:04:42.052 --> 00:04:45.952


    So I always felt that something was different. and something was missing, something was lacking.



    00:04:46.172 --> 00:04:51.392


    It was as if I had a mask on every single day, kind of afraid to share and show



    00:04:51.392 --> 00:04:53.592


    the world who the real Tondi is.



    00:04:54.212 --> 00:04:56.392


    Yeah, I love it so much.



    00:04:57.152 --> 00:05:01.892


    So I know the big part of our story is, of course, your cancer diagnosis.



    00:05:02.392 --> 00:05:07.152


    Before we even get to that, though, did you ever have any family history?



    00:05:07.272 --> 00:05:08.892


    Anybody in your family with cancer?



    00:05:09.032 --> 00:05:13.432


    Well, not breast cancer. So my grandfather had prostate cancer,



    00:05:13.592 --> 00:05:16.332


    but breast cancer didn't run in my family.



    00:05:16.672 --> 00:05:23.232


    Okay. Okay. Wow. Interesting. Okay. So unless there's anything before it,



    00:05:23.332 --> 00:05:24.592


    let's go ahead and dive in.



    00:05:24.692 --> 00:05:31.532


    And I would love for you to kind of just walk us through the events from how this even got started.



    00:05:31.732 --> 00:05:35.092


    And I would love to hear that story. Yeah, absolutely.



    00:05:35.612 --> 00:05:39.972


    And so I am, I'm very in tune when it comes to my body and my health.



    00:05:40.132 --> 00:05:43.652


    I eat healthy. I work out five to six times a week.



    00:05:43.772 --> 00:05:47.592


    And so if you can imagine this diagnosis came as a surprise,



    00:05:47.852 --> 00:05:51.172


    but I'm always do my monthly checks. And so what does that mean?



    00:05:51.292 --> 00:05:54.752


    So as females, it's important to do your monthly breast exams.



    00:05:54.912 --> 00:06:00.052


    And so I found my own cancer, Kevin, I found my own cancer and I was like,



    00:06:00.092 --> 00:06:02.712


    something's not right here, but I don't think it's too much,



    00:06:02.752 --> 00:06:06.612


    but I don't want to overlook the lump. It was a small lump, the size of a pea.



    00:06:06.872 --> 00:06:09.272


    And so I went to the doctor immediately.



    00:06:09.732 --> 00:06:12.012


    They did a mammogram, an ultrasound.



    00:06:12.552 --> 00:06:16.452


    They told me to come back for a biopsy. And when they told me to come back,



    00:06:16.492 --> 00:06:19.592


    that's when something, I knew it wasn't right. I'm like, okay,



    00:06:19.632 --> 00:06:20.792


    something is not right here.



    00:06:20.952 --> 00:06:27.252


    And then after all the results came back, my PCP called me. It was November 1st, 2021.



    00:06:27.892 --> 00:06:34.832


    And my PCP, it was over the phone and she said, Tondi, you have invasive ductal carcinoma.



    00:06:35.212 --> 00:06:38.532


    And at that time, Kevin, I was like, is this a new strand of COVID?



    00:06:38.872 --> 00:06:41.932


    Like, I don't, you know, I had no idea what that was. I'm like,



    00:06:42.092 --> 00:06:45.832


    oh, that's interesting. You know, but I said, so what is that?



    00:06:46.272 --> 00:06:49.992


    And she looked, you know, she said, you have breast cancer. Right.



    00:06:50.362 --> 00:06:55.042


    Hmm. And my world literally stopped.



    00:06:55.282 --> 00:06:58.082


    Kevin, I had a meeting scheduled for five o'clock that day.



    00:06:58.242 --> 00:07:02.022


    My appointment was at four o'clock. I no longer thought about the presentation



    00:07:02.022 --> 00:07:03.822


    or my client work or anything else.



    00:07:03.942 --> 00:07:06.802


    The first thing that I thought about was what about my family?



    00:07:07.142 --> 00:07:11.482


    And I'm too young to die. I was 38 at the time.



    00:07:11.502 --> 00:07:15.502


    And so a lot of times they tell you don't get a mammogram until you're 40.



    00:07:15.662 --> 00:07:21.362


    Well, I'm so glad that I took the precaution and did my own exam and found my



    00:07:21.362 --> 00:07:23.162


    own cancer so that I could be proactive.



    00:07:23.402 --> 00:07:26.862


    And of course, start while it was early. So it was a stage one,



    00:07:27.002 --> 00:07:29.962


    which is the very beginning stages of breast cancer.



