SPEAKER_02 0:00

Here comes a Sun Do-D-Do-Do. Here comes a Santa say it's all right.

SPEAKER_03 0:20

Hello, fortitude audience. Thank you so much for being back with us today. I am Heather Kittelson. I was gonna say Sano! I was gonna use my maiden name. What the heck? I was thinking back to the beginning. That's funny because we're drawbacks. That's gotta stay on there. So I am not Heather Sano anymore. I am Heather Kittelson for the last 12 years. Thank goodness. And I'm sitting next to my amazing husband, Amos Kittelson.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Amos Kittelson. Kittelson. Hi.

SPEAKER_03 0:50

And we have in our studio today another Heather. And I love that. Have you ever has your name ever bothered you? No. No. Not really. There's not a single Heather I've ever met that has said they didn't like their name.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

No, in fact, knowing the names that my mom had picked out for me, I'm glad it's Heather.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

And you can't shorten it really. No. I've had people call me H or HK. Otherwise, it's always Heather. Yep. I get H P and then they're like Harry Potter. I'm like, uh, not quite. Not quite. He is about as unique as you are in different different facets. Oh, having you hearer. I the story you're going to tell the audience today is probably going as soon as they hear Heather does not have a stomach. Yeah. That when I when you sent me a message and reached out to me, I we didn't know each other very well. I knew your employer, I knew where you worked, because we are dear friends with them. Um, but when you sent me a message after listening to our podcast, I was like, wait, did I read that right? Did did she just say I don't have a stomach? Yeah. I was so I was so excited about getting together with you and hearing the full story of how this has all transpired and even how you are walking today. Because I did not know you could live without a stomach. Same. So, audience, buckle up. This is good. This is so good. And so, Heather, can you share a little bit of who you are today? Yeah. And then we're just gonna jump right in.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Yeah, absolutely. So, of course, my name is Heather. Um, I have two little girls. I have a 13-year-old whose name is Paige, and then I have a four-year-old named Charlie. Every day she asks if it's her birthday today, because we're ready to be five. Um, I am currently the COO, human resources and marketing director at Highest Health Chiropractic and love that journey. Never thought this is where I would be at this point in life, but having your stomach removed, of course, changes a few things in life as far as happiness and where you at and what does your life look like now and all of those things. Um, just loving life, love sharing my story and that. And you're sharing your story all over.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

Yeah. It's you're at school. Share a little bit about for those who, after hearing this whole entire testimony, why why why do you go share your story so much?

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah. So originally when I first found out that I might have to have my stomach removed, and that could be a possibility, there wasn't a lot of information. I found bits and pieces here and there, but there wasn't a lot. So I was like, geez, if I can just touch one person's life, that's what I'm going to do. And so after having my stomach removed, which I know will go down that journey, um, I was like, I'm gonna share this. Whoever wants to listen. If anybody wants to listen, I'm gonna share it. So I had shared it with our local newspaper, and then from there it went statewide, and then from there it went across the country and then went overseas, and then I was getting emails in languages I don't even understand. And I had the opportunity to speak at City of Hope Hospital to doctors there and patients who potentially would also be having their stomachs removed in their families. Spoke in many schools, and it's just fascinating to see the kids' face like, what do you mean you don't have a stomach? Yeah. Scowling. That's not even true. Um, so that's kind of fun to do that too. Um, have gone to Washington, D.C. and spoke to senators and just knowing that it's super important to raise that money for cancer research. Um, and so have done that also, and just anybody that wants to hear it, I will sit down and share it with you and tell you about it. And I think a big part of it, even beyond the stomach part, is just like advocating for yourself and your health and what that looks like and your kids and your family. And I mean, you're gonna get a lot of arrows thrown at you in different directions, some good, some bad, some that are like, am I doing the right thing? But you you have to advocate for yourself and trust your gut, which is kind of funny to say, but it's true.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Trust your gut. Nice, trust your gut.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Yep. Uh man. Okay. So where are you from? Um, so I grew up in Fargo, okay, North Dakota. And then most of my adult life was in Bismarck, North Dakota. Okay. Until I moved to Sioux Falls, I think it'll be four years this upcoming August.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Okay. And you have been in a lot of different walks in your career, um, which is awesome how you've ended up all every single thing that you have done has landed you in a COO role. Yeah. That's wild. Multifast, like it's all over the board. Yeah. Yep. And you're so good at it. Your energy's awesome. Uh so I'm really pumped for for our audience today. Yeah. So Heather, you uh went through quite with with uh your mom and your grandma. Grandpa. Grandpa, yeah. That's what it was. Grandpa Um seeing their journeys and knowing that this potentially was going to be your future. What what like that moment when your mom and you were holding her hand, share that story with us because a lot of things kind of things transpired from the moment that you lost your mom.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Yeah, for sure. So I knew that my grandpa passed away from stomach cancer. We all knew that. Open him up. Nope, can't do anything, close him back up and he passed away. I was one, but I heard heard the story so many times on how impactful of a life he led and how he was a great leader in support of that entire family. Um, so when my mom started to have some issues with heartburn and not being able to sleep and losing a lot of weight and projectile vomiting, um, she had brought up to her doctor, like, my dad passed away from stomach cancer. Like, I just think that should be known. And so they did endoscopies and they didn't find anything. And they're like, try this medication and try that medication. And six months later, she was not any better. And they went back in and did endoscopy. Um, and they were like, Oh, you have stomach cancer. So they removed 80% of her stomach, but they didn't remove the whole stomach. That wasn't really something you did. And it's crazy to think, like, that was 2003. So, like, in my mind, that really wasn't that long ago. Yeah. And at the same time, at this point, it kind of is. Um, and so that wasn't something they did. So they removed 80% of her stomach. They did chemo, they did radiation, they said, looks like you're good to go. Come back in four months. Let's do a checkup. Went back in four months. They're like, it's everywhere. There's nothing we can do. You can go back on chemo, but it's not going to change the fact that this is going to be what ends you. So she did that for a while, but eventually you get sick of feeling like bugs are crawling all over you, and you get sick of sleeping all the time or throwing up, and that's your life. And so from the chemo.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

