Marilyn is an attorney, CPA, and president of the Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation, the private foundation whose generosity helped build The Rose's podcast studio. She has been a Rose patient since the late 1970s, when she came in for her very first mammogram after moving to Houston. Decades later, she found herself in a very different role, as a Stage III HER2 positive breast cancer patient. Her advice is simple and direct: check yourself between mammograms, get second opinions, take care of yourself first, and know that The Rose and organizations like it exist so that every woman, insured or not, has a path to care.
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Key Questions Answered
1. How can a woman with a clean mammogram and ultrasound develop stage three breast cancer within eight months?
2. What does HER2 positive breast cancer mean and how does it affect treatment options?
3. What does a full 18-month breast cancer treatment plan look like, from the Red Devil through post-op chemo?
4. What are the visible side effects of aggressive chemo, including hair, nail, and eyebrow loss, and how do women manage them while working?
5. How did Marilyn continue working through 18 months of treatment and what did that decision do for her mentally?
6. What is the cold cap and why do some patients choose not to use it?
7. What are the stakes of declining post-op treatment, and how should a woman weigh a 45 percent recurrence risk?
8. How does a very private, high-achieving career woman learn to accept help, say no, and make herself the priority?
9. What role does the Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation play in supporting The Rose's mission, including the podcast studio?
10. How does self-exam between annual mammograms save lives, and why does Marilyn emphasize it so strongly?
11. What practical advice does Marilyn offer to women facing a breast cancer diagnosis for the first time?
Timestamped Overview
00:00 Dorothy introduces Marilyn Sims: attorney, CPA, president of the Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation, and the donor behind the podcast studio. She previews Marilyn's stage three HER2 positive diagnosis, 18 months of treatment, and her evolution from private person to open advocate.
00:52 Dorothy describes Marilyn's treatment arc and the shift in her willingness to talk publicly. Episode CTA delivered.
01:49 Dorothy welcomes Marilyn on air and thanks the Crowder Foundation for the studio gift.
02:22 Marilyn gives the history of the Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation: established in 1998 under Bill's will, started with $3.5 million, has given away $6 million over 28 years, and still has millions remaining.
03:36 Marilyn explains Bill's passion for children's charities throughout his life, how the foundation was structured to give in perpetuity, and why Helen carried on that mission after his passing.
04:46 Marilyn explains why The Rose, while not a children's charity, fit the foundation's values. Children are affected by breast cancer, and the studio would carry Bill and Helen's legacy forward.
05:36 Dorothy reflects on the studio's impact, including young mothers sharing stories that reach other young women who don't know they could be at risk.
06:25 Marilyn shares that she first came to The Rose for her very first mammogram after moving to Houston in the late 1970s.
06:55 Dorothy asks about Marilyn's background. Marilyn traces her path from a small town to Pasadena, through night school, a business associate's degree at San Jacinto College, an accounting degree at UH Clear Lake, and ultimately to the University of Houston Law Center.
08:30 Marilyn explains how she chose estate planning over bankruptcy and litigation, combining her CPA credentials with her law degree at Ernst and Young before joining her current firm in 1993.
10:43 Dorothy moves to Marilyn's breast cancer story. Marilyn says she was shocked. She ate right, exercised, had no family history, and never anticipated a diagnosis.
11:24 Marilyn describes her screening history: annual mammograms, ultrasounds in recent years, and a clean scan in October 2023.
11:47 In August 2024, she felt a lump just before Labor Day. She made an appointment immediately. On September 13, 2024, she received her confirmed diagnosis.
12:47 Dorothy notes the cancer was particularly aggressive. Marilyn explains: HER2 positive, stage three, with lymph node involvement under the arm and in the neck, within eight months of her last clean scan.
13:30 Marilyn describes her treatment sequence: eight aggressive Red Devil chemo infusions every two weeks starting October 2nd, then mastectomy with same-day reconstruction on the right side, then 30 rounds of daily radiation.
14:58 Marilyn describes the post-op decision point. Scans came back clear, but declining the 14 lower-grade post-op chemo treatments carried a 45 percent recurrence risk. She chose to continue. She finished February 15th of this year.
15:50 Dorothy congratulates her. Marilyn reflects on the predictable rhythm of the later treatments: okay on day one, fine on day two, flu-like on day three, and cumulative fatigue over time.
16:56 Marilyn describes how she emailed her fellow shareholders the day she was diagnosed, asked to keep her routine, and worked through the full 18 months. Her colleagues' support gave her stamina and purpose.
18:00 Dorothy asks how many organizations Marilyn stays active in. Marilyn says staying busy and giving back, particularly to young women and girls, kept her mind off how serious things were.
18:55 Marilyn shares that she has no biological children but has long mentored young women. Her motivation for philanthropy is giving others the opportunity and role models she had access to.
19:35 Dorothy asks about Marilyn's support system. Marilyn credits her husband, who attended every single treatment, sometimes napping in the chair beside her, and her fully supportive office colleagues.
20:37 Marilyn describes the physical side effects of the Red Devil: hair loss, eyebrow and eyelash loss, fingernail and toenail loss, and varying neuropathy. She notes no two patients react the same way.
21:43 Marilyn explains the cold cap option, its time commitment of five to seven hours per treatment session, and the lack of guarantees. She chose wigs instead.
22:29 Dorothy notes that Marilyn's wig was convincing throughout treatment. Marilyn explains she had a custom wig made to match her hair before it fell out, then transitioned out of the wig after 18 months. Her hair grew back curly for the first time in her life.
23:41 Marilyn acknowledges the ongoing anxiety about recurrence and scans. She manages it with a deliberately positive mindset and a carry bag someone gave her early in treatment that reads "You Got This."
24:23 Marilyn describes how talking with other patients, even those with different symptoms and reactions, helped relieve anxiety and provided perspective.
24:59 Dorothy notes that Marilyn was once extremely private. Marilyn reflects on how treatment gradually opened her up, partly because of the sheer volume of medical appointments and people involved in her care.
26:41 Dorothy recalls watching the shift happen in real time. Marilyn explains the difference between being at the beginning of the tunnel versus the end, and how the inability to plan ahead was one of the hardest parts of treatment.
28:08 Dorothy observes that treatment forced Marilyn to stop being Superwoman. Marilyn agrees and names the lesson directly: career women push themselves to be everything to everyone, but you have to make yourself the priority first.
29:34 Dorothy asks if Marilyn sees herself as stronger now. Marilyn says not stronger exactly, but with a clearer sense of priorities, especially the importance of time and quality over constant activity.
30:09 Marilyn delivers her most direct advice: check yourself between mammograms. A year is a long time, and her cancer went from undetectable to stage three in eight months.
30:55 Marilyn advises listeners to explore all treatment options, get second opinions, and be clear with their care team about whether the goal is cure or minimal intervention.
32:20 Marilyn reflects on her insurance advantage and acknowledges how many women raising families and working jobs do not have the same options. She names The Rose's mobile units and reach across Texas as a critical resource.
33:04 Dorothy thanks Marilyn for the foundation's support and for coming on the show. Marilyn expresses genuine relief at being finished with treatment.
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