    00:07:30.382 --> 00:07:36.422


    Yes. Oh, my gosh. I mean, what though a testament to the fact of doing your



    00:07:36.422 --> 00:07:38.822


    own self-exam. Yes, absolutely.



    00:07:39.342 --> 00:07:40.802


    Yeah. Incredible.



    00:07:41.482 --> 00:07:45.462


    Wow. So you get this diagnosis now.



    00:07:45.542 --> 00:07:49.102


    Were you in the doctor's office or was this all over the phone?



    00:07:49.442 --> 00:07:51.102


    It was over the phone. So I was at home.



    00:07:51.642 --> 00:07:55.622


    Wow. Yeah, I was at home and I was literally taken aback.



    00:07:55.642 --> 00:07:59.642


    And, you know, like I said, so many thoughts flooded my head. What about the kids?



    00:07:59.962 --> 00:08:03.022


    I'm too young to die right now. There's still purpose left in me.



    00:08:03.022 --> 00:08:09.122


    There was so much that I thought about because when the reality of death is



    00:08:09.122 --> 00:08:12.402


    kind of in your face, you're like, oh, my God, like, what did I do wrong?



    00:08:12.662 --> 00:08:20.502


    You know, but again, I decided to talk to my family. They have been and continue to be very supportive.



    00:08:20.962 --> 00:08:24.102


    And I was like, Tondi, this is not what you expected.



    00:08:24.802 --> 00:08:28.262


    This is this sucks. It's not what you expected.



    00:08:28.562 --> 00:08:31.542


    I'm going to be honest with you, but you're going to fight through this and



    00:08:31.542 --> 00:08:36.262


    you're going to win. And so after the original diagnosis, we had planned to



    00:08:36.262 --> 00:08:38.342


    just have a double mastectomy.



    00:08:38.382 --> 00:08:40.082


    And that's when you have both of the girls removed.



    00:08:40.402 --> 00:08:44.982


    And I was supposed to get on my merry way and have reconstructive surgery and



    00:08:44.982 --> 00:08:47.782


    get back on to life as normal within two months.



    00:08:48.002 --> 00:08:53.482


    But after my initial surgery, when the results came back, Kevin,



    00:08:53.582 --> 00:08:56.022


    the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes.



    00:08:56.302 --> 00:09:00.962


    And so the two month journey ended up turning into 12 months.



    00:09:00.962 --> 00:09:07.202


    So within that 12 months, it was 16 rounds of chemo, 30 days of radiation and four surgeries.



    00:09:09.482 --> 00:09:14.482


    Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Briefly backing up about your family.



    00:09:14.722 --> 00:09:21.182


    You were a mother. How old were your kids? At that time, they were eight and four. Wow.



    00:09:22.662 --> 00:09:24.682


    Yeah. How young?



    00:09:25.849 --> 00:09:30.709


    Does Tondi, the mom, even do that?



    00:09:30.949 --> 00:09:36.409


    Yeah. I mean, continuing being a mom while going through this treatment.



    00:09:36.689 --> 00:09:41.369


    Yeah, absolutely. And that's a good question, Kevin, because life doesn't stop.



    00:09:41.629 --> 00:09:46.729


    You know, the kids still need things. You still have to show up to soccer games



    00:09:46.729 --> 00:09:49.689


    and the PTA meetings and all of those things.



    00:09:49.689 --> 00:09:54.849


    And what I ended up doing was, Kevin, and I want your audience to really hear



    00:09:54.849 --> 00:09:57.489


    this, Tani 1.0 would have had



    00:09:57.489 --> 00:10:01.349


    this superwoman cape on and tried to pretend as if everything was okay.



    00:10:01.549 --> 00:10:05.469


    And I was like, you know what? I can't get through this journey pretending as if I'm okay.



    00:10:05.689 --> 00:10:10.709


    And so I really allowed myself to tell the kids what was going on.



    00:10:10.849 --> 00:10:13.629


    So we educated them on what is cancer.



    00:10:13.789 --> 00:10:17.109


    We educated them on the process. So they knew what is chemo?



    00:10:17.109 --> 00:10:20.329


    What is radiation? how does this help mom feel better they



    00:10:20.329 --> 00:10:23.289


    also knew about like the unconventional side of



    00:10:23.289 --> 00:10:26.009


    that which is the supplements and working out and



    00:10:26.009 --> 00:10:29.129


    exercising just to make sure that those two



    00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:33.389


    were married and really which would help me to expedite the



    00:10:33.389 --> 00:10:36.289


    the recovery process and so we literally my husband



    00:10:36.289 --> 00:10:40.209


    and i sat down and we talked to them about the entire process and it was really



    00:10:40.209 --> 00:10:45.329


    good that they saw mom not just as a strong tondi 1.0 but they saw mom in her



    00:10:45.329 --> 00:10:49.769


    weakest moments which increased their faith and increase their responsibilities



    00:10:49.769 --> 00:10:53.689


    and their reliability on themselves. Yeah. Oh, wow.