From the chemo. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

So I remember she called me at this point. I am in college, and she calls me and she's like, Heather, I hate to tell you this. I just can't live this kind of life anymore. Like quality versus quantity. And I'm 19, right? So I'm like, what do you mean? My dad had passed away when I was 12. So I'm like, I'm gonna be an orphan, and now I don't have you, and I don't have anybody, and what am I supposed to do? And my sister's five years younger, and like you're supposed to be here and you're just gonna give up. And of course, now being 40, I'm like, oh, like I can't imagine that. But at 19, that's not your mindset, right? So leave me. No, you can't leave me. What am I gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 7:58

A 15-year-old sister.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Yeah, that's a big deal. And and dad had already passed away. Yeah, yeah, that's a big one.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Yeah. So we had already overcome the obstacle of like the hurdle of losing our dad, and then now we're gonna lose our mom, and like what is that going to look like? And how did you lose your dad, Heather? He passed away from cirrhosis of the liver from drinking too much.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Oof. Yeah. So your childhood was also traumatic versus your mom getting seeing your mom go through what she went through. You also watched your dad go through quite a bit.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

Yeah, didn't really get to watch him go through it because he chose alcohol over us. Okay. And so that didn't really get to watch that per se. When my parents had split up because that was his choice, was to choose alcohol. Um, we ended up moving back to North Dakota and he stayed in Texas. And I never did see him again.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

So when he passed away, he wasn't present in our life. He would call and send birthday cards, but that was really about it.

SPEAKER_03 8:58

Okay. Have you knowing that that is his generation or that his that could be a potential, does that ever ooh, I bet that this has a lot to do with also why you've gone the route you've gone. Yeah. Because you have two different generation lines that are pretty hard to swallow. Of like, oh, uh this could happen to me, or this could happen to me.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

And my dad was 40 when he passed away. And my mom was 44. And so, like, they were young. So a lot of times, if I'm seeing like a new doctor or something, they're like, ooh, your life expectancy. And I was like, no, no, no, that was them. I'm a very different person. I get like some of that falls into place, but some of it I have choices on. And that doesn't have to be my trajectory. Um, so yeah, so going through the stuff with my mom, feeling like, you can't leave us. Oh my gosh, what's happening? Then you kind of succumb to it. Like she's miserable, she's awful, she's in pain. Um, went through the hospice course and held her hand. And I remember the hospice nurse being like, you know, she probably only has two weeks. And she was like, I'm gonna live longer than two weeks. That was just her, like determined, and like she did. She lasted longer than two weeks, not much longer, but longer than two weeks, just to like show them. And she took her last breath and I held her hand. And it was awful. Awful in the sense for me, like she passed away so peacefully. There was none of you know the stuff that they talk about, like gurgling or fighting or anything like that. Like it was very peaceful. But in that moment, I didn't really understand a lot. Like, I remember one of the nurses like handing me her pillow that was still warm, and I was like, this is weird. Now I'm like, oh, I wish I would have held onto that pillow a little bit longer. Or like when the funeral home came and they put her in the body bag. They're like, you don't have to watch this. And I was like, you have to be careful with my mom. No, I'm watching this and I'm making sure. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have watched her be put in the body bag. That's just a hard thing to watch, and then have her body taken away. And I was like, in that moment, I wasn't thinking about kids or anything long term, but thinking about it now, when I even had my daughter, I was like, I never want them, her at that point, only had the one to even ever have to watch me suffer, have to watch me help me go to the bathroom, have to watch me be put inside of a body bag. Like, I just no, no kid should ever have to watch that. And obviously, yes, maybe in time that happens when you're 80. That should happen when you're 80, not when you're 44. I don't know everybody ever have to watch that, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

And what happened to your sister?

