Ep74 | Advocacy without Adversaries: Patients and Physicians Pulling Together with Shalita Thrasher

If you work in healthcare, you already know this. Conflict is everywhere. In the OR, in labor and delivery, in committee meetings, between physicians, nurses, administrators, and teams that are all trying to do the right thing. But here's the problem. Most of us were never trained to handle conflict well. We learned procedures. We learned Diagnostics, but we didn't learn how to navigate the moments when 2 professionals strongly disagree. That's why I developed the SPARK framework. SPARK stands for stop, pause, ask, don't assume, reflect and respond, and create a path forward. It's practical system designed specifically for high-stakes healthcare environments. Through keynote talks, residency workshops, and Spark Masterclasses, I teach physicians, nurses, and healthcare teams how to turn destructive conflict into productive conversations that strengthen teams and improve care. If your hospital, residency program, or medical conference is looking for a speaker on conflict communication and leadership in healthcare, I'd love to work with you. You can learn more in the show notes because in medicine, conflict is inevitable, but handled well, it can make teams stronger. In every operating room, in every ward, in every clinic, and every team meeting, a silent battle brews. Conflict, negotiation, identity. Welcome to the Scalpel and Sword podcast, where I, Dr. Lee Sharma, physician and conflict analyst, explore the hidden negotiations behind modern medicine. Let's trade burnout for boundaries and learn the art of healing with precision and power. Hello, my peaceful warriors, and welcome to the Scalpel of Sword podcast. I am your host, Dr. Lee Sharma, physician and conflict analyst. You know, there's a phrase we use all the time in healthcare. We tell people to fight for themselves. We tell patients to advocate, to push, to question, to demand answers. And sometimes they absolutely need to. But I've kind of always wondered about that language a little bit. Like, if we're asking our patient to fight, who are they fighting? Are they fighting their physician? Are they fighting the nurse? Are they fighting the system? Patient advocacy shouldn't require turning people caring for you into adversaries. The best physician-patient relationships are not a tug of war with one side pulling with expertise and the other side pulling from lived experience. We are holding the same rope. We should be pulling the same direction. And my guest today is somebody I'm so excited to have on the podcast, and I cannot wait to introduce her, but I wanna tell a story before I introduce her. So if those of you who know me in real life, I will sometimes go on little expeditions for myself for the day. And I was on an expedition to Noonan. I had taken the day, it was a Saturday. I was gonna go drink some coffee and do some shopping. And I happened to walk into Kendra Scott. And I walked into Kendra Scott and I saw this necklace and it was really pretty. It was like, ah, I don't really wanna spend the money on myself. And so I went around and I was shopping and. The Holy Spirit was in my head saying, you need to go back. You should go back and get that necklace. And I was like, God, do you really want me to go back and get that necklace, man? I just don't know. And those of you who know, if you know, you know, when you get that right in here that you have to go. I had to go back to Kendra Scott. There was no choice. So I go back into Kendra Scott and from the hour and change from the first time I had been in there, there was Pink balloons everywhere. There was a table there with all these really great patient education materials about the early diagnosis of breast cancer. But the person who was standing in the middle of that beautiful rush of love and this amazing effort for patient education and awareness was my guest today, Shalita Thrasher. Shalita Thrasher is a breast cancer survivor. She is an advocate. She is a force of nature. She is a fountain of love. And she is the founder of the Shine Down Foundation in Georgia. And that day when I went back to Kendra Scott, the proceeds from the jewelry that was purchased in Kendra Scott that day went to the Shine Down Foundation. And so of course, at that point, it was not only that I was being drawn back to meet Shalita and have her on the podcast today. But it was also because I was able to support in a really beautiful way this foundation and the work that she's doing. Shalita, it's so good to see you.

Hello, Dr. Sharma. Thank you for having me. It is my absolute pleasure being here this evening. I am so grateful to be here with you this evening once again to have this opportunity to speak with you.

Oh my gosh, I've been so excited for this. I told everybody at work today about you. I told everybody that we were recording. They're all going to be so excited to listen to this episode. But before we kind of get into a lot of this, share your story. You were sharing your story with me before we started recording about the journey that brought you to this point and how you had to advocate for yourself to actually get your breast cancer diagnosed. Tell us that story.