    00:10:54.609 --> 00:10:59.489


    That's so powerful. Now, during this basically year journey,



    00:10:59.729 --> 00:11:03.729


    did you have to spend any extended time in the hospital?



    00:11:03.989 --> 00:11:08.129


    So with the surgeries, the only time I had to spend in the hospital was like two nights.



    00:11:08.509 --> 00:11:12.289


    And that's when I had the reconstructive surgery. With the chemo,



    00:11:12.389 --> 00:11:17.369


    it was every week for the first 12 and then every other week for the the last four.



    00:11:17.589 --> 00:11:23.309


    With radiation, I was there every day, Monday through Friday. So I was in and out.



    00:11:23.905 --> 00:11:28.465


    Yeah. Yeah. What kind of like side effects and stuff did you have to deal with?



    00:11:28.585 --> 00:11:31.845


    I mean, I think of, of course, like, you know, like losing your hair,



    00:11:31.925 --> 00:11:34.965


    but just kind of curious. Yes, absolutely.



    00:11:35.245 --> 00:11:39.085


    And so, Kevin, I'm a strategist by by profession and by nature.



    00:11:39.165 --> 00:11:43.025


    So I went in with a strategy when it was my faith.



    00:11:43.165 --> 00:11:48.745


    And then, of course, finding out and researching everything that I had to learn



    00:11:48.745 --> 00:11:54.065


    about breast cancer and everything that I needed to learn about chemo and radiation.



    00:11:54.365 --> 00:11:57.065


    So what are the side effects? What's the recovery time period?



    00:11:57.065 --> 00:12:01.425


    And so I went in there, I had a spreadsheet, Kevin, and I said,



    00:12:01.505 --> 00:12:05.485


    okay, side effects, possibility one can be losing your hair.



    00:12:05.605 --> 00:12:06.605


    Okay. What is the solution?



    00:12:06.905 --> 00:12:11.265


    Okay. Let me go ahead and get my wig first. Side effect option B could be,



    00:12:11.285 --> 00:12:13.965


    you know, low blood cell, low blood count.



    00:12:14.105 --> 00:12:17.565


    Let me go ahead and get some supplements. And so literally, I had a spreadsheet



    00:12:17.565 --> 00:12:24.345


    that light up all the possible side effects so that when and if it happened, I would be prepared.



    00:12:24.565 --> 00:12:28.025


    And so even down to like the gum sensitivity, and there's so many different



    00:12:28.025 --> 00:12:30.545


    things that you, the fatigue as well.



    00:12:30.605 --> 00:12:33.705


    So even when it comes to fatigue, I knew that there were going to be certain



    00:12:33.705 --> 00:12:36.325


    times throughout the week that I'll be very fatigued.



    00:12:36.325 --> 00:12:41.785


    And so I saw an integrative medical doctor and she basically gave me some holistic



    00:12:41.785 --> 00:12:46.285


    things that I could do to help fight against the fatigue, like drinking bone



    00:12:46.285 --> 00:12:50.825


    broth or having a lot of protein to really help my cells rebuild.



    00:12:51.365 --> 00:12:53.145


    Yeah. Wow, wow, wow.



    00:12:53.825 --> 00:12:58.345


    Were you able to work during this period or no?



    00:12:58.625 --> 00:13:04.265


    So I decided to take off. And so, like I said, I have been in advertising over 15 years.



    00:13:04.265 --> 00:13:11.085


    So I had a really great employee and employer, excuse me, and they were so supportive,



    00:13:11.425 --> 00:13:17.185


    Kevin, so supportive in terms of me being able to take off that time because



    00:13:17.185 --> 00:13:21.985


    I really wanted to focus on my health and to make sure that I was able to go



    00:13:21.985 --> 00:13:22.865


    to the doctor appointments,



    00:13:23.025 --> 00:13:28.125


    making sure that I had the time to research and recover without focusing on



    00:13:28.125 --> 00:13:30.605


    the deadlines. Yeah, absolutely.



    00:13:31.685 --> 00:13:34.985


    So here's when we're going to introduce the variable.



    00:13:35.365 --> 00:13:38.945


    Here you are. You're a woman. You're a mother. You're a wife.



