I Have Cancer (Kind Of?)
Photo of Stevi and her son, Lincoln
By Stevi Gable Carr, Founder + CEO of WISe Wellness Guild
What a weird way to start a blog, right?
Here’s the thing — I wasn’t planning to write this post. I wasn’t planning to have this post. But life (and apparently my breast ducts) had other plans.
As the story goes, I was friends with a breast radiologist who strongly encouraged me to get a mammogram after my 40th birthday. It had been in the back of my mind — my college roommate had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and I’d already danced with Stage 0 cervical cancer back in 2013.
Call it divine intervention, but one Friday, a meeting got canceled, and I decided to finally book it. They squeezed me in.
And as I stepped into the elevator, I saw the old campaign I helped write years ago: “In Science Lives Hope.” That line has always been true to me — but that day, it hit different. I believe in science. But I believe even more deeply that humans bring the hope.
Donuts from Peace, Love & Donuts
I came bearing a dozen designer donuts (classic Stevi move) to charm my friend’s coworkers. As I changed into that atrocious gown, I realized I was about to be topless in front of said coworkers — something I hadn’t fully processed. But the tech was incredible: kind, professional, and human in all the right ways. We laughed, we talked about the weather, and I left feeling oddly proud of myself for finally checking that box.
Until I didn’t.
Because when my friend walked in with that look — I knew.
“They found something,” he said.
Cue nervous laugh. “Ummm, okay?”
Of all the things I worry about in life — breast cancer wasn’t one of them. Until now.
The ultrasound confirmed what they saw, and I was scheduled for a core needle biopsy — which, for the record, ranks right up there with IUD insertions and colposcopies in the category of “barbaric things women endure for preventive care.” (Ladies, can we please talk about this?)
A few days later, I got the call:
Stage 0 DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ.
Translation: pre-cancer. Abnormal cells, still contained in the milk ducts, not yet invasive. Not life-threatening, but still serious. The kind that makes you grateful for early detection — and science.
Technically, it’s “Stage 0 breast cancer.” But it’s also highly curable when caught early.
I met with a surgical oncologist ready to say, “No surgery, thanks.” But science — and wisdom — won. After a few (faint-worthy) MRIs and some tears, I agreed to a lumpectomy. TBD on radiation and chemo. Deep breath. We’ve got this.
So here we are: my second run-in with cancer, kind of.
Campaign imagery from UC Health’s “In Science Lives Hope” Campaign
Let’s Talk About What Really Scares Me
I’m not scared of the surgery.
I’m scared of how many women won’t catch theirs early because they can’t afford to.
As an entrepreneur, my insurance is expensive — $9,000 out-of-pocket expensive — but I’m privileged. I can afford it. Many can’t.
And that’s where this gets serious.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — passed earlier this year — represents the largest rollback of health-insurance coverage in modern U.S. history.
According to non-partisan reports:
Cuts of over $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade (Center for American Progress)
16 million more uninsured Americans projected by 2034 (KFF)
Over 3 million people likely to lose access to affordable marketplace coverage (American Hospital Association)
That means millions fewer mammograms, colonoscopies, vaccines — and yes, cancer caught too late.
Further, the proposed federal budget for FY 2026 would cut NIH funding by roughly 5–7% (≈ $3–4 billion) and reduce the National Cancer Institute by ~37% ($2.7 billion) — threatening thousands of research grants and delaying new cancer trials. (Sources: KFF, CBO, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, AACR)
What You Can Do
We’re not powerless.
Here’s how we shift the outcome:
Contact your elected officials — Urge them to protect preventive-care coverage and oppose OBBBA’s rollbacks.
Raise awareness — Share this story. Share your story. Help others connect the dots between policy and real human lives.
Vote and organize — Health care is political. Who we elect decides who gets care.
Work locally — Partner with clinics, hospitals, and advocacy groups to track how these changes play out in your state.
This isn’t a policy debate. It’s a public-health emergency — and a deeply personal one.
Preventive care has saved my life twice. Am I thrilled about it? Absolutely not. Cancer is inconvenient, jarring, and weirdly embarrassing. But given the choice between inconvenience and invasion? I’ll take the inconvenience every time.
My Mindset Moving Forward
This week, I head into my pre-op. Next month, my lumpectomy.
My plan? Enter December 2026 cancer-free.
I’m heading into this next chapter surrounded by love, laughter, and the world’s best support system (plus one loyal golden retriever named Mack).
As for my mindset — those who know me, know this:
“It is a gift to exist. With existence comes suffering.” — Stephen Colbert
I believe that to live a big, full, audacious life, you have to embrace suffering — to allow the death of old versions of yourself, over and over again.
To accept the spotlight means you’ll also face shadows.
To celebrate birth means acknowledging loss.
To feel joy means risking heartbreak.
Having cervical cancer in 2013 led me to adoption — and to my son, Lincoln, the greatest joy of my life. As I write this, he’s beside me, snuggled up with our senior golden, watching Jonathan Groff sing as King George in Hamilton.
So here’s to what’s next.
To being human.
To science.
To hope.
And to every woman who’s ever worn that awful gown and thought, “Not me.”
Selfie of Stevi from her first tear-filled discussion with her surgical oncologist
Get the mammogram.
Call your representative.
Be audacious enough to care.
Because humanity — in all its mess and magic — is the point. 💗
Schedule your mammogram today:
In the Cincinnati area? Check out one of these incredible institutions: UC Health The Christ Hospital TriHealth
Need a second opinion? Check out Cincinnati Cancer Advisors non-biased second opinion service.
I want to send everyone impacted by cancer my love, including the beautiful women who most recently took the stage at Kroger Wellness Festival,
Chelsea Hillard-Teaching In Pearls, Karen Wonders -Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, Sherry Hughes- Cincinnati Cancer Advisors, my college roomie Emily Moritz who is bravely currently fighting this disease, Shelby Mundy- Mundy Mindset and Before I Die Festival, Shayna Flannery-Cancer Free Kids, and Jeanette Altenau- Real Men Wear Pink.
If you feel called send well-wishes, first consider writing your representative using this template: Nothing would heal me more than a little audacity ;)
Love, Me