Yes, I will. And once again, doctor, thank you so much for allowing me to share my journey and my testimony. It was in 2020, actually during the heart of COVID-19, when the entire country was shut down. I went to the doctor May of 2020, my regular routine doctor's appointment, my mammogram, my ultrasound, my entire physical, and everything came back clear. They told me that it was clear not to come back until 2021. And I was happy to know that, of course. But just right at 2 months shy, July of 2020, still during the heart of COVID the entire country was shut down. It was crazy. I was in the shower and I was performing my own self-examination, doc. And as I was performing my self-examination, I felt a cyst right on my right breast. So my first thought was, hmm, I wonder what this could be. So as I lathered, put soap on it, it started to protrude some. And so I said, oh my gosh, I wonder what this could be. My first thought was, I just had my mammogram and it was clear. My second thought was, it is the heart of COVID scare because everybody was unfortunately passing. Yes. I did not know what to think. And so as I'm in the shower just doing my self-examination, God clearly spoke to me as clearly as I'm speaking to you, Doc. He says, it's cancer. He said, but I have something for you to do. He said, I need for you to go to the doctor the next day because you have an assignment. I need for you to be checked out. And I didn't know what to think at that point, but I was obedient. I did exactly what I heard him tell me do in the shower that day in July of 2020. I went to the doctor, Atlanta downtown. I saw my doctor. She did a physical examination, and she actually really just told me that it was just a cyst mass. You know, it was no ultrasound performed again. It was just a physical examination. I said, no, ma'am, because I knew what my Heavenly Father had told me the night before, and we need to do a biopsy. We need to do an MRI. I live in Fayette County. And I said, I'm not going back to Fayette County because something is there. And that's when I had to advocate for myself because they were saying, well, you just had your mammogram. You're clear. I understand that, but I'm telling you, I feel something right here.

So you go back, you get the MRI, they biopsy it.

All of that was done in the same day. Yes, ma'am.

And got the news about 3 days later. Positive ductal carcinoma, negative for receptors.

Yes. Triple negative. And it was very aggressive. So that Friday they needed to put my port in. And things happened so fast because it was the heart of COVID No one wanted to touch you. No one could come in with you. So I had to fight.

Yeah.

I had to fight. And my fight started. And by the grace of God, when I got that phone call soon after I had the biopsy, they had me in there that Friday. So everything went very fast. And to know that it was so aggressive, you know, this was new to me, Doc. I didn't know what all of this meant. And the medical team, they don't really take the time to They tell you exactly what's going on. They give you options and choices. We got to do this. And so I did have my godmother to go with me, and I was able to record some of the conversation because at that point, Doc, all I knew is that I needed to live. I told my Heavenly Father, I choose to live and not die. The heart of COVID it's aggressive. They're telling me I need to do chemotherapy. Doc, I was all over the place.

Yeah,

I really was. So I am here to share my journey and my testimony because if it doesn't feel right, it's not right. And never be afraid to ask a question. Never be afraid to make an appointment. And you know what I get, Doc? I have so many of my pink sisters to tell me, oh, they thought that it was going to go away. It's not going to go away.

Yeah.

If something is there, It is there and it needs to be checked out. And I would advise, Doc, the 3D mammogram. That mammogram, the first one, I didn't have the 3D. The second time, when I told them what it was, they performed the 3D mammogram. And the 3D, it's clear imaging. It picked up everything because I was diagnosed with very dense— Mm-hmm. And fibrocystic breasts, like most Black African-American women are. Would you say that would be correct, Doc? Most of us are diagnosed with very dense breasts. Yes. And so they missed me. And I'm thinking, had I not been an advocate for myself to tell them that you have to do a biopsy, I need an ultrasound, we can't go by that old mammogram, I wouldn't be here to share my story. I would be dead, Doc, because it was very aggressive. And that chemotherapy— and you know about the red devil, and that red devil, and you know, that term is crazy. I don't know why they name it the red devil, right? Yeah, yeah, they do. And so chemotherapy was 6 months during the heart of COVID It was killing the good cells, the bad cells. I was weak, and then I had my strength. But God said, I got you. And he said, I need for you to start your nonprofit. 501, so my people can see through you what I'm capable of doing. You need to be an advocate to let my people understand that early detection saves lives. Early detection is the key. You can live. It's no longer a death sentence. Right. But you have to go and ask questions and be persistent. About your health, because your health is your wealth. And so this is my 5th year, Doc.