    00:13:39.125 --> 00:13:41.925


    You now have cancer. You're fighting it.



    00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:47.770


    And then you have some crazy idea to start posting it on YouTube.



    00:13:50.070 --> 00:13:56.770


    You got to talk to me about this because you documented this entire process.



    00:13:58.350 --> 00:14:01.770


    It's funny that you mentioned that because, again, kind of referring back to



    00:14:01.770 --> 00:14:06.230


    Time D 1.0, even though I was in theater, I did a lot of things on stage,



    00:14:06.270 --> 00:14:10.050


    but I was still private when it came to my personal life.



    00:14:10.050 --> 00:14:14.570


    So I didn't really share a lot of the intimate moments in terms of what I was



    00:14:14.570 --> 00:14:15.990


    doing behind the scenes.



    00:14:16.370 --> 00:14:20.470


    But my brother, who was a videographer, he said, Tondi, I don't care what you're



    00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:24.550


    going through, whether it's a high moment or a low moment, I need you to record



    00:14:24.550 --> 00:14:28.510


    what's going on because you are going to help so many people.



    00:14:28.710 --> 00:14:33.050


    You may not see it right now, but I need you to record it. And I was like,



    00:14:33.130 --> 00:14:35.050


    I don't think I'm going to do that.



    00:14:37.050 --> 00:14:41.610


    No, that's not going to happen. But something prompted me and I knew that was



    00:14:41.610 --> 00:14:46.010


    a part of my mission was to not just share the highs,



    00:14:46.330 --> 00:14:51.850


    but also to show the lows, show me getting my hair shaved, show me going in



    00:14:51.850 --> 00:14:55.790


    and out of the doctor's office, show me crying and in my most vulnerable state.



    00:14:56.170 --> 00:15:00.970


    And to this day, I am so incredibly grateful that he gave me that wisdom because



    00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:06.630


    yes, to your point, I was able to use my experience in advertising and put my



    00:15:06.630 --> 00:15:09.290


    story across different channels. So you mentioned YouTube.



    00:15:09.390 --> 00:15:14.550


    So creating the documentary 16 Tuesdays. So that really focused on every Tuesday



    00:15:14.550 --> 00:15:17.210


    I was getting chemo for 16 rounds.



    00:15:17.430 --> 00:15:23.450


    And so I called it 16 Tuesdays. And I also was able to use my story and post



    00:15:23.450 --> 00:15:27.550


    it across Instagram and Facebook, create an affirmation book,



    00:15:27.770 --> 00:15:30.210


    just so many different things, do motivational speaking.



    00:15:30.210 --> 00:15:35.410


    There are so many things that I was able to do by the grace of God because of



    00:15:35.410 --> 00:15:37.190


    the journey that I went through.



    00:15:37.830 --> 00:15:44.230


    Wow. Wow. So what we're saying is Tondi 2.0 became pretty darn amazing.



    00:15:44.790 --> 00:15:47.230


    She's resilient. She's pretty resilient.



    00:15:48.910 --> 00:15:53.510


    Oh, my goodness. I love it so much. during that time,



    00:15:54.010 --> 00:15:57.590


    is there any moments that kind of stand out for one or two reasons,



    00:15:57.870 --> 00:16:02.570


    either memorable because of something good, even in all that bad,



    00:16:02.650 --> 00:16:05.730


    maybe it was a person or something happening.



    00:16:05.770 --> 00:16:09.670


    And then on the opposite spectrum, one of your lowest moments.



    00:16:09.950 --> 00:16:14.890


    Yeah, that's a really great question. I would say the high moments, Kevin, are,



    00:16:15.227 --> 00:16:21.247


    I jumped off the hamster wheel of life and I slowed down for the first time ever.



    00:16:21.427 --> 00:16:26.407


    And I began to really enjoy the moment with my family.



    00:16:26.567 --> 00:16:31.207


    I wasn't rushing trying to do this and do that, but I slowed down for the first



    00:16:31.207 --> 00:16:34.667


    time and I literally noticed the seasons change.



    00:16:35.047 --> 00:16:38.207


    I noticed the trees and I noticed the leaves coming back.



    00:16:38.347 --> 00:16:43.367


    I noticed the snowfall. I heard the birds chirping. So my sensitivity in terms



    00:16:43.367 --> 00:16:49.947


    of just being in the moment and really appreciating life and my family really heightened.



    00:16:50.527 --> 00:16:53.907


    Yes. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. That's so beautiful.



    00:16:54.107 --> 00:16:58.347


    For sure. And then I also, you know, I found my voice, Kevin.



