Finding Your Cancer Diagnosis
- Cancer survivor Captain Sandy Yawn, 56, from Below Deck Mediterranean received her kidney cancer diagnosis while at the hospital after surviving a fateful motorcycle accident.
- The pro sailor, who has been sober 34 years, opened up about the experience while appearing on ITV’s This Morning.
- Sometimes bad things can happen for a reason, and it’s important to always find the silver lining from every unfortunate circumstance. In this case, discovering a cancer that could have been much worse if discovered years down the road.
Sandy appeared on ITV’s This Morning, recalling how she accidentally came to find out that she had kidney cancer, literally, via motorcycle accident in 2015.
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“As the doctor explained, it might have been years until that tumor was found,” she said in a 2017 with Women’s Health. “At that point, the cancer would have progressed, and it would have been too late.”
In 2018, the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. nativewho has been sober for 34 years 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.
The reality starwho has been in a four-year relationship with 48-year-old singer Leah Shaferhas been happy and healthy ever since.
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“Love is love and I love this woman!” she wrote of her partner. “When you are ready love will find you as it did for me!”
Many cancer patients worry about finding love after cancer or having a second chance at love and that couldn’t be further from the truth. After going through something as serious as cancer, survivors tend to know exactly what they want and won’t waste time with someone who is no longer serving them.
Alcohol and Kidney Cancer
In regards to another relationship … when it comes to alcohol's influence on cancer risk, the data is mixed. Kidney disease is often related to alcohol abuse, and Captain Sandy’s admitted prior history can be something to look at.
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.
Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Certain Types of Cancers?
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."
If you feel you have a problem, please get help and talk to a trusted friend, doctor, or try out an AA groupe.
Sandy 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. Sobriety can be fun! And help you steer further away from cancer.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.