Wow. Congratulations. 5 years.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And when he told me, when I was in chemotherapy, God said, start your nonprofit. I will provide everything that you need because I'm going to save you. And I want you to show that you can live through a diagnosis. But you have to be an advocate. You must have a relationship with your doctors. You must call them. And I said, OK, I will be obedient. And so I'm in chemotherapy for 6 months. After chemo, I rang the bell on December 4th of 2020. I had a double mastectomy. You know, I love my tatas. I'm sorry, Doc.

No, it is.

But I had a double with the reconstruction. And the list on January 4th, 2021, one month from ringing the bell, and my nonprofit was approved that same day in the state of Georgia. And I have been fighting. I fight 365 days a year, Doc, because I am an advocate. I don't ever want anyone to go through what I had to go through.

You're amazing, Shalita. Your journey and what you've done. And there's so many things I want to talk about. Yes. That you did and have done in the journey. And one of the things I really want to talk about, and I feel like this is one of these conversations that we're talking about relationships and we're talking about faith and we're talking about the power of obedience and why obedience is such an important part of your journey. But we're also going to be talking, and this is unusual on this podcast a little bit, that we're going to actually be talking about the medicine part of this. Because I do think one of the things that we talked about before we started recording Is that there are young women. My first year in practice, I diagnosed a 23-year-old patient with breast cancer.

23. 23.

She had been to a student health and gotten an annual exam, and she had a breast lump at that time, and they told her it was benign. They told her it was a fibroadenoma. She got no workup. She got no imaging. They just told her it was benign. And then she had come to see me for a problem, I guess, 8 months later, and I'm doing a breast exam. I'm like, What is that? And she says, oh yeah, I've had that for a while. They told me it was benign. I'm like, no, we're gonna get an ultrasound and biopsy it. And, and she did have breast cancer. And her story is an actually good story in that she actually did go, she got a resection. She's now clinically NED. She's negative for cancer. That was 28 years ago. Nice. She does not live here anymore. Her husband is a physician, but her mother is still my patient. So I get to keep up with her and she has since had children and she's doing very well. But this is the thing that really is terrifying, that by the grace of God, she came and got a workup and got a diagnosis. What would have happened if she hadn't gotten a diagnosis? So we have to sort of get rid of this idea that people are too young or the wrong gender. We have to. We have to. And you talked about before we started recording. Your pink brothers and sisters.

And most men— excuse me, Doc— they are not aware that they can be diagnosed with breast cancer. It is a very small percentage. However, within that range, it is definitely— it's possible. And most of them never even think about, I could possibly be diagnosed with breast cancer.

But the idea that we need to get rid of this thought process. That just because somebody falls in a demographic that we're not suspicious, that it can't be that. And that thought process, unfortunately, I think is everywhere in medicine. You know, one of my least favorite phrases throughout my entire career is, if you hear hoofbeats, think horses. I have always hated that phrase in medical education because I think it makes clinicians believe that unless somebody fits the demographic, the exact demographic, the exact picture in your head of what you think that diagnosis should look like,

then

it's not. That diagnosis, and what that does to us—it makes us lose the curiosity, the inquisitiveness we have to have when patients come in and they have a problem or they have something. It's like, oh well, I've done this testing. It's like no no no no no no. Okay, we've probably done some testing. Have we answered the question? Because until you've answered the question, you can't stop. And I think this is the thing that your story illustrates so well. Is that you had a mammogram 2 months before you had a diagnosis with a symptom. You had a presenting symptom that you did not ignore. By the grace of God, you did not ignore that. You were obedient. Right. You got it evaluated. But what about if somebody either had said to themselves, oh, I just had a mammogram 2 months ago, I must be fine. You know, and we say this all the time, radiology is great. Imaging is great. Is it perfect? Of course it isn't. And you can't look at the imaging that you had 2 months ago and say that the picture in front of you, well, it can't be anything bad. We just did this 2 months ago. 2 months ago is a long time. Things can change in 2 months.

A whole lot can change in 2 months.

No, but I think your story is one of those, but you said something else and I want to hear your story and I'm so interested in your perspective. But you also said that you consciously tried to keep and maintain relationships with your care team. You made that a priority.

