Raising Colon Cancer Awareness with Lisa De Paulo

Hey everybody. Good afternoon. Welcome to Gut Checks; stories of hope and inspiration. Today, I'm beyond excited to have my good friend Lisa DePaulo here today. I'm going to give a little bit of an introduction for Lisa as we start because, you know, we talked about gut checks. And when we talk about thinking about things in different ways, boy Lisa really does in in, in what she's done from her career, and then what she's doing now for colorectal cancer awareness. So I pulled together a few things, Lisa, is or was a star University of Texas golfer, and the 2007 LPGA professionals national champion, is see had two wins on the futures tour. Two wins on the players West tour, and two wins on the Pacific Golf Tour. See also finished tied for third place and the 2021 senior LPGA Championship. And see one the senior division at the 2023 LPGA professionals National Championship, which I was able to say thank goodness, because I stumbled over that like three times. I was getting ready, see shot six under for the 54 hole event. When she went by seven strokes. You were a badass Lisa.

Lisa De Paulo: I'm glad it came together that week. It was you know I had I had played that course in 2004 on tour and had this. And I just not just barely missed a cup, but I shot like 84 or something the first day. And I was I was so upset and distraught because Golf was so important to me at the time, you know, my life has changed so much now. But your perspective how it changes. And I was sitting in the bar had a play the next day. And the bartender was like, can you just give me another glass of wine here and, and he knew as a player, I showed him what I didn't know he didn't know as a player. And I just said I really had a rough day and he goes you had a rough day. And he showed the leaderboard on the TV scrolling of the bar. And he goes one of the gals out there as a pro and she shot at four today. And I fold up my money clip and I go, that was me. Can you just keep this glass full? Restore wine. And I went out the next day and somehow shot 73 and USA Today and one of the little blurbs and the sports. And it said oh PGA leads sort of Polish shoots at 470 but still misses cod and I was just like, Well, hey, I made USA Today. But I didn't give up. You know, you can't ever give up. Right? Absolutely.

Well, you know, in your bio, it didn't say that part of the story that makes it even more.

Lisa De Paulo: That's what was funny about that when last year was really it was really gratifying because they you know, I was able to go back to court the scene of the crime back from 2004. I had yes that and and I had a little fire under my belly. So anyway, I

would say so. Well, that's pretty cool. That is a great introduction. As we're having this discussion today want to let everybody know, Lisa and I met just a couple months ago, we're down at the colorguard classic in Tucson. And we were as part of the program together. And then I was able to sit and hang out with Lisa and her fiance Patty, and my daughter, Natalie, where we're really able to get an idea and perspective on our each one of our colorectal cancer experiences. Lisa lost her mom. She got colon cancer in 2012. I believe right? She does in 2012. And then you had 20 months where you were with her. And then she passed in October of the next year.

Lisa De Paulo: Right? 2014? Yes,

yeah. 2014. Okay. And I know that that's your mom is a great inspiration to the why not hat? And I know I have one here too. And I think I'll put it on for the rest of the show, because that makes us look the same. But can you tell? Can you tell us a little bit about your mom's battle, your experience? And what brings you here because you know, one of the things as I've been exploring and in looking at different aspects of colorectal cancer, it's that so many people think about this as being either a man's disease, or how do we increase awareness and advocacy within the women's community and the whole community but more just as much within women. So can you say something about that?

