“Cancer can be financially toxic to patients”.
Read that powerful line in “The Roslyn News” story about SJJCC’s Stronger Than Cancer 5K to benefit the Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center which took place Sept 29th in Long Island, NY.
That why, against all odds, Judy Israel who’s fighting stage 4 metastatic breast cancer found the strength to run again in that race this year.
Judy Israel who’s going through chemo for the third time in her life, has run the 5K for the last 8 years to raise money to help keep all the centers programs and services free! #WPIXNews in NY and the TODAY Show were among the many outlets that featured her story.
The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center has been a lifeline for Judy through her 3 trips through cancer hell, offering a community of individuals who could relate to her experience, and offering programs, support groups and exercise classes tailored to cancer patients and survivors. Most important their services are free and will remain free as long as their donations continue.
Judy said,
“It’s important because before I found the Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center, I had been for a place where I could find people who are going through a similar situation that I was going through where I wouldn’t be the only one standing out. It is a safe place. It’s a place where you can go and your needs are met.
“There are groups, there are exercise classes, there are walking groups, there are breast cancer groups, there are family support groups, and it’s remote and in person. So there’s something for everyone. a broader audience because so many people are affected by cancer whether it’s the family as a unit or just an individual so we are trying to reach as many people as we can to bring them in and help them you know what are your needs?”
The Sid Jacobson JCC’s Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center in Long Island also offers services that are remote. I asked Judy if they allowed people from other places in the country to access this helpful cancer support community?
Judy said,
“They have to register with in the center, which there’s a and which involves making a phone call and registering, and then you will be able to access through the website to navigate to different, you know, there’s a schedule available of exercise classes, of different groups at different times.There are caregivers groups, there’s men cancer groups, what different needs for different people.”
All cancer patients need emotional and physical support. Trust me I know. I’ve been through cancer twice. I am a grateful survivor and grateful to all who helped me through it. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t take an emotional and financial toll on my life. Staying alive ain’t cheap.
Judy Israel who I came to know and adore because her sister Ellen Israel is one of my besties from Ithaca College, continues to fight her own cancer battle, while also serving as an ambassador to the center’s advisory board.
Truly gritty of her to be using her experience to support and inspire others while dealing with yet another cancer fight of her own! AMAZING WOMAN.
Lots of emotional personal sharing also went on during this live on air conversation with Judy who’s in chemo again for metastatic breast cancer and for whom chemo will be ongoing this time.
People who’ve been through cancer can speak to each other on a different level of understanding and humor about cancer experiences. Humor is acceptable when it comes from a deeper level of caring because it’s a coping mechanism. (Her sister Ellen and I have both been through breast cancer)
Which is why our conversation took a turn to naming wigs and nailing bucket list items.
On Judy’s Bucket List is a trip up in a Hot Air Balloon (which scares the crap out of me); Driving cross country ( I had some good RV suggestions); and seeing Las Vegas! (I’m game for taking her there. LOL )
I invited Judy to join The Debbie Nigro Show so I can support her and her efforts to support Sid Jacobson JCC’s Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center organization which is so important to her and many others.
You can find Judy Israel to support her on Instagram @judy_blue_eyes1
I hope you’ll take the time to listen to this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show and share it with anyone going through cancer who could benefit from Judy’s inspiration or benefit from the free cancer support services of a great organization. If you’d rather read than listen the transcript of the audio is below.
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The Debbie Nigro Show airs live weekdays 11-12 noon EST on #WGCH Radio in the NY/CT. OR You can listen from wherever you are in the world on the digital livestream on WGCH.com. Just hit the Listen Live button. Visit DebbieNigro.com for more information or to get in touch.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT:
0:00:00
And now, back to the Debbie Nigro Show. Hi guys. You know, once a week I do wellness information on my daily show here so that I can help with that, you know, keeping that live in alive thing and staying alive. And you know, sometimes staying alive is very, very expensive and well, it takes a lot of grit. So I’m about to introduce you to somebody that I value, adore, and find amazing in honor
1
0:00:56
of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She happens to be the sister of one of my best friends from college and life, Ellen Israel. Her name is Judy Israel. And the story that a lot of the news channels, TV news channels, covered a couple of weeks ago was all about what she did in spite of it all.
1
0:01:14
Okay? I just want to lead in by saying, cancer can be financially toxic to patients. And that was a line I read in the Roslyn News story about the SJJCC, stronger than cancer, 5K, to benefit the Nancy Marks Cancer Center, Cancer Wellness Center.