Yeah. I made that a priority to have a good, healthy relationship with my medical team.

Yes.

That is so important. And because so many of us, for some reason, I think they are afraid of doctors. I don't know if they think that you guys are going to bite them or tell them. I don't know what it could be.

Yeah.

But I absolutely love my doctors, Doc. And as you can see with my personality, if I have a question, if I have a concern, I'm calling. And I have a lot of their cell phone numbers too. And this is what I found out too. When the medical team know that you are so up on your health and you want to know your results and you want your medical team to be involved, then they will be involved with you. It should not be like that. They should be involved with you regardless. But when they see that you are definitely an advocate for your health, in my personal opinion, I have seen the medical team go over and beyond. If you step back some, if you shy back some, if you don't follow up on your appointments, They may pass you by, and you can't do that now. You just can't do it because we need the medical team. And unfortunately, after COVID-19, so much has happened and so many people have been diagnosed. So many men and women missed their mammograms. Yeah. They missed their appointments. And so COVID is over, and so now they're looking at their MyCharts or their appointment saying, I haven't had a mammogram in 3 years, in 4 years. And what is this now? And what is that?

Yeah.

I had a meeting at the Georgia State Capitol earlier this year. The number of women that was in the medical field, Doc, that did not have their mammograms within the past 2 years, it was just unbelievable. I do not understand for the life of me If you're 30, 40, or 50, if you feel something. But if someone tells you, you can't come home until you're 50— and the insurance plays a big role in this too, Doc. Yes, I agree. And it should not, because that goes back to, if it doesn't feel right, it's not right. I don't care if you're 9 years of age, 20, 30, 40, 50. I was diagnosed at the age of 50. I had been having my mammograms for years, Doc, for years. So it's just the medical team. You have to be an advocate. You have to be an advocate for your health. And when you have a good team and a good relationship with your doctors, that speaks volumes. I would not trade my doctors for anything, but everybody can't say what Mrs. Thrasher say. So that's why it is so very important when you go to the doctor, when you have to have the tatas checked, When you have to do your mammogram, and most insurances will tell you that they don't even cover the 3D mammogram, and they tell you that you can't even schedule. My emails never stop coming with the questions, and I tell my sisters and brothers, they cannot deny you a 3D mammogram. If you request a 3D mammogram, you should be able to get one.

Yep.

Is that accurate, though?

Yes, it is.

Okay.

First of all, I'm really, really glad we're talking about ages of screening because I think this is one of those things that's very confusing. That there are some organizations that talk about not doing mammograms regularly until 50. That is bogus. Please don't do that.

Don't do that.

Recommendation baseline between 35, 40, starting at 40 annually. And if you have family history, it starts earlier. Earlier, if you've got family history, you're gonna do that baseline between 30 and 35 and then annually at 35. And then if you have family history in terms of high-risk breast screening protocol, in terms of bilateral breast ultrasound. We have the 3D mammogram, which I think is standard now, at least in our facilities where I am. All of our facilities have 3D mammography, and that's huge. If those of us who work in healthcare are not responsible to walk the talk, how do you ask other people to do it? If we are not getting our annual screening, how can I look at people all day and go, when was your last mammogram? I do it all day. Right. And I write it down. If I don't have a report, can we pull me a report? I will go look in the computer and I will find when your last mammogram or MRI was. Because that's important data, but I can't do that unless I get mine. So I had my mammogram 2 weeks ago, 3 weeks ago.

Right.

So, I mean, that's one of those things that I'm conscientious about, not only for me personally, but also because I don't really feel like it's credible for me to talk to people all day long about getting breast screening unless I'm accountable for my own. So I think that's part of it. As healthcare providers, we have to understand that us modeling that behavior is how we can encourage other people to do it.

I agree.

You said something else too, the fact that you have this great relationship with your healthcare team. Part of that is that you are very conscientious about keeping up with your care, your results, your appointments. You have made yourself an active member of your own care team.

Yes, I have, Doc.