SPEAKER_01 11:30

So my sister went from going to school with 600 kids in Fargo and moving in with my aunt, who was her godmother, um, in Buffalo. So she had like a class of 20. So you go from class of 600 to a class of 20, and she moved in with them. Um, I think there's a rhyme and reason everything happens in life. Well, most things happen in life. I think it was good for her, going from a really big school to a smaller school. She was in anything and everything, plays, music, you name it, like a part of whatever she could be a part of. And I think that was really great for her. She had a lot of times just clung to my mom, especially through those last little while of that, and really didn't get to be her own person. And so I think she was really able to step out and like find who she was and do things she really enjoyed and loved. And so I think that was super great. Um, she had a lot of family and friends just like wrap her up. And I'm not saying that I didn't, but I was 19. And a lot of what I got was like, well, you're 19, you're an adult. Good luck. And I was like, uh, you are not an adult at 19, mark my word. Um, and so it was a lot of just like figuring life out and like, where do I belong and what do I do next? And like, I don't have a home to go back to now. Like my parents are gone, my sister has my aunt's home now. So my stuff is in this little tiny dorm room, or I'm moving into an apartment. And but like, where do you put your stuff? Yeah, like the stuff you leave at home, things like that. So that was that was a struggle for sure. Um, I knew that my mom always wanted me to graduate from college. Like that was something she was so proud of, like, just you got to college. And she had done, I think, a semester at college, but had never graduated. Um, and so that was something I was like, I have to finish college. So finish with my teaching degree, super proud of it. And teachers just don't make a lot of money. And so, in that time of student teaching, I had taken on a role in a clothing store just as a part-time thing. And as I was about to graduate, they're like, You want to be a manager? Like, we would love that. I'm like, I'm 19. Well, probably at that point, probably 21. 21, I was like, oh, good money, discount on clothes, like good benefits, more than what teachers make. I think I'm gonna do that. So I did that instead for quite a while until you don't want to work nights, weekends, and holidays anymore. And you think I maybe do want to have a family, and that just doesn't make sense. Um, ended up meeting my husband, got married, went into the dental field, actually. They happened to give me a chance in the dental field, and I loved it and it was great. And through that, I was going to be turning 30. So I'm like almost at that point now. And I had remembered them saying, like, this could be genetic. We don't know for sure, but like your mom passed away from stomach cancer and your grandpa, there's a chance this could be genetic. And so when I was about to turn 30, my doctor was like, I think we should figure out how to be preventative. You know, your mom and your grandpa passed away. And I was like, okay, yeah, I'm about, I'm about ready for it. She's like, I'm gonna send you to the local GI doctor here, the gastroenterologist, however you say that. That's a tough one. Um, and so I remember going in and just a little bit being annoyed, like, okay, what are they really gonna tell me? Take this vitamin, eat healthy, work out, drink water. Like, that's what they're gonna tell me. And I couldn't remember a lot, like I couldn't remember the name of my mom's cancer. I couldn't remember any of that. So I'm just telling her anything that I could remember, like sign symptoms, things that I remember doctors saying, all of that stuff. And I just remember her turning to me in the chair and being like, Heather, I've never dealt with this kind of cancer and I probably never will, less than 1% of people get it. I'm actually gonna refer you to Mayo Clinic. And I was like, excuse me? I only know Mayo is like last-ditch effort, super serious health conditions. I'm just trying to figure out how to be preventative. And now I'm going to Mayo. Like, this has got to be a bigger deal than I even knew about. So I scheduled an appointment with um one of the doctors there at Mayo Clinic. Um, and we had talked about, you know, what are the chances that this could be genetic? Well, we don't really know because no genetic testing had been done on them. So, hearing kind of the kind of cancer that they had, diffuse gastric cancer, it can be hereditary, not always. So the way you test is with a blood test. And if it happens to come back positive, you have an 83% chance that you'll get this cancer that killed your mom and grandpa. And if you get it, you only have a 4% chance you're gonna survive it. So, like, odds, not great at all. Um, and so they're like, let's go ahead and do the blood test, let's run it, let's see what happens. And I was like, okay, so if I if it does come back positive, then what do you do? And they're like, Well, you have your whole stomach removed, like super nonchalant. And I was like, huh, oh, like we're not kidding about this. I was like, I don't think you can actually live without your stomach. And they're like, Well, you can. And because we don't know what kicks it into gear and you know, really gives you that increased risk. We have a few ideas. And because it just really goes from point A to point Z really quick, like there's no grace in between, like it's super aggressive. You just have to have your stomach removed. And I was like, Okay, here we go. So did the testing six weeks. Six weeks. They're like, okay, if it comes back positive, I'm gonna feel this way. If it comes back negative, I'm gonna feel this way. If it comes back inconclusive, I'm gonna be really mad because now I got another six weeks to wait to find out. But you kind of prepare yourself for how you're going to react and feel when they call, but it isn't actually how you react and feel when they call. And they say, Yeah, you tested positive and you have an 83% chance you'll get this stomach cancer by the age of 38, mind you. And you were I was 30 at that point. Um, and a 4% chance that you'll survive it. And so the only option you have is to have your stomach removed. You can do endoscopies every six months, but you need to have it removed.

SPEAKER_00 17:22

So it was it's a really clear decision at that point.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

I mean, you either do or you don't.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

And the numbers just aren't gonna lie.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

Correct. Yeah. There's yeah, it's there's really no option other than do or don't and continue to monitor and do the endoscopies, but with my mom, it was too late. Like by the time they found it on her endoscopy, because they didn't the first go around, the second time it was too late. It was already 80% of her stomach was consumed by the cancer. So I was like, in that time, I had I had already researched hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. How do you live without a stomach? Is this possible? Um, no stomach for cancer out of Wisconsin nonprofit group, researched, talked to anybody. I could talk through that. And I was like, yep, I'm gonna do this. I know I can live a good quality life if I have an amazing surgeon and I'm not just going to my local hometown doctor because it's a big deal. Um, and your mindset is everything for sure. And so in 2016, August 16th, 2016, I had a prophylactic, laparoscopic gastrectomy, total and complete gastrectomy, entire stomach removed, which is just a wild thing.

SPEAKER_00 18:29

Lacroscopic lacroscopically. I'm not even gonna try. So small scars.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Yeah, little baby scars. I have five little baby scars. And so I asked my doctor, like, how do you get that big old organ out? He's like, actually, you know, they also do surgeries that would be like um gastric bypass. He's like, having the whole stomach removed for a surgeon is way easier than having to do gastric bypass because you just clip both ends of the stomach, it shrivels like a balloon, you just pull it right out. Yeah, isn't that insane? Because I'm like, my biggest incision is like maybe an inch. I'm like, how'd you get it out?

SPEAKER_00 19:05

We're still gonna tie things together.

