Kristen Perello: I Survived Cancer and Here Is How I Did It

An Interview With Savio P. Clemente

Connect with other survivors. Seek out others that are going through similar experiences. Regardless of the way your immediate support network looks like, get connected with survivors and or people who are going through treatment — Facebook groups, cancer centers, etc.

Cancer is a horrible and terrifying disease. Yet millions of people have beaten the odds and beat cancer. Authority Magazine started a new series called “I Survived Cancer and Here Is How I Did It”. In this interview series, we are talking to cancer survivors to share their stories, in order to offer hope and provide strength to people who are being impacted by cancer today. As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kristen Perello.

Kristen Perello is an ambitious, vibrant young woman living in Seattle, WA spreading awareness around her shocking breast cancer diagnosis at age 35 and the clinical trial that changed everything. With her signature motto as “High Heels High Spirits,” she showed up to all 16 rounds of chemotherapy and additional treatments looking and feeling good — high heels and all.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! We really appreciate the courage it takes to publicly share your story. Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your childhood backstory?

My dad was in the military, so we lived in quite a few states and moved around a lot throughout my childhood — up until my high school years. I spent high school, undergrad and grad school in Texas. I’m very close with my family and friends and lead an active lifestyle. I consider myself to be a big extrovert socially, and I am a career driven person.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“High Heels High Spirits” — This is a motto I came up with that helped me bring to life how I wanted to show up throughout my cancer journey. It was totally a mindset for me to walk in looking and feeling good. It helped me feel like I was going to do something really important, and I was — I was going to treatments to save my life. And if somewhere along the way, even one person noticed and smiled or felt they could have a brighter day too, this would make the journey all worth it to me.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about surviving cancer. Do you feel comfortable sharing with us the story surrounding how you found out that you had cancer?

I have always been good about doing monthly exams on myself. In July of 2017, I was watching a movie when I discovered the lump located in my left breast close to my armpit. It was a pretty small lump, but I was always taught to be curious about those things, so I scheduled an OBGYN appointment.

At the appointment, my doctor thought that it was probably nothing, but she referred me to have a mammogram. I wasn’t worried and went to the appointment alone. Following the mammogram, the doctor sat me down and told me he was 99% positive that it was going to be breast cancer. He performed a biopsy and the following week he called me and confirmed that I had stage II triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma.

What was the scariest part of that event? What did you think was the worst thing that could happen to you?

Just hearing the words, “You have cancer.” I felt like the floor dropped out from underneath me. It was the worst news I’ve ever received. It was an indescribable, out of body experience. I wasn’t aware until my appointments started happening that people could survive this diagnosis — that it could be treatable. I didn’t have anybody close in my circle that had gone through it, unfortunately that’s not the case nowadays.

How did you react in the short term?

When I initially received the news, I called my mom and she got sick at work. I was supposed to have a big presentation at my own job, but I found someone to fill in for me instead.

In the days following I took many long bike rides to help me process and understand what it would mean for my life in the short- and long-term. I started doing a bunch of research online, which I now know is not the best source given the outdated and inaccurate information out there. I would come to learn that it’s better to get connected with support groups who have been through similar experiences.

After the dust settled, what coping mechanisms did you use? What did you do to cope physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?

Once there was a treatment plan in place by my oncologist, that’s when the dust settled for me. I knew what was going to happen next — chemotherapy, surgery and participation in an immunotherapy clinical trial (a pre- and -post surgery regimen with KEYTRUDA). From there I went on autopilot and decided I’m going to approach this in the most positive manner I can.

Some of my coping mechanisms included staying close to my friends and family, dressing up for my appointments (make-up, hair, high-heels — hence my motto “High Heels High Spirits), having people come with me to treatment and keeping a healthy lifestyle with exercise and healthy eating (but don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the occasional slice of pizza and Mexican food).

I also would let myself go to dark places because honestly, I think that’s coping too. I think it is important acknowledge what’s happening and that there’s a long road ahead. Additionally, I had a couple of therapists — one I was seeing before my diagnosis and a cancer specialist therapist recommended to me by my oncologist. This helped me a lot mentally and emotionally. And spiritually, I had a Bible study group that I’m a part of. Those women were a huge support during that time too.

Is there a particular person you are grateful towards who helped you learn to cope and heal? Can you share a story about that?

There are so many people in my support network that I’m so grateful to have in my life. In particular though, I’d like to talk about my oncologist, Dr. O’Shaughnessy who was the mastermind behind my treatment plan. I trusted her immediately when I met her. She brought up a clinical trial for KEYTRUDA at my first appointment with her, and I thought, why would I not want to do something that could potentially increase my survivability? And, if anything, I was contributing to research too. Now, three years later I am doing well and have no evidence of disease.

Dr. O’Shaughnessy was always a cheerleader for me, too. When I would go to my treatments dressed up, she always cheered me on and recognized that I was being positive despite the situation. At one point, she called me like the poster child for breast cancer which meant more than she’ll ever know.