I have. And that's beautiful. That, I have no doubt, is why so many people go above and beyond for you, is because you have made yourself a part of your own care team. And I think this is one of those things, and I agree with you, I think there's so many reasons why patients are afraid to engage in that kind of relationship with their providers and their physicians. I think some of that unfortunately is on us as doctors. I think sometimes we, I don't wanna say enforce, but I think we encourage an artificial power differential. I think we artificially sort of own some of that power and that's not power, that's dominance and that's ego and that's the worst thing in the world for a patient care relationship. And what we really should have is we should have cooperativeness, alignment, And humility. You know, we're still human beings.

Definitely. That's right. Yes. Patience, being kind, never judging.

Yeah.

I saw so much, Doc, and it saddened— it really made me sad when I was going through chemotherapy because everybody's treatment was different.

Yeah.

And so, yeah, having that very important relationship and having a village, whether it be your husband, your family, your coworkers, your colleagues, to rally around you to make for sure that you can get through this and with a positive and clear mental thought pattern. Because it's a lot after you've been diagnosed. You don't know if it's spread. You don't know if you need radiation. It's just so many things that's uncertain. At that particular time, Doc, I said because I see it for myself when I go to the hospitals. I see it. I talk to so many patients. I think because of the insurance, you know, I really can't say what I want to say, Doc, but it's like a domino effect because they only allow so much. And if you don't have this type of insurance, then they won't give you the PET scan or they won't give you the full body scan or they won't give you the MRI. And When we're trying to get things approved, doc, it's growing. It's being advanced. Yeah. And so that can go to stage 4 very easily trying to get a test approved by an insurance company. So, doc, that goes back to being an advocate. First sign of something, go to the doctor. Have that relationship. Call your PCP. Make the appointment. Tell them what you're feeling. And I don't care if you have to go 2 or 3 days because mine came overnight, doc. It did.

Yeah. I really am glad that you are bringing this up because I do think this is one of the things that really unfortunately inserts itself into that physician-patient relationship is the third-party payers and the insurers. They are in the room. They are in the hallways. They're in the exam rooms. They're in radiology. And I can't tell you How many times we have to fight for MRIs where someone's on high-risk protocol and they're having to get a breast MRI, and then we're having to call the insurance company to fight for that MRI, which happily we'll do. And now, unfortunately, what we used to do is we used to do what's called a peer-to-peer. It's like the insurance company would have to put a doctor on the phone with us. And, you know, every time I've done a peer-to-peer, they always approve it because we know what to say. Hopefully it never gets to that point, but I'm— I'm not afraid to fight with an insurance company, and I think most physicians are the same. What you start getting into, unfortunately, is how many hours in the day that you have to fight with that insurance company.

And during that time, it's still there, right? Right. Yeah.

So what we now know is that if we can fight this legislatively, if we actually hold them accountable, because what they're doing is making medical decisions when they are denying your care. They are making a medical decision. They actually tried to become your doctor in that moment. And we have to fight against them. And this is one of those things. It's like, I don't mind claiming that adversarial relationship. I'll fight with them because at this point in time, what they're doing is they are preventing you from getting the care that you need. They have become a roadblock. And so that is something that we have to unite. To advocate. And that's the short-term fix, is to make sure that we're fighting for the patients to have what they need. The long-term fix is going to be legislative. This is the other reason why I'm so glad, not only that you are telling your story, that you started your foundation, you were honored by the governor of Georgia.

Yes, yes, yes.

Georgia Citizen. I love it.

Yes. So that was last year, the Georgia Citizen Award. By the governor, and it was amazing. Yes. And so next Saturday, Doc, I am being honored with the Humanitarian Award from Atlanta in Atlanta City.

Wow.

Look at that.

Wow. That is awesome. Incredible. Thank you.

Thank you so much. But Doc, I'm telling you, we must advocate. No one can tell me what goes on in my body. And you know what is so funny? Because my doctors, I think they look forward to my doctor's appointments because when I go, it's like 6 of them. They'll be like, okay, tell me all about it. And they have me in there, I know, for an hour. I'm almost saying, okay, we got to go to the other patients because they are interested in what I have to say, how I feel, my outcome. How can I help the other patients feel the way that I feel? Yeah. The outcome would be totally different because Going through such a fighting, you know, I say warriors, thrivers, survivors, conquerors. It goes on and on. And so my work is not being unnoticed. And this year I'm giving back to 8 scholarships. Wow. And I'm so excited. Last year it was 23. And I'm just grateful that God has allowed me to be able to help so many Men and women with their resources, their copays, their transportation. So, Doc, let's not forget about the single moms. Ooh. Yeah. That have to fight and still take care of the babies at home, still have to go to work. I was very blessed. I didn't have to work. My husband does everything, and I'm grateful. But what about the single mom?