SPEAKER_01 19:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

In there.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Yeah, yeah. So just wild. Yeah. But yeah, where with of course gastric bypass, they have to make sure so much of the stomach is left. Da-da-da. That kind of thing.

SPEAKER_03 19:16

Yeah. It's pretty interesting. I have three little scars from they took my appendix out. Yeah. In eighth grade. Same thing they did the laparoscopic. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

So I have so I have so many questions about your diet and your health and just what life looks like for you now.

SPEAKER_03 19:32

Yeah, absolutely. Okay, hold on though.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

Oh, am I jumping the gun? I'm too good, I'm really curious.

SPEAKER_03 19:36

I know. Go ahead, your your decision was not a small one. Uh no. And there's a lot a lot that goes into that. Yeah. There's it it it's there's it's very complex. Like just there's okay, I'm just gonna get my stomach out and then uh it's time to move on. You did you uh counsel? Did you or did you seek wisdom from family? Because like this is this is a family thing that's been generationally passed down. You're like, hey, so friends, family, neighbor.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Like, did you talk to people about it? Yeah, for sure. So actually, right away when I found out this could even be a thing, and of course, I don't have a lot of information or finding a ton of people to talk to. Um, I found a few people to talk to that I hold near and dear to my heart, like my friend Roger. But there's there's just not a lot of information. So it's like, I have to put this out here. And if people want to follow me on this journey, this is great. So I remember telling my family, like, hey, remember when they said this could be genetic? And they're like, oh yeah, we do remember that. Um, I was like, well, this is the venture I'm going on, and I don't know what it's going to look like, but here we go. And so it was kind of the guinea pig of my family to kind of go down that road first. Um, I remember getting a lot of things like, oh, just use oils, just put oils on your belly, you'll be fine. Like, don't have this major surgery, and you having this surgery is gonna change the trajectory of your life. Like, God planned and has this plan for you, and now you're changing that plan that he gave you. Like, you can't do that, or putting their own insights in like, you're not gonna live a great life. You're you're probably gonna die early. And what if you have to be on a feeding tube for forever? Like, you should, you just straight shouldn't do this.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

Can I uh can I ask you a question? Yeah, what's wrong about what they said about God's plan for your life? Yeah, what what did what did that oh that shook me?

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Yeah, that shook me a lot.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Can you expand on that?

SPEAKER_01 21:27

Yeah, I might get emotional. Okay, but yeah. So God has a plan and it's set for you. And yes, you can alter that plan and change it within means. I also don't think God's gonna give you this opportunity and allow you to spread the word. He probably gave me this opportunity because I'm the loudest in my family and will tell everybody and anybody. Um, but he's not gonna give you this opportunity and present it if it's not something that you should or shouldn't do. He can still put that wall up or cut it down and be like this. Is not happening. So when they're like, you're changing God's course for your life, I'm like, He could literally still take me today, tomorrow. And if I can be here for longer for my girls, like you maybe didn't have to watch my mom take her last breath, but I did. And so for somebody else to project that on somebody, that was hard. And it makes you question it, right? Like, should I actually be doing this? And am I changing God's plan in course of my life? Like it makes you just wonder and question all of those things. And at the same time, like God wouldn't have allowed this or put this in front of me if it wasn't supposed to be there. So I really had to follow through with like that part of my heart and my gut, trusting that like the Lord's not going to do that to you.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

Like He's He's going to use this for a bigger purpose.

SPEAKER_00 22:46

People would say that same thing about my brother. They say, Well, I guess that was God's plan. And I would always say, you know, we live in a fallen world.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

And the cool thing about the God that we serve is that he doesn't think linearly. Somehow there is a now and there's a future. And he's able to adapt and adjust. And then when I know that he has he has dominion over this world, but he still lets things happen.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

In this fallen world where there's sickness and and and uh illness. And then he can always use that for his glory.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Yeah. Right? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

So I I'm with you. Uh the whole I don't think God planned for my brother to get get cancer. He got cancer. Somehow he gave him he he got cancer somehow. Could have been something he ate, could have been an environment, could have been genetic, not his plan. It happened. Use it for his glory.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

And I have no doubt being on this side of things this many years later, um, using it for his glory without a doubt. Because I'm loud and I'm proud and I'm gonna share it with anybody that wants to hear about it and help anybody that wants to listen. Um, and so I have no doubt that that is what he what he did. But in that moment of hearing that, that was like, woo, yeah, you're gonna hit all the feels with that. Um, and it broke some relationships up that I had in my life, people that I was very close to who are like, you're making the wrong decision. And I'm like, oh my gosh, how do you get to decide? Like, I need to advocate for myself and at that point, Paige and my family and all of that.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

And so, did you have anyone supporting your decision?

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Oh, yeah, plenty that were supporting it.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

What were they saying?