Lisa De Paulo: Yeah, absolutely. You know, colon cancer was never on my radar at all, because I actually thought it was a man's disease. I started paying Golf was my grandfather and playing with all his friends. And I remember one time in particular, one of the best players in the group was not playing that day. And I was I asked my grandfather and I said, Why isn't Eddie playing? And he goes, Oh, and he's doing what men do when they turned 50. And I said, Well, what's that? He goes, Well, they go on, they get too stuck up there, who's he wants us and clean it up, make sure everything's okay. And that's a technical term, I think. Yeah, that was the Yeah, exactly. And so anyway, fast forward, on, you know, you go and you get mammograms and then getting, I mean, because that was my grandfather was like, 13 years old. And I grow older, and I'm getting mammograms and getting paps, and I'm doing everything that you're supposed to do. And my my dad was a doctor, and then my parents got divorced. And then she married another doctor. So it's not like, didn't have doctors in the family. Nobody ever talked about cancer. We didn't have cancer in our family. But my mom would always say kind of like a badge of honor that, oh, I don't like going to the doctor, oh, I don't go to the doctor, like a badge of honor. And I said, Well, Mom, you've married two doctors. And she was well, I've been married and it doesn't mean I'd like to go to them. And so I would call her every year in November, I always got all my tests done. My eyes, my breasts, you know, the whole thing. Never thought about it. Um, in 2010, I was I actually had a had a job and my boss was going to be gone the next Monday. And I said, he goes, Well, I'm doing what men do when they turn 50. And I was like, Oh, he said that again, even. It again, just kind of came up. This is in 2010. And I'm like, and that's he goes colonoscopy. And I'm like, oh, okay, you never I mean, I graduated University of Texas. I had no idea. Women are supposed to get the screensaver now. I'm like, 43 at the time or something. So it's, I'm not even thinking about it. Yeah, yes. for two more years ended 2012 My mom had really not been feeling well, yet it went on. And she had taken a fall that may in 2012 in the garden, and claim that she cracked her tailbone. And so this is why she's having a, quote, pain in the ass, you know, and she's telling me, Well, when I'm out there in November, I mean, I'm not her smartest kid or whatever. But I'm like a broken tailbone in May, and it's still bothering you. And then she's trying to draw a diagram for me and tell me how this particular kind of break it's why it's so painful and trying to find the right kind of pain medication to help this pain because there's broken bone pain medication, and nerve pain, Medicare, you know, all this stuff, whatever. And what was going on is my stepdad who was a doctor was writing my mom pain pill prescriptions, instead of sending her to a doctor. And so she just lets his pain go on and on. And so finally, this one night in early December, she's writhing in pain. He's he was also alcoholic, so he's drunk upstairs in the room. And she won't let me take her to the doctor. And finally, the next morning, she goes, you know why? I think you need to take me to emergency I'm in so much pain. I was like, Wow. I mean, this is crazy. So I take her emergency. And we go in there and waited how to wait like five hours. I

haven't made because all she's explaining is that she's got pain. Right. And so when

Lisa De Paulo: she's got a crack tailbone and because she's, uh, you know, a doctor's wives, you know how smart they are. And so she knows all this stuff. She's telling the doctor anyway, I had to leave. I was pretty sure it was cracked tailbone because my mom told me that. Yeah. And I had to take off to go to Palm Springs to this thing. And my niece took over watching my mom in the hospital, and I'm like, halfway to Palm Springs, and I get a text that says, you know, grandma has got a tumor in her colon. And I'm like, What in the heck does that mean, you know, and I write to my Senate to my friend Sherry Steinhardt, who you met. And I go, What is this? And she's like, well, let me google it and find out or whatever. And so I get to the place. And anyway, Sherry's like, you need to leave this meeting you're at and come back to Phoenix. I mean, it's it's very important, you know, your mom is, is sicker than you think. But we don't know for sure. She didn't want to freak me out. And she just said that, you know, I needed to get back to the hospital. And so I did and I go in there and the doctor came out and doctrines happened to be there in the room and I walked in and just said, you know, your mom's got colon cancer. I said, no crack tailbone and she's like, No, no crack tailbone. And I go, What does this mean? And then she they just go, she might have six months to live at stage four. It's inoperable him, and she was so weak and so And I was just anyway. So it took a while for her to decide to, I mean a month after that, or, you know, husband committed suicide because he was so felt so bad about, I guess just giving her pain medication all the time. And it was, it was terrible. And anyway, so she decided to she didn't want to do chemo, but then a pain doctor talked her into it and said, your tumor is so big that you need you need to do chemo because it'll shrink the tumor and will help your pain he goes because if you think the pain that you have now is bad, it's only gonna get worse. And she's thinking, oh my god, I can't get worse, you know. So anyways, fortunately, she started chemo and they had always told her to be inoperable. So fast forward 25 rounds of chemo. And I moved her to Austin from Phoenix. And she had a PET scan and they said she was doing wonderful. And the doctors like, we can go in there and do surgery. And she's like, really, she was stronger. Look at every round of chemo, she has stronger and prettier and healthier. And they go, we can go on there and get this tumor out. And she said, Okay, and I won't have to be on chemo anymore. They said no, that you probably