Yeah.

And what about the mom that have to go to work and that's not after chemotherapy and radiation. And so we just give back in so many ways. My beautiful Pink Care chemo packages are amazing with your green teas, your fuzzy socks, your eye mask, your robes, your all-natural soaps. Just the boxes are so amazing, Doc. And the crazy part about it, when I'm writing these checks and giving back, I'm just smiling like I'm smiling now. Yeah. Because it warms my heart because I know what I went through. I went through hell. It was COVID. Nobody wanted to touch me, Doc. They didn't want to touch me. So I had to fight. And so I am here to share my story, and I will be an advocate for the rest of my entire life because I do know this: early detection is the key.

Yes.

And early detection saves lives. Do not put it off. And nobody can tell me, what I feel inside of my body. No one. And so this is how I live my life, and I'll live my life like this for the rest of my entire life.

I'll go ahead and tell you that what— that clip that you just said is part of the clip that's going to go when we put this episode out. And we're going to make sure this episode drops in October.

I don't want to cry, but I'm getting very emotional, and I normally don't cry. And so the baby girl that I'm honoring In November. She's a fighter. But once again, Doc, they missed her.

Yeah.

And yeah, they missed her.

This is the message that people need to hear. You are encouraging patients to get screened for early detection. You are encouraging an awareness for our bodies to be able to— and I love how you talk about that. If something doesn't feel right, it's not.

It's not.

Then you know your body. You should. And this is a partnership with your care team. Yes. And you can become a part of your own care team. You can become that. And you are absolutely living, blessed proof that as you become a part of your care team, not only has this given you this great platform to save other people, But it's also given you this quality of life that you can sit here right now and you can share with us that you are cancer-free after 5 years. It's beautiful.

Yes. Thank you so much. So we all must work together and we have to do it together from a medical standpoint, from the patient, just the entire team. We have to bring it together and we have to make these breast cancer patients feel like they are important. We are going to give you the best care ever. I don't care if you have Medicaid, Medicare, UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser. It should not matter. We should all be treated the same when we go in to get these tatas examined and if we need any type of treatment after being diagnosed.

100%.

Yes.

I'm going to put you in a scenario that you are in a room. With the doctor and a patient.

Yeah.

The patient has just gotten the news that her biopsy's positive for breast cancer.

Mm-hmm.

And so you are in this room right now with both of these people. What's the one thing, that piece of advice or the one directive you would give to the doctor? And then what's the directive that you would give to the patient in that situation? What would you want that doctor to know being in that interaction? And then what would you want that patient to know being in that machine?

First, I would want the doctor to know to be patient and to understand, answer all the questions that this patient may have, and be available and ready for any unexpected question that the patient may have because this is brand new. So we have to have like a load of patience. When someone is being diagnosed. The patient, you can do this. The diagnosis is not going anywhere. We are going to fight together. You will not give up this fight. You will not miss not one appointment, not one chemo treatment. You will come out on the other side, and you will be able to tell that next person that have been diagnosed what they need to do to get through it. Keep a positive mind and never miss your appointments. Never miss your appointments.

Wow. That is amazing. What would you want the patients getting this, they're overwhelmed, and I really wanna say this too, that unfortunately having told many people over my career that I've sat in a room with people and held their hands and hugged them and told them that they have cancer, and I have the best office staff on the planet. Oh, okay. When patients call and they have any kind of breast complaint, they get worked in that day. We never make patients wait if they call, because my staff knows if somebody calls and they have a breast lump, they get seen that day. We don't ever make them wait. But on the rare case that we have to tell somebody that they have breast cancer, they get that diagnosis face-to-face. I'm holding their hand, I'm hugging them, I'm telling them it's gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine.

But, Doc, you are amazing.

People need that.

They need that. Do you know they're putting that in my chart? I had a young lady just tell me that this week. Now, they didn't put my diagnosis in my chart. They called me. But she told me that her diagnosis was put into my chart. How can you possibly go into my chart and read that you have been diagnosed? That should be against the law. There is no way that Anyone should find out that they have been diagnosed with cancer by reading a message or test results. It should come strictly from the doctor. Called in, come in my office, let's talk about it.