What did you learn about yourself from this very difficult experience? How has cancer shaped your worldview? What has it taught you that you might never have considered before? Can you please explain with a story or example?

1. Cancer can be treatable: Thanks to all the research that has been done, more and more cancers have treatment options available. I was able to participate in a clinical trial and would encourage anyone else to do the same. I like to encourage others to be curious and ask about the clinical trial opportunities — it could help save your life.
2. I am resilient: I was amazed at how my body responded to treatment — I often found myself in the gym the next day doing burpees. While I was occasionally tired, I never missed a day of work because of my chemotherapy or clinical trial. My own resiliency taught me not to assume the worst could happen to me, something I’ve tried to apply to other parts of my life.
3. People are inherently good: I had so many people show up for me and give their love to me. Of course, I would have done the same for them, but you don’t know until you’re in a situation like I was, just how people will show up — there was so much beauty in this discovery. Each week during my treatment a friend would bring dinner and eat with me which helped my spirits so much.

How have you used your experience to bring goodness to the world?

By sharing my story and experience to spread awareness. For example, the clinical trial I participated in contributed to the recent approval of KEYTRUDA for the treatment of patients with high-risk early-stage TNBC in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, then continued as a single agent as adjuvant treatment after surgery. I want people to know the importance of knowing your treatment options and advocating for yourself. I want people to see my experience, both the good and hard times, and give people someone to relate to.

My doctors have pointed younger women who are diagnosed to me and I’ve actively participated in Facebook groups to support others. I’ve always wanted to reassure people that you can have a normal life. I’m also a big advocate of cold capping (I did it myself) to help minimize hair loss, if this is something the person is interested in.

What are a few of the biggest misconceptions and myths out there about fighting cancer that you would like to dispel?

1. It’s not a one size fits all approach. Everybody’s cancer is different. So even though I’m sitting here sharing how it went for me, it’s going to be different for the next person as well as the next person.
2. Fighting cancer is not day by day — it’s moment by moment. One minute you may feel isolated and have a “dark” moment and the next moment someone may make you laugh until you cry, a “bright” moment. And all of this is okay.
3. People can survive cancer and have long fulfilling lives. I have a daughter now that I was able to conceive naturally. My body works still the way it was intended and it’s a blessing.

Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your experiences and knowledge, what advice would you give to others who have recently been diagnosed with cancer? What are your “5 Things You Need To Beat Cancer? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Get a dream team of doctors. Do your research to find a care team that you feel confident in that is presenting all the options to you, including clinical trials.
2. Be your own advocate. Show up to appointments with questions and think about what is best for you. I always came with a typed out, long list of questions that I would go through with my doctor to ensure I was getting the best possible care.
3. Lean into your support network. They’re going to feel helpless, but they want to help you. Give them things to do because they don’t know what they don’t know and sometimes are unsure of specifically how they can help you.
4. Have a good attitude. Try to put yourself on autopilot, we must do this walk to survive, but make sure you’re dealing with your feelings. Find a good therapist that specializes in cancer who is not in your friends and family circle.
5. Connect with other survivors. Seek out others that are going through similar experiences. Regardless of the way your immediate support network looks like, get connected with survivors and or people who are going through treatment — Facebook groups, cancer centers, etc.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be?

I just want to inspire people to be strong advocates for themselves and ensure they know all the options available to them. I would love to see something published by a well-known organization that recommends all of the questions you should ask throughout the different phases of your cancer journey. People don’t know what they don’t know, so I think it would be really helpful to have something like that for people. As I mentioned, I always brought in lists of questions typed out, and it helped me navigate my journey — this also made sure I’d write down the doctors’ responses so I could reflect on them. It’s true that our minds and bodies protect us from difficult things we don’t like to hear (I call it survival mode or in “fight or flight”, this is the “fight”) — there were several moments where I seemingly went dark or missed information. Bringing a family member or friend to those upfront appointments when establishing care helps to capture the things you may miss.

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!

About The Interviewer: Savio P. Clemente helps cancer survivors overcome the confusion and gain the clarity needed to get busy living in mind, body, and spirit. He inspires health and wellness seekers to find meaning in the “why” and to cultivate resilience in their mindset. Savio is a Board Certified wellness coach (NBC-HWC, ACC), stage 3 cancer survivor, podcaster, writer, and founder of The Human Resolve LLC.

Savio pens a weekly newsletter at thehumanresolve.com where he delves into secrets from living smarter to feeding your “three brains” — head 🧠, heart 💓, and gut 🤰 — in hopes of connecting the dots to those sticky parts in our nature that matter.

He has been featured on Fox News, and has collaborated with Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Food Network, WW, and Bloomberg. His mission is to offer clients, listeners, and viewers alike tangible takeaways in living a truly healthy, wealthy, and wise lifestyle.

Savio lives in the suburbs of Westchester County, New York and continues to follow his boundless curiosity. He hopes to one day live out a childhood fantasy and explore outer space.