1
0:01:30
That took place in Long Island on the 29th. And against all odds, Judy Israel, who you’re about to meet, whose fighting stage four metastatic breast cancer, found the strength to run again in that race. She’s going through chemo for the third time in her life. She’s run the 5K for the last eight years to raise money.
1
0:01:51
Why? To help keep the center’s programs and services free because it’s been a lifeline for her and she wants to make sure it stays a lifeline for others and she’s also on the board there making sure in the middle of whatever she’s going through right now that it keeps serving the community. Judy, welcome to the show, babe.
2
0:02:12
Thank you, Debbie. Nice to be here.
1
0:02:14
I want you to know I spent all morning trying to post this nice thing about you and every five minutes I kept going, sorry, too long, too much copy, too long. I was like endless trying to tell everybody how amazing you were and I’m like editing as we’re speaking right now. So it is up on Instagram and Facebook and I’ll share it out. How are you feeling today, dear?
2
0:02:35
Today I’m feeling pretty good. It’s been a week since my last chemo. So yeah, I’m kind of getting out of my system before next week when it goes back in.
1
0:02:52
So you know I’ve been there, done that, right? I’ve been through chemo twice and I know that everybody who goes through chemo knows you’ve got to dance in between the raindrops, meaning the treatments are so tough that you really can’t do anything other than get through them and then you get these little reprieve windows where you somewhat come back to normal and you try and rush to get back to your own life before you have to go down again for a little while. Is that how it is for you?
2
0:03:16
It is and I try and do as many some things in between as I can Yeah, me too
1
0:03:24
I used to have on my calendar because I had a calendar when I was gonna have that glass of wine and with who I Would plan it out. I couldn’t wait to get to it. You know, I just loved it
So tell me about the 5k and about the center that’s incredibly important to you and your passion that pushed you while you were going through chemo to try running a 5K, which you did by the way is amazing, to raise money. Why is it so important?
2
0:03:49
It’s important because before I found the Nancy Marks Cancer Wellness Center, I had been for a place where I could find people who are going through a similar situation that I was going through where I wouldn’t be the only one standing out. It is a safe place. It’s a place where you can go and your needs are met.
2
0:04:17
There’s groups, there are exercise classes, there are walking groups, there are breast cancer groups, there are family support groups, and it’s remote and in person. So there’s something for everyone. a broader audience because so many people are affected by cancer whether it’s the family as a unit or just an individual so we are trying to reach as many people as we can to bring them in and help them you know what are your needs?
1
0:05:14
Amazing. And I opened up by saying, you know, cancer can be financially toxic to patients. I read that line in the Roslyn News, but staying alive ain’t cheap. It’s my line. And the fact that this center provides all these services for free
2
0:05:30
while people are going through the unthinkable is nothing short of amazing. Yes. It was founded by a gentleman named Harvey Marks whose wife was Nancy Marks who didn’t have these things available to her while she was going through her own cancer treatment and he created a center to provide for her. And it’s truly amazing.
5
0:06:03
You’re a Long Island girl.
1
0:06:04
And this this this center is in Long Island, but you said the services are also remote. Can people other places from other places in the country access this community?
2
0:06:13
They have to register with in the center, which there’s a and which involves making a phone call and registering, and then you will be able to access through the website to navigate to different, you know, there’s a schedule available of exercise classes, of different groups at different times.
2
0:06:46
There are caregivers groups, there’s men cancer groups, what different needs for different people.
1
0:06:59
Is it upbeat?
2
0:07:03
There are some that are depressing. There are some days that it’s not as uplifting as others, but by and large, it is upbeat.
You know for like the early stage breast cancer is a little more upbeat than say the metastatic group because the metastatic group is we know where we’re ending up. You know we lose people in the metastatic group And it’s sad, but it’s a part of life.
1
0:07:39
What are you doing for your… Yeah, you know, you’re breaking my heart that you’re going through this again, to be honest with you. And I know that I had to rally myself, as you probably have to rally yourself on many days, right? And my line was always, get in, get through, get onward, right? I tell everybody, get in, get through, get onward. That’s all you… just stay, you know, look at the finish line.
1
0:08:03
How do you keep your mood lifted and your energy up going through this, which, you know, for a third time, I’m sure is extremely hard.