Yeah.

What's our action plan? Now let's go forward.

Yeah. I'm going to 100% agree with you on that. I don't think patients should get cancer diagnoses over the phone. That's in person, holding someone's hand and hugging them. And looking them in the eyes and telling them we are going to do this together. This is our battle plan. This is what we're going to do. I could not agree with that more. That's horrible. I also would say that one of the biggest things about patients advocating for themselves is that we as doctors want to see you well. We want to see you whole. We want to see you. Thriving. We want all of those things. Indeed. And as long as we can agree that's our common goal, that's what we want. We want our patients to live in that space where they feel like they are thriving and healed. And as long as we agree on that, there are other things we can talk about in terms of a how. How do we get this? How do we get the 3D mammogram? What else is indicated? Whether tests are indicated. Is this test going to help us? Do we need to go ahead and get a biopsy? Should we go ahead and refer you to the surgeon even if the imaging's negative? Yeah, we probably should if we can feel something. Those are all things that as long as we are aligned on what we know we want to happen, which is to have healthy patients and patients who are doing well, we can work on the other stuff. We can talk about the other stuff.

I agree. Yes.

Yeah. You are a light to so many people.

Thank you.

A blessing to so many people. If people wanna find out more about you, how would they do that?

Yes. It's Shine Organization Doc. You can either go to www.shineorganization.org.

Okay.

Or you can find me on all social media platforms. Shalita Thrasher. That's S-H-A-L-I-T-A Thrasher, T-H-R-A-S-H-E-R. If you Google me, you'll see everything that I do in the state of Georgia, all over everywhere. And yeah.

We will put that in the show notes. We will encourage people to reach out and find your foundation and support the beautiful work that you're doing.

There it is. Yes, yes, yes. So Doc, I would love for you or some of your team members, because I would love for you to be my guest at my gala. It's November the 14th here in Fayette County, and I will be giving back, and we're honoring all breast cancer warriors, thrivers, and survivors. And this is my 3rd annual gala, but this is my first time having it here in Fayette County. It's normally in Atlanta, but I decided to bring it back because Fayette County is one of my largest sponsors. And so I'm so excited, and I would love for you to come, and you can see exactly how we give back and how we love on each other.

Sheletta, I would be honored. That would be fantastic.

Oh, thank you so much, Doc. Thank you. I'm so honored, and I'm so grateful. I mean, when I met you, I'm telling you, it was just like a teary-eye moment then when we were talking. And so here I am with tears again. But it was purpose, and it was planned, and so many people's Our viewers, they need to understand you're not alone. Don't be afraid. No one to suffer in silence. I don't want anyone to feel alone. You have help. We have resources, and the doctors are here to assist. Amen. Yes.

Shalita, thank you so much for being here. I'm so glad that God put us together. I am so glad he brought us together in this way. I want to continue this conversation with you, and I want to keep the work that you're doing with your foundation. Please come back to the podcast anytime. The door is always open to you.

I will. And thank you for having me. And remember, go and check those TATAs because early detection saves lives. And doctor, I thank you and I love you, and we're going to stay in contact. Kendra Scott has me booked for the entire month of October. So I'll be back there and I'm grateful and we will be in contact about the gala.

That sounds fantastic. Thank you so much. Like, I need another reason to go back to Kendra Scott and go shopping, but you just gave me one. So, right, exactly. Thank you. Thank you, Shelita. To all of our peaceful warriors who've joined us today on The Scalpel and Sword, if this conversation resonated with you, share it with a friend, share it with a colleague. If you are 35 and over, and you have not had your mammogram, by all means, please call your primary care physician. Please call your provider and get that scheduled. Shalita said it best: check your tatas, check them early, be proactive. And until next time, be at peace.

Every episode is an invitation To speak, to negotiate, to choose. I'm Dr. Lee Sharma. Join the dialogue by subscribing to Scalpel and Sword. Until next time, peaceful warriors, may your choices be sharp and your voice be even sharper. This podcast is a reflection of lived experience and research in conflict resolution. The Scalpel and Sword is not intended as medical or legal guidance. For personal matters, please consult a qualified professional.