    00:16:58.507 --> 00:17:03.107


    I learned how to advocate for myself because sometimes, you know,



    00:17:03.127 --> 00:17:05.827


    in the health care industry, they can be dismissive at times.



    00:17:05.827 --> 00:17:12.027


    So I learned how to one, be prepared, do my research, you know, have a plan.



    00:17:12.227 --> 00:17:15.467


    And when I went to the doctor's office, it wasn't like, let me just hear what



    00:17:15.467 --> 00:17:17.547


    you want to say. It's like, no, this is my research.



    00:17:17.787 --> 00:17:23.327


    What is best for me? And so I really went in there and I learned how to advocate for myself.



    00:17:23.447 --> 00:17:26.867


    And I'm teaching other cancer patients as well. It's like, you know,



    00:17:26.907 --> 00:17:28.367


    your body better than anybody.



    00:17:28.647 --> 00:17:33.307


    So it's up to you to do the research and advocate for yourself because there



    00:17:33.307 --> 00:17:37.627


    were certain times, For example, when I was having chemo, the pre-meds were



    00:17:37.627 --> 00:17:42.127


    too much. They were giving me the same medication as someone that was probably twice my size.



    00:17:42.307 --> 00:17:46.647


    And so since I did my research, I was able to say, can we bring it down a little bit?



    00:17:46.787 --> 00:17:50.767


    And because of that, the side effects dwindled severely.



    00:17:52.387 --> 00:17:55.507


    Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Yeah, that's incredible.



    00:17:56.167 --> 00:18:01.647


    My gosh. The way that you approach this whole thing with your research is just



    00:18:01.647 --> 00:18:04.707


    that's that's literally amazing.



    00:18:05.227 --> 00:18:08.547


    Wow. Wow. Thank you so very much. Thank you so much.



    00:18:08.647 --> 00:18:12.807


    And to answer the second part of your question in terms of some of the moments



    00:18:12.807 --> 00:18:14.807


    that may not have been as high.



    00:18:15.087 --> 00:18:20.567


    I remember, you know, as a female, oftentimes we identify ourselves based on



    00:18:20.567 --> 00:18:22.307


    our hair and our boobs. loops.



    00:18:22.367 --> 00:18:26.627


    And once you lose both of those, it really causes you to really,



    00:18:26.647 --> 00:18:30.247


    really search deep down inside to figure out who am I at the core?



    00:18:30.427 --> 00:18:33.607


    You know, you lose your hair, you lose your eyebrows, you lose your eyelashes.



    00:18:33.987 --> 00:18:39.167


    And it's like, wow, well, who is Tandi? Who is Tandi behind all of that?



    00:18:39.407 --> 00:18:46.407


    And it really caused me to sit a lot and journal a lot and create a lot so that



    00:18:46.407 --> 00:18:50.867


    I could express myself because cancer is not just a physical journey.



    00:18:50.947 --> 00:18:55.367


    It is a mental journey. It is a financial journey, is a spiritual journey.



    00:18:55.507 --> 00:18:57.447


    And so I'm like, how do I navigate this?



    00:18:57.607 --> 00:19:02.247


    And so I learned the art of yoga and meditation and journaling so that I could



    00:19:02.247 --> 00:19:06.467


    release those emotions because the emotions will come, you know, they will come and go.



    00:19:06.627 --> 00:19:11.547


    And so like, how do I release these emotions in a healthy way so that they're



    00:19:11.547 --> 00:19:13.207


    not all bottled inside? Right.



    00:19:13.787 --> 00:19:19.447


    Yeah, absolutely. Your faith. Talk to me about your faith journey.



    00:19:20.027 --> 00:19:25.447


    For myself, my faith, my family, I say you're the only way I got through my



    00:19:25.447 --> 00:19:27.227


    own, you know, life changing experience.



    00:19:27.587 --> 00:19:31.287


    And I hear you talk a lot about your faith, a lot about your family.



    00:19:31.427 --> 00:19:37.947


    And I would love to hear your faith journey and the impact it had on this whole experience.



    00:19:38.607 --> 00:19:43.967


    Absolutely. And Kevin, when I first heard about the diagnosis, I was so angry.



    00:19:44.267 --> 00:19:48.687


    I mean, just really, really angry. I'm like, God, why would you allow this to happen to me?



    00:19:48.827 --> 00:19:54.487


    Like I said, I ate healthy. I worked out. I checked every box I thought to stay cancer free.



    00:19:54.687 --> 00:19:59.647


    And so I was so angry. And I remem

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