2
0:08:14
I have my bucket list that I really have always wanted to do. And I’m going through my list and checking them off.
5
0:08:32
What do you got on the list?
1
0:08:33
I’m curious.
2
0:08:34
My next thing that I really wanna do is hot air balloon. I don’t know if it’s the season for it because it might be really cold out there. But that’s one of the things I really want to do.
1
0:08:51
That’s very funny Judy. You never get me to come with you so forget about it. Okay, I’ll be waving to you.
2
0:08:58
That’s okay, you can take pictures. You can take pictures.
1
0:09:02
I’m great at taking pictures. What else is on the list? Come on.
2
0:09:06
What else is on the list? Well, I wouldn’t mind, you know, like, driving cross country.
1
0:09:22
I like that.
2
0:09:25
Because I’ve never done that. I have never been to Las Vegas.
1
0:09:30
I’d like to get on a plane right now.
4
0:09:32
Let’s go.
1
0:09:33
I’ll take you to Vegas. You gotta go.
3
0:09:37
I’ve never been there.
1
0:09:38
And you don’t have to stay long. Just have to go there, see it and go, oh, you’re kidding me, and then get back on the plane.
3
0:09:44
Exactly.
1
0:09:45
You know, the cross country thing is something that’s been on my bucket list too. And believe it or not, there are a lot of RVs out there, very cheap right now, because everybody bought them during the pandemic and is like, okay, we don’t need these anymore
1
0:09:55
because we’re, you know, we’re back to our houses. So you may want to look into that. You can rent an RV.
2
0:09:59
I like that one. This way I can take the husband and the dog and we could go.
1
0:10:09
So how does a bucket list work in between the treatments? In terms of metastatic breast cancer, is that an ongoing treatment that will continue? Is there an end to the treatments or do you have to keep going there?
2
0:10:22
There is no end to the treatments. The treatment sadly ends with me. So they, every time I fail a treatment, they find something else for me to take. And that’s where we are now. So on Wednesday, I’m starting, rather than I had been on 10 years ago, we’re hoping because it worked 10 years ago, it will work again.
1
0:10:55
Well, God knows I’m praying for you, kiddo, and, you know, rooting, and you’re an unusual girl, man. You are as strong as they come. I don’t, you know, it’s amazing to talk to you about it, see you out there, watching you run that 5K, I was like, wow, you know, I can’t even I can’t even run for the mailman So, I don’t know how you’re doing that, but you’ve always been super healthy Was it all your years of exercising I think is helping you right now, too? I think it’s keeping me
2
0:11:27
stronger Yeah Keeping me in shape, you know I get out there every morning and I walk the dog and then I walk her a couple of other times during the day. I keep moving. I’m doing physical therapy.
2
0:11:45
I’m not overdoing anything. Everything in moderation.
1
0:11:53
You know, I noticed, having lost my hair twice, and I noticed you’re wearing a hat. And I put up a picture of both you recently with the hat on and another picture of your gorgeous long hair. How does it work with the hair thing with metastatic cancer and the continuous treatment?
2
0:12:10
Are you ever going to get your hair back? I don’t know. So I lost my hair again in the spring and the treatments that I was on this summer didn’t allow for regrowth now it’s starting to grow back which is good because it’s getting cold. Yeah. But it because the treatment keeps changing you never know. I’m tired of the wigs. You got tired of the wigs? I got
1
0:12:46
tired of the wigs. I kind of like the wigs myself. Judy, my wigs had names, you know. I had one really mellow one and one was a bad girl. Last one was called Che Che!
2
0:12:58
Uh-huh. I had, my wigs had names too. I, you know, and I still have them, but because they’re ten years old, they are, I either have to get new ones or just wear these wraps.
1
0:13:19
Now, get something wild. Just get something wild for your bucket list. Just get the wild wig. Just do it. I’ll help you out. I’m going to find one for you. Anyway, I can’t give you enough love. Judy Israel, thank you for sharing. I’m sure your conversation touched many. And I want to just do a shout out to your center there so we make sure everybody knows that donating is really important. It helps so many people and it’s the Nancy Marks Cancer Wellness Center in Long Island. Thank you so much Judy, I love you.
2
0:13:50
I love you Debbie, thank you for having me. I love you Debbie, thank you for having me.
1
0:13:53
Yes.
Transcribed with Cockatoo