SPEAKER_01 24:25

Just like you've, I mean, a lot of just like, you've got this. I don't get it, I don't understand it, but I want to know. And like, just I think more just interest in it more than anything. But I did have a huge community, family, friends that just backed me and like, whatever you need, how can I be here? How can I support? What praise all of that for sure? And of course, that outweighs bad. And of course, in human nature, we focus a lot on the negative and the bad, but so many supporters, so many people wrap their hands around me. I remember going into surgery terrified that day before surgery, they give you the wash for your belly that you have to use. And I remember being like, Am I making the wrong choice? What if I die on the table? Oh my gosh. All these things. Um, but really leading up to surgery, I really tried to have it was about a year from yes, I'm going to have my surgery to actually the surgery day. Um, that's a lot of time. Yeah, that you get to sit and think about that. Yeah, that's super, super fun. But I was like, I know mindset is huge. The outcome can a lot of times be mind-driven. Like if I'm gonna be positive about it or I'm gonna be negative about it. And so I tried to make the most fun out of it that I could. Um, I knew that after surgery, having my stomach removed, I was gonna lose a lot of weight. Um, and I didn't know what I'd be able to eat and not eat after surgery. Each person's so different. And so I created a food bucket list and my friends and family helped me rock through that food bucket list just in case I never got to have steak again or just in case I never got to have cheesecake again. Like we rocked through that bucket list. I gained a lot of weight.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Cheesecake.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

Oh, yeah. That's where it is.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

But you knew it was coming off. I knew it was coming off. I knew it was coming off. Put all this on. It's just like when you're pregnant. Yeah, I gained 70 pounds every pregnancy. I'm like, yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

For those who don't know, this I mean, the stomach stores, but what else is the stomach good for? What's it what's the stuff?

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yeah, the stomach's good for, I mean, its main purpose is tied to digest your food. That is its main purpose. And then it's going to shoot it to your intestines, and from there your nutrients are going to be absorbed.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

So it's not that the digestion happens in your intestines, it happens in your stomach first.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

Yeah, it has to digest there, break down. That's its main purpose, break down that food. So yeah, so I had two going-away parties for my stomach too. So we had all the fixins. It was super fun. But yeah, the main purpose of the stomach. So they literally did take the entire stomach and they didn't put like a fake stomach or um use a cadaver. They nothing like that. Um, so they take the esophagus, just attach it to the small intestine. They don't create a pouch, like your body over time will create its own little pouch. It's not going to do what a stomach does, but it can hold a little bit more. Um, and so its main purpose is to digest food. So instead of it breaking food down for me, now I manually do it with my mouth and I chew, chew, chew, chew, chew. So you might finish your steak, potatoes, and beans, and I'm still working on my steak, but it's worth it at times. Like it tastes good and I enjoy it. And definitely my cravings have not gone away. Um, I don't get hungry and I don't get full. Those aren't sensations that I have. Instead, my body might say I'm hungry in a way of like, um, maybe I get shaky or I get jittery or I get lightheaded or dizzy. And then the way that I know that I'm full is I look like I'm pregnant and I just bloat. And sometimes it's miserable.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

So you put your hand down in your nick and say, Oh, I'm full.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Yep. Or at times I can feel like how full it is in like my esophagus. I'm like, oh, we're about here. Yep, we're done. So that's how I know that I'm hungry or that I'm full. But I also, that was like early on, right? Like now I'm to the point that I know I have to eat every two to three hours if I'm going to not get lethargic. Or if I want to maintain my energy and go, go, go, especially with my four-year-old. I know I need to eat every two to three hours. Um, high in protein, low in sugar. Sugar makes me feel like I'm drunk. It's not fun and enjoyable at all. So I remember going out to eat with my girlfriends one night and I had a terrible headache that day for whatever reason. I was like, can of Coca-Cola, because I know that has the caffeine, it has the sugars, and it's gonna kick it. I had a call for a ride home. No joke. Just like if I had taken shots of alcohol before certain. All that sugar just hits you in such a different way. So it's not, it's oftentimes not even worth it to drink. It's not so much in the food part of, because I think that takes longer to process, but it's like whatever the liquid, the sugar liquid just like hits you so different, makes you feel awful. So high in protein, low in sugar, um, eating every two to three hours. Initially, it was very small portions. I couldn't do more than a quarter cup of anything, even applesauce. And sometimes that even would feel miserable and too much. Um, and eventually your body is an amazing thing, and God created it to just wow, all the things. And so your body figures out like you can live without this really big organ that everybody thinks you need. And somehow it just figures it out and it adapts and it changes and it does anything that you need it to do. So there's nothing today that I don't eat. It just might take me longer to eat it. Or I might just have a smaller portion because it's ice cream and that's high in sugar. But really, I think about when I did the interview with like Shape Magazine, they're like, actually, that's how people should be eating. So it's actually healthier. I was like, it actually That's what I've been sitting here thinking.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

This is how we're supposed to. We're supposed to chew our food a lot.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Right? It's supposed to be low sugar, high protein. Yeah. Carbs are different for everyone else. I mean, it kind of depends on who you are, right?

SPEAKER_01 29:53

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

So it's are you considered a carnivore diet?

SPEAKER_01 29:57

No, I eat just the way everybody else eats. Um, truthfully. I mean, obviously, I'm gonna have more high-end protein things, but like I love those nuts and things like that to eat. Like cashews are definitely my jam.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:09

Um, but no, I feel like anything anybody else has, I have the same stuff and I just eat more often and try to be mindful of what I'm putting into my body. And um, things like working out were kind of tough early on. Like, they're like, don't go in a swimming pool. You might lose too much. Like, you're gonna burn too many calories, and that can lose weight, make you lose even more weight. And of course, that first year after surgery, just trying to figure that out, and you lose so much weight and got down to like nothing weight-wise. I look like a walking skeleton, and just trying to figure out that new flow. Um, yeah, vitamins are a very different thing, obviously. There's no stomach. So Mayo recommended that I do Flintstone vitamins. So those chewables. So I get to go back to that, which those aren't a bad thing. It's funny that I take tums every day, but for the calcium for that piece of it. And then, of course, like your D3, but the big one is gonna be the B12. You can't absorb B12 without a stomach, and that's your energy, and that's so crucial. Um, so once a month I give myself a B12 shot, and that I oftentimes it gets to the 16th of the month, and I'm like, I'm tired. Let's get there. And I'm ready for that B12 a lot of the time.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

Once a month.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Once a month, once a month, B12 shot. So I do that on my own.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

So is it hard to shop for food?