won't because the tumor is gone. Right? Okay. Sure. And

Lisa De Paulo: so, you know, they're like, you could die during the surgery, or you it'll work but you know, this is what's gonna go on. And so mom's mom thought about it, she goes, you know, what? Why not, I want to do the surgery. And, yeah, I might die on the table. But I don't know if I want to keep living like this. You know, and then, of course, the big thing was the her big request was, you know, I don't want to have a, you know, a bag and the bag. And so, anyway, she did the surgery, and the doctor semicolon or miracle patient when they went in there. They went anyway, back to the why not? We ended up having party the week before her surgery. She you know, a life care place. And I was kind of living with her too. And we had a party, we gave wristbands out that had Why not on it. And she had told the bartender, anybody who wants drinks. You know, it's on the Apollo's. And we had a cake that said, why not? And then all the people started saying, Well, what does why not me? And what is why not me? And she goes, Well, I'm having surgery on Friday, so why not have a party? And why not have a Bernie? That was? Why not? So then she got through the surgery. And after that the next 14 ever, once you realize I would honestly say about every decision she had to make was was why not? You know whether it was have another glass of wine or let's get a motorhome to have the dogs in or something. It was it was it was why not to the extreme. And so I just wanted to continue living. Why not? The back of the hat says Cancer sucks. So yeah,

yes, it does. Cancer sucks. And why not?

Lisa De Paulo: But that's the story. Your

mom was a heck of a fighter Wasn't she obviously the knee. She's gone through so much

Lisa De Paulo: for somebody who was as vain as she was, and was scared to death of losing her hair, which you never lost your hair. But she she did start wearing wigs. And she got about four or five wigs and her little collection. And she gave them different names and everything. And she she looked she looked outstanding. And then she when she had to go in for another surgery, because after that main surgery that she might have had the surgery maybe, I don't know, there was a blockage in there. And so she had to go for emergency surgery. And they did have to give her she did have to have a colostomy bag. And anyway, then that was a whole nother there was a whole nother process that that went on that she she absolutely amazed me with her. Her grit and something that she desperately said she, you know, she went into surgery saying I do not want to have, you know, back I'd rather die. And when she had to go in for that surgery, the doctor came in. And he said, Okay, here's the deal, your mom will die right now if she doesn't if you do not sign this paper and and agree for her to do this. You know, she doesn't want it. I know she doesn't want it. What do you want to do? You know, and then she had the surgery and a couple days later, you know I'm in the room and she's trying to whisper to me that she has to go to the bathroom. And I said okay, and then she's like, Well, I I gotta You're number two. And I said, okay, and anyway, I lifted up the sheet. And I said, you can go. And she looked at me and she said, What did you do to me? And I mean, we I just said, I'm sorry. I said, I just, I wasn't ready for you to go. And I had to make this decision. And, you know, we'll just have to get through this. So it was it was a was a really rough month of learning how to deal with that. But then we got through it. And she started rockin white pants, and everything. And she's just, she's just amazing. So,

and as you and I talked the first time and we're sharing our stories, you I think she had said something later on to the effect of that. Were earlier. Right after she found out what did you do, but then she I think she said thank you later on. Right? And just how appreciative that she had for that extra time. It

Lisa De Paulo: that did come in at some point when she had to get back on chemo again. And she was on that chemo that had the earthy can in it. Okay, well, the nickname was I run to the can and got it. Oh, sure. That was very good that she had that because, you know, to go run to the cat as much as she would have had to. I, I think had she not had that. I don't know, she would have made it that far through through chemo. You know what I'm saying? The side effects were so bad. And having to, you know, get up that many times in the middle of the night or something when something was going wrong. What are you going to do now? You can just kind of lay there and let it happen. So

Wow. Well, and certainly you you mentioned that pretty much you took time. Yeah. Once you found out she was sick. You were devoted to her and stuff and everything.

