Smooth Sailing
- Bravo star Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Med has a lot to be thankful for. Not only has she maintained 33 years of sobriety, but she also just got another year of “all clear” from kidney cancer.
- The TV personality’s near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2015 led doctors to finding her tumor after a kidney scan while recovering in the hospital.
- The data is mixed on the correlation between alcohol and cancer; a leading expert says that moderation is key.
33 years clean! From jails, institutions, car crashes, motorcycle accidents, hospitals, bankruptcy, heart attack & cancer, I felt like a hopeless human being, always in trouble, people turning away from me because I was so destructive. My life today is beyond my wildest dreams. pic.twitter.com/K68eLPbcPK
Captain Sandy 🛳⚓💙 (@CaptSandyYawn) August 30, 2021
The TV personality still goes to her AA meetings, and uses her social media channels to “help and teach others” to take breaks of sobriety, like Dry July for instance. Captain Sandy is also a firm believer that #SoberIsSexy, as she frequently shares.
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“So many people desperately need hope, especially during the pandemic,” she continued. “Many people have turned to alcohol and drugs, and it's heartbreaking to see. I have a gift that I have to share with others. That's how I keep my gift, by giving it away and sharing with others,” she shared. “This platform has been given to me, so why not use it to give people hope and encourage them?”
Related: Binge-Drinking Rates for Some Women Double, Study FindsWhich Leaves Them at Risk for Cancer
She has received thousands of messages from people who said they have stopped drinking. “Some of them thanking me and some asking me for help, so I direct them to the right resources.”
Captain Sandy’s Battle with Kidney Cancer
An avid fan of motorcycles, Captain Sandy was hospitalized after a near-fatal crash on her bike in 2015, and doctors found a malignant tumor on her kidney after a scan. It was stage 2, and she had the tumor removed.
“I had #Kidneycancer and my #Doctor #drfankmartinis gave me the all clear yesterday,” she tweeted earlier this month, announcing her joyful news. “Another year #THANKGOD #cancerfree #dailydish #womenshealth #bravotv,” followed by a “Thank you for all the positive vibes” tweet for all of the support from followers.
In 2018, the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native also survived a heart attack that occurred during a cycling class. Luckily, she had recognized the symptomsher heart rate was not going down and her left arm had gone numband immediately went to the hospital.
It is unknown whether the heart attack was associated with any sort of cancer treatment, but yet another reason for the active sailor to steer clear of alcohol.
Alcohol and Cancer
When it comes to alcohol's influence on cancer risk, the data is mixed. Dr. Heather Yeo from Weill Cornell Medicine tells SurvivorNet that she does believe high levels of alcohol can predispose people to certain types of cancer.
Dr. Yeo says the key with alcohol is moderation. Her view? “For women, anything over a half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health. For men, they can probably go one to two glasses [per day] before they start seeing health effects."
Does Alcohol Impact the Risk for Cancer?
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Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.