SPEAKER_01 31:27

No, not really. I try, I really tried hard to not change a lot for like my girls. Um, so try to do a lot of the same thing. Not really. Initially, it was really hard actually to find what worked for me was like protein drinks because a lot of times food, it was like, oh, if I chew it not enough, then it gets stuck and I have to work it back up and it hurts, and things like that. That part was hard. So actually, finding a protein drink that was low in sugar was extremely hard. And I was like, people are out here drinking protein drinks left and right. Do they realize how much sugar is in these things? What has worked? Which one did you find? Premier protein. It had like one gram of sugar and it tasted good, and it was like 30 grams of protein. Is that the ones that are in the little shaker thingy? I have that on the list.

SPEAKER_03 32:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

I've got a protein here that you should try. It's good, no sugar, and it tastes like it's lemonade.

SPEAKER_03 32:15

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

Yeah, it's amazing. Super pure. It's a couple of things.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

It's locally made.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Yeah, locally made.

SPEAKER_03 32:20

Yeah. That's locally owned.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

I mean outsource made, but yeah, sure. So I was diagnosed with leaky gut a while ago. And so I sounds like your shopping habits are easier than mine. Poor Heather, she's got a like I had to make a uh Chat GPT app to help her remember all the ingredients. And I don't even remember what that's reactive to.

SPEAKER_03 32:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

You know? Yeah. So I I get the whole you gotta be careful about what you eat, how often you eat and what you're eating, because what I eat affects my head and my and my mood and my energy. And it's a it's a it's takes a lot of intentionality.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

Yeah, for sure. And I think, you know, you think about like gut health and things like that, things I don't tend to often eat are going to be things like raw vegetables. Because that's hard to break down with a stomach, let alone without a stomach. So that hits my intestines, and I can feel it like trying to pull all these nutrients out, and it's just like it's painful, it's just not, it's not worth it. So I might do kind of mindful to those kind of things or like lettuce, like enjoy lettuce on a taco, and it just doesn't feel good like at all. Um, so those kind of things I think I have to be mindful too. Otherwise, it's really just a lot of portion control and making sure it's not that high, high, high in sugar stuff.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

You have a sister and two daughters that I I keep going back to in my head of you've walked this journey, and are they all gonna get tested?

SPEAKER_01 33:44

Yeah. So actually, since then, my sister has had has been tested, had her stomach removed. My aunt, and then I've had three cousins who have all tested positive and had their stomachs removed too. Um, so it's a pretty powerful thing. Um, pretty wild. My sister had her stomach removed. They do the biopsy still. It came back. Her stomach was good. You're good to go. No worries. Same with my aunt. Um, but two of my cousins actually like did the endoscopies. We didn't find cancer. You're good to go. Let's have your stomach removed, did the biopsy. Then they're like, you do have cancer. And they didn't even know yet. Um, my very last cousin actually, she had tested pretty early on for the genetic mutation and found that she had it. So she would have been probably 18-ish. And she was like, Well, I'm gonna, you know, get through college, I'm gonna get married, I'm gonna have kids, and then I'll have my stomach removed, knowing that it's there. And I'll just do these endoscopies every six months if something comes up, something comes up. So she gets through college, starts being a teacher, gets engaged. Um, she goes in for her endoscopy in what would have been like November-ish. And they had said to her, like, we found cancer. And she was like, Okay, well, I get married in February. I'll just, you know, that's just a couple months away. I'll just wait. And they're like, You won't be here if you wait. It's so aggressive, and they happen to find it in the lower part and the upper part of her stomach. And so she had to have surgery pretty quick thereafter to have that removed. The wild thing is that they say, um, when cancer has been diagnosed and you know you have the mutation, you should go back 10 years. So, like originally my mom being 44, if you know about your mutation, by the age of 34, you should have your stomach removed. Well, then my cousin was 40, and then my other cousin is was in her early 30s. And now this cousin was like 23, right? 23, and you go 10 back, go back 10 years. That's 13. That is page right now. Wolf. That's wild. And so just trying to figure that process out and what makes sense. And so we had talked to our genetic counselor and like, you know, you can wait. Like you ultimately want it to be her choice to test. Some people don't want to know. Like, I have family members that simply don't want to know. They don't want to test, they don't want to know. Whatever happens, happens. That is their choice. They should advocate for themselves that way. And then there's people that do. Um, and so with Paige, it's kind of been like, should we, shouldn't we? And so they said, you can wait until she's like 16. If she has stomach issues before then, then we'll kind of try to fast track that. But it should be her decision. Well, having a friend more recently have their daughter find out that they had stomach issues, the genetic mutation, and she was 15 and had to have her stomach removed. I'm like, oh goodness, like this isn't great. So I have been talking to Paige about it and like, what would you like to do? Do you want to know that this is a possibility? Would it worry you every day? Like, what does that look like? Because we're not gonna have your stomach removed yet. You're not even like fully grown, really, at this point. Like, we got we would like to get you there. And if we know about it, we'd be able to act sooner if something did happen. So, kind of working through that. Um, she said more recently, like, she's thought about it, she's given it some some time. She's like, I do think I would want to know.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