Lisa De Paulo: Yeah. And from Austin to Phoenix. I was with her for eight months in Phoenix. And then then we moved to Austin, because at the time I just couldn't do Phoenix at the time. I didn't know anybody. And in Austin, at least I knew people I can make phone calls. And you know, and have some I, I honestly I looked at I said, You know what, we're both dying together. And we need to live I go. So we need to either decide, living and surviving. Are we just gonna exist? Are we going to live? And that was a choice that I had to be made. And so we ended up moving to Austin and living and she, God bless her. She came out here and like reinvented herself. She she was awesome. Sounds

like a heck of a lady. Well, you met you mentioned and we'll dive in. I want to dive in more about this is not just a man's disease. But one of the things that you've highlighted so much so far is that having cancer when somebody has cancer? Yes, that one person is fighting cancer because they've got it in their body, but cancer affects everybody. And and here we are, especially with colorectal cancer, where we know that this is a disease that's preventable with screenings and with colonoscopy ease. And yet we choose not to it's an end that burden is not just on us, but all the family members or kids or whoever that that there is that giant ripple effect. So it's a hate to use that it's almost selfish. You know, I understand sometimes people say I don't want to do it for my reason. Well, you know what, get past that for you. But also be thinking about those who are caring for you, too. It just seems so obvious to me. So that's more my statement than anything, but it just seems so easy. I just recognize how hard it is on families too. And I know how much it impacted my family when I was going through treatment. Because it's incredibly hard.

Lisa De Paulo: It is very hard. And I think people don't know how to, you know, react or talk about it. And in my family, I ended up because I was single at the time and I didn't have anybody that you know, all I wanted to do then was take care of my mom, especially after her husband died, was they're gonna do leave her and go go back to, you know, my work and my sales or you know what I was doing? I just I wanted to take care of her and help her as long as she was ready to fight. I said I'm with you. And so I mean the day that when she when, you know, we knew that she found out her husband died And she said, Well, maybe, maybe I should not, you know, put off the treatment, maybe I should, whatever. And I said, why? I said his ship just sank to the bottom of the ocean. I said, we got a dinghy, let's, let's start paddling. And going. And so that's, that's where we really started our journey together. And I just said, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm not leaving your side, let's, let's do this. And I thought she'd be around a lot longer. But, you know, the, maybe if, you know, I know she would be here today, if she'd gotten screened and talked about that, I mean, if she had gotten screened or something, and that's why I'm passionate about learning all the different ways to get screened. You know, whether it's a color guard or whether it's a blood test, or whatever is going to be coming out in the future, AI stuff happening, whatever, but get, there's not very many cancers that give you a heads up, you've got what the PSA, right? And you got colon and prostate cancer. Other than that, you get this shock, you feel a longing for something or something's going on. And then they say, Oh, you you've got this, but at least what if you can get tested? Why not? Why not get screened? I mean, I don't I don't I don't understand the answer for that. That's

No, it does seem so obvious. And we brought up a couple of different times that this is not just a man's disease, that Colorectal cancer is now the number two leading cause of death for colorectal cancer for women who are colorectal cancer patients. And I mean, that's a lot of people. And for us to just say, Oh, it's a man's disease. And I think people just kind of forget about that sometimes that colorectal cancer really affects everybody. It's not choosing sexes, right? It's going after everybody.

Lisa De Paulo: Well, and my thing was, if I didn't know about it, and how many people out there have no idea and they don't, and they don't even think about it. I mean, right. It's, it's really, it's really frustrating that people need to be talking about it as much as you know, getting breast exams and getting, you know, men get their PSH act. And, and, and hopefully, the age will keep going down a little bit. Because it's, uh, you know, there's younger people, young people getting this. And that's what's really sad, because they, they really have no clue.