And so I do think we'll probably move forward with the genetic testing part of that. Um, I hope that my girls are able to see, like, Charlie doesn't know any different. Paige was like three when I had my stomach removed, but I hope they'd be able to see myself, my sister, my family, like at Thanksgivings and stuff, and be like, they don't have stomachs and they're just fine. So I would hope that they would go that route. Now, Dr. Perry Gulliford, who is in New Zealand, um, he's the one that actually found this cancer back in like 1997. And then, of course, it has to get to the states. So my mom's was like 2003, 2004. They didn't really know about a lot. But in talking with him, he's like, I'm confident by the time your girls, you know, have to go this route. And granted, this is before any of my other family knew about this stuff, or even my more recent with my cousin's diagnosis. He's like, I'm confident we'll have another option, other than having to do a total gastrectomy. Um, the option that he's come up with, creating these cute little stomachs in his lab and things like that, though, um, is chemo prevention therapy. And so this is where they would potentially have to take chemo for like a week each year, and then that would prevent them from getting it. And just kind of knowing the side effects and things that my mom went through, I'm like, oh, that's so hard on a body. And like, um, it's their choice. If that's something that they want to do, by all means, for sure. And you can actually live without your stomach and pretty darn well. Like, yes, the first year is hard, but beyond the first second year, like it's worth it. So I hope, not that I'm gonna project it on them, but I hope they can just see like my mom lives a very normal life, and my aunt and things like that are very normal, that that would be the route they went if they had to go that route. So just working through all that right now.

SPEAKER_03 38:42

I'm just in awe. I just sit here and think about like just the the possibilities that this this guy 97? Was there no one before 97 that had this kind of cancer?

SPEAKER_01 38:56

So yes, they did. So it's actually very interesting, but people were very quiet about things that were going on in their personal lives. And so a lot of people didn't share things. And because it's so aggressive, it's like by the like right away when it starts, it's like, oh, well, it's heartburn. Okay, well, you're gonna treat it as heartburn. But then it jumps so quickly and it's so aggressive that by the time they figure it out, they're already dead or they're about to be dead. So it's interesting after all of this has come about, there's been so much talk at like family reunions and things like that, that they're like, Oh, remember great aunt so-and-so, and she had the, they said she had this spider-y cancer thing. Like, I wonder if that's what that was. Or like, remember Uncle so and so, and he, this, that, and the other. Like, what if that's actually what he had? And so, yes, but like medical advances weren't that far. And oftentimes, you know, they're not gonna go straight to cancer. So they're like, try this, try that, like they did with my mom, and then it's too late. And it's like, well, now we don't know.

SPEAKER_03 39:53

So getting the genetic testing with your girls, if they say they're good, they don't have to worry about it ever.

SPEAKER_01 39:59

Correct. Yeah. And it doesn't pass down. So it only goes, it passes down generation to generation. It doesn't skip, it doesn't anything. So if you end up being negative, then you don't have to worry about it beyond there.

SPEAKER_00 40:08

Well, that's nice. Is it a polymorphism? I have no idea. Genetic polymorphism? I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_03 40:13

What does that mean, Amos?

SPEAKER_01 40:15

Yeah, that's a big word.

SPEAKER_00 40:16

Yeah. I don't I don't I I don't know if it's uh so it's uh change to your DNA. And I don't know if it's passed down or it's a change that happens in your life. I'm learning about it. I've got a couple of them that are have been useful just for feedback about how my body's changed over over the years.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

Yeah, it's not something that can just like all of a sudden show up one day. You either got it passed down or you didn't. And that's kind of just the way that it goes. We've had one person in our family, okay, one person that's tested that's test that has come back negative. Everybody else that's tested has come back positive. And it doesn't like go towards more women or men. It's not like that. So, like when I tell you this one person that tested negative is a man, it's not driven by which sex you are. Just in general, men typically don't put their health first. And so they often aren't going to test unless like they get married and their wife pushes for it or something like that. And so anybody in my family that's tested has been a woman or my one male cousin, and he tested negative, which thrilled about. Like, finally, finally, it's so good. So just hope we can continue that though.

SPEAKER_03 41:29

This uh the advocacy and the way that you're speaking out and bringing information to the world about your life and about what you've gone through with this uh procedure and the hope that it gives for others, it it's it's very inspiring, Heather. So thank you for bringing it to the world and being just so open and raw about it. Absolutely. What would you suggest if because people hear heartburn heartburn? And I know uh when they hear these signs, they're like, oh gosh, I get heartburn all the time. What if I have like what are what are like two to three things that if you're if you really are struggling with this, you just go get tested? Like what are what are some of the symptoms that your mom or your family has had? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

Yeah, big one is gonna be that acid reflux and one that like just is it it nothing cuts it. So it doesn't matter what you do, what you try, um, you get the best grade medical prescription, like nothing helps it, there's probably a bigger problem there. Um, I think when you have that tied with something else, like my mom was projectile vomiting, it's not just like like literally shooting it across the room. Like there's something not quite right. And if you are going to your doctor and you're not getting those answers, see somebody else, seek help elsewhere. Um, see if you can get to Mayo Clinic. Think about your past. Like when you think about the family members that you have, could this have been a genetic thing? Like, think about those things too and kind of piece that together. I think the biggest thing is like, like I said, advocating for yourself. Like it's so easy that you're just gonna trust this person or you're gonna trust that person and you hope to trust your medical doctor. And had my medical doctor that I went to, the GI doctor in Bismarck, had said, like, this is what you need to do, and hadn't actually looked into it and said, less than 1% of people get this. I've never dealt with it. I probably never will. If it wasn't for her sending me to Mayo, like opening up that world, this could be a very different. My three cousins could potentially be dead today. Yeah. I think about like the infection that I had in my stomach when I was doing um my endoscopies before surgery. And they're like, that's a huge indicator that stomach cancer is about to be triggered. Like, I also could not be here. So I think it's just truly trusting yourself. And like, if you're not getting the answers you're you're hoping for or wanting and things aren't changing, push for more answers. Push for other people to give you what they went through. Listen to their stories and just truly like take that and own that and. Do what you can for you. You're the only person that can advocate for yourself.