Right? And I'm a prime example of that I was 43. When and I had symptoms, going probably for five plus years, had talked with doctors even about those symptoms. And they were ignored, because it wasn't, people didn't really think about it. And in part because people didn't like, people still don't like talking about poop, right? I mean, that's, although you and I have gotten pretty used to talking about it back and forth. But that is one of the things that just there's that fear factor. And then there's also kind of how people are dealing with the procedure. And they're like, oh, my gosh, is so horrible. And you and I have talked some about different experiences, way back in the day, 10 plus years ago, where they give you that three gallon bucket, and you'd have to fill it all the way up. And it was this horrible, horrible, horrible tasting stuff, and you had to down at all. And now there are just so many different, easier, easier solutions to make it happen. Right. And so I think you were saying something recently, though, maybe you took the pills, and it was a much better way to go. And we're making mixing up memories. No, no,

Lisa De Paulo: I did take the pills. And the hard thing. I mean, the the, the liquid one I had done three times before. And I poured that country time or whatever stuff you pour in it tastes better. So I was able to get through that. But I mean, I had a set my timer, it was like every 15 minutes, I'd set a timer and I drink it through a straw. So it could go straight back into my throat. And then it was like this world war two explosion going off in your belly. And then you got it all done. And let's say you're done at nine or 10 o'clock, you're cleaned out. I mean, you're you wake up the next day and you haven't done the procedure. I actually thought that was that was okay that the pills. This time it was taking a pill every five minutes. So I started. You can feel every five minutes for an hour and drink and drink this water with it. And then you kind of have a little minor earthquake in your body. Not too bad, just kind of her and it's like well, when is this ever gonna really get going?

It's like the it's like too many previews before a movie right? You're like come on. Let's get this show started, right?

Lisa De Paulo: Well, then the worst part was that it was like 12 hours later, something an hour, six hours later, I had to wake up again and do it six hours or six hours later, every five minutes again. So I had to wake up at three in the morning. And in from three to four in the morning or to three, something like that every five minutes to drink it and get that I was like this one, it was kind of like a instead of just ripping the band aid off, it was like, Okay, sure. Some people like to just rip the band aid off, and then other people like the slow pole, but I personally, I don't know what I would do. Again, I, I'd have to think about I've got two little more than two years to think about it. Because I just had my mind done. On April 1, April Fool's Day. That

is a heck of an April Fool's Day joke. And obviously, everything was clear and things were good for you. Right? Yes, everything

Lisa De Paulo: came back. Really good. But I they did have like three polyps in there again. So it needs to be five years,

sir. Yeah, it is fascinating to me of more people that there's we no one was saying matter of fact, like, yeah, there were a couple of polyps in there. And, and but if we were to think about a, if you hadn't, if you hadn't had your colonoscopy, now, those polyps very likely could have grown up to be cancer, right. So it's just even by following these regular, we have to be following the process. I, I'm a prime example of that, that I'm working to get mine scheduled because they are still monitoring a little bit. And I met every two years. And

Lisa De Paulo: I and I would be having a different conversation with you. If we met you, I'd be asking you about treatments or this or that. And I, you know, I'm, I'm so lucky. So it, I don't know how it affects you, when you meet somebody and they just go, you know, I haven't had time to do that. It just drives me crazy. And if I know him well enough and ever phone number, I'll keep bugging them. But my favorite text or email that I get is when I've met somebody, and I've talked to him, and they've heard my story. And they go, You know what? I'm getting that on my schedule. And next thing, you know, I get an email that says, hey, I've got my colonoscopy scheduled, and they'll send me a screenshot. And then to me, that's just like a mess, like went on a golf tournament. I mean, it's just like, Are you kidding me? That's, that's important stuff did to make a difference in somebody's life. That's what's important. You know,

that is, and that is, that is ultimately why we're both here to share your mom's story, your story, my experience, as well as others, with the hope first, that they're having those hard conversations with their doctor if their doctor yourson that they're actually making the point to get screened. And then if and when they're ill if they get diagnosed, that they're having those continuous strong conversations to be advocates for their own health. So we just need need people more and more to be doing that. Right. So

Lisa De Paulo: I enjoyed reading your book. So thank you. Thanks for the sneak the sneak peek. People get to read that and that will help open up eyes and that's what we need to do is just keep opening up eyes to symptoms to think listening to your body. Something's not right. You know, what I didn't realize is very interesting. We were talking about poop as well keep talking about poop. Yep, my, my mom after about her fifth round of chemo. It really was a that was a big change for her. And I said well, what's going on? She goes, things are different. And I go What do you mean things are different? Yeah, she goes well, and she takes out a yellow piece of paper and she starts drawing these like little dime look and things like that slivers, and then she drew like a big banana. And she goes, don't you think because this is how my poop used to look. Now I just had one of these the tumor was so big in our colon it was trying to slide by these little slides. So what a sign I mean what a symptom that that went by like all of a sudden I had weird looking things or radar Oh go off right maybe somebody listen to this and go wait a minute my I don't have nice big ol lick and things should

well and that you know, right get check. It is funny as you you talk about that people ask about my symptoms and and I go with the obvious ones. I say I had blood in my stool and then I got constipated. Now we almost had to divert a flight because it was so bad. But your point about goups getting smaller. That absolutely happened to Need to because the tumor had built up around intestine and there wasn't a place to go through it and then with treatment as the tumor shrunk, then it got better, right. So this will be great. I hope we get extra extra viewers as we're talking about this part. But it's fascinating some of those feelings and listening to your body that you have, right that for me, once my tumor got removed, I could tell it was gone because I had had this low level sensation in my stomach for probably 18 months. And I would wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, having dreamed about going to the bathroom. And I was almost afraid when I woke up that had pooped in the, in the bed, right? But the moment the tumor was gone, that whole sensation just disappeared. So it's, it's great, but it was just one of those got better. My dream colonies got a whole lot better, right? But it is a great example of listening to your body. And and I mean, if I had added that to the list of okay, I've got this lower pain in my abdomen, let alone all these symptoms. How silly Am I or? Or that thing? I mean, your mom thinking it was a broken tailbone right. So anyway, so it is crazy. And that's why we're here is to have people hear stories like this and know that they if they have symptoms, they need to be talking to their doctors, whether you're a man, whether you're a man or a woman, or whatever identity you choose to follow in under right so it does not matter. And that it's not a big deal. So awesome. Well cool. What is going on next for you? You've got a tournament coming up. You've got big plans, I think in October, right. Besides the tournament,

Lisa De Paulo: oh, besides the tournament? Yeah, I mean, besides the senior LPGA at the end of this month, you mean what's going on? i Oh, it's gonna be September 29. Now, okay, you're getting married. Congratulations.

That's what I was talking about. Yes, I know.

Lisa De Paulo: I'm really out of the bag.

I guess. I guess when everybody starts looking at this with this podcast, everybody will live so you've got the senior LPGA event later on this month?

Lisa De Paulo: Yeah, it's in St. George Utah. Okay Christie Christie curves making her debut as a senior because this event is 45 and older that some of the senior events for women are 45 and older but our US Senior Open which is our biggest event in August 1 week in August it's a million dollar person will be on TV two of the days in March chapel and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that one is 50 years and older so that that's nicer i I'd rather the age be 50 And all of them but you know some of them five that's the way it is but Christie curves plan and Annika wanted a couple years ago and no she didn't know she she won the US the Senior Open a couple years ago but we've had some great names plan more Davies his plan Juli Inkster and all the all the names that everybody knows.

Oh, that is very cool. I was so lucky. Was it just last week right played in a program with a bomber with Sandra Palmer who is a future Hall of Famer, she's about to be lifted or she has been lifted in but the actual ceremony I think is still right.

Lisa De Paulo: In Pinehurst and with her and Podrick Harrington. So that's

awesome. And she's at and she was out driving me consistently It was no granted my drives are great, but she hit the ball awesome.

Lisa De Paulo: She's something else to be that small and hit that far. I mean, and just she just she's a Texas jewel.

See is for sure. Well, you're a Texas jewel to said. Thanks.

Lisa De Paulo: I really enjoyed getting to know you and I want us to do more stuff together and spread the word.

Absolutely. And we'll be working on this. I mean, why not? Right?

Lisa De Paulo: Why not?

Why not?