SPEAKER_00 44:03

Yeah. You're in, you're in healthcare.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:06

And before we started recording, you were talking about um mental health and the impact on physical health.

SPEAKER_01 44:12

Oh, this is this is good.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

So I'm actually glad that you brought this up because we haven't touched on that. And this is a huge one. So a lot of times when you have your stomach removed, 80% of serotonin, I think 90% actually, 90% of serotonin comes from your gut. 10% comes from your brain. And so a lot of times you see people that have their stomachs removed that do become depressed or anxious or things like that because 90% comes from your gut and you're messing with that whole thing. So you're just hopefully trying to rely on 10% that comes from your brain. I think overall, though, mindset is a huge thing. So if you're gonna go into surgery with this mindset, like this stinks, I'm not gonna do well, woe is me, my life sucks, all those things, like, yeah, you're probably not going, you're probably not going to do that.

SPEAKER_00 45:04

Does that manifest in your body somewhat? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 45:06

And I think that does in everyday life, but then you have an increase, something like this. And where does that ever go? So I think of like people that I've met in this stomachless community, and I'm not saying it's everybody, like some people, you know, just have other things that happen. But when I think about the people that have really, really struggled, their mindset hasn't been like, I got this, I'm gonna show the world. I'm here for my kids, and I'm gonna just show them what your body truly can do and this healing vessel that God gave you, and just overcome it instead. If they're like, whoa is me, everybody should feel bad for me. Nothing is good. They don't do well, they simply don't. Um, but mindset is a huge thing, and like not every day is easy, everybody has challenges, but I think if you can overcome that with your mind, sometimes that's the best medicine, truly.

SPEAKER_03 45:55

Yep. Yeah, it is it for everybody that is a really big thing. But yeah, that whole 90, 10 percentage of where you're that's a that's a big deal. How do you get yours?

SPEAKER_01 46:08

I don't even know. I'm it has to be somewhat of my mindset. Yeah, because you're naturally common. Yeah, and naturally, I'm just like, I think I've just had a lot of things in life happen to me that you can decide, like you get to decide how you want to react to it, right? Like, do I want to be sad and mad every day? And do I want to feel, do I want everybody to feel bad for me? Do I want all of those things? No, I want to live a really great life and I want to be happy and excited, and I want to show my girls what life is about and all of those things. And so that's a choice. Yep. I don't get to control. So I don't know what happened inside of me that like 90% of my gut got messed with, but maybe some of it, you know, some of the serotonin was able to stay because it's the stomach, it's not the entire gut. But I think your mindset is a huge part. Um, I know some people, even for a season, have to do like depression or anxiety medication to get themselves over that hump. Like it's hard, it's really hard. And you can sink into that depression when you're like, no, I can't eat this and I can't eat that for a minute. I'm gonna get there, but I can't have those things yet. And so I got lucky enough that I wasn't one that had to be on anything. And yes, I struggled in the first year just trying to figure it all out. But I'm like, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna show the world. And and I was the guinea pig for my family. So, like, if I didn't do well, they're not gonna do it if that's what's in what's in line for them.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

Have you always been so positive?

SPEAKER_01 47:27

I feel like my whole life I have been.

SPEAKER_00 47:28

Yeah, okay. You like you you've said this a couple times. This was hard, but you say it with a smile.

SPEAKER_01 47:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:33

Where does that come from?

SPEAKER_01 47:35

Yeah. I think there's just been a lot of hard in my life. And I think I could sink into this deep depression and sadness and all of that. I've seen other people do that. That's just not the life I want to live. I don't just want to sit in a room and be sad about anything. Like, there's always something good to come out of everything. And so if you can turn your perspective from like, whoa is me, or like, I can't believe this happened to me. Why would God do this? Instead of using it like God allowed me to have this opportunity where my mom passed away. No, that's not great, but I was able to learn and educate, and now I'm able to go out and share this with how many other people who then hopefully can be empowered to make the same choice for themselves and live a long, happy life. Like, why wouldn't you? I just am not one that likes to live in agony. I just want to be happy and love life and do all the great things. Even through the heart. That's even a lot of people struggle with that. Yeah. And I think this conversation has come up so much recently, but when you think about your successes in life, it's never something that was handed to you, or it's never something that was easy. It's always the hard thing. Your biggest successes in life are the hard things. And so, like, bring it on. Let's go. And getting and going through. Absolutely. The going through. Working through that. There's always a lesson to be learned. Yeah. You're very inspiring.

SPEAKER_03 48:52

Thank you. So fun. Appreciate that. So take this audience and flip your mindset. Positive. Life life happens for us, not to us. We say that a lot on this podcast to people, because it's always overcoming tragedy and adversity. Yeah. Well, Heather, if people need to reach out and get in touch with you with more questions, we'll make sure to put it in the show notes. Absolutely. And if schools or anyone wants her to come and speak, she also does that. So anytime. I love it. Okay. Thank you for being here and sharing your story. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 49:25

Thank you so much for listening. We want to change lives to this podcast. And if you want to support this podcast or our guests, please see the links below for our Patreon and giving links.

SPEAKER_03 49:34

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