Andie Shares Her Cancer Diagnosis

Añadido: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]So we have something to share with the Andy Summer Show this morning.

[00:00:04]Um and normally we're like giving you a cup of joy and trying to make you laugh and make you smile and all the things, but we also I think really take pride in how um our the relationship that we have with you.

[00:00:19]Mhm.

[00:00:19]>> Right? As as people who have, you know, grown up with me especially. I've been here for so stinking long. Like I've known some of you before you were even born.

[00:00:30]Um but I am really putting this off, aren't I? So I found out last week that I have breast cancer.

[00:00:40]And that is a that's a really scary thing for anyone. Mhm.

[00:00:49]But um the thing that that really got me the most was like I'm a mom, you know?

[00:00:57]And this diagnosis doesn't It's not just about me because if it were I I would just go and do it and I I could take on anything. Like I'm healthy and I feel strong and I have so much ambition and motivation to just crush this. Like it's been, you know, cancer has taken so many of my family members including my sister just a couple years ago, including my dad um about 9 years ago who by the way was with me in my dreams last night.

[00:01:36]Knowing that like getting this diagnosis changes everything for me because it's it's not just about me. It's about everyone in my circle.

[00:01:51]My husband who just lost his stepdad.

[00:01:55]My kids you know, they're too young to be thinking about this and worrying about this and I hate that they have to.

[00:02:04]You guys >> [snorts] >> all of it. So that being said, honestly, I think this is the hardest I've cried since the doctor called to tell me what the diagnosis was. Um I am confident that I will beat this.

[00:02:27]Like you've no idea. You have It's taking me so much to not say a really bad word here. But you have messed with the wrong girl.

[00:02:36]>> Yes. You have. Seriously. I'm going to crush you and put you in your place.

[00:02:40]Yeah.

[00:02:40]>> Yeah.

[00:02:41]It they just they caught it in a mammogram. I I have my annual mammograms and um and and that's where we caught the lumps. I You know, like we've been talking a little bit about Donny and I've been on this health kick lately and I lost like 15 to 20 lb.

[00:02:56]>> Amazing.

[00:02:57]Which honestly could have saved my life because it my chest got smaller and then I was able to find lumps that I hadn't noticed before or maybe they're new. I don't even know. Um but it's like stage one or stage two.

[00:03:11]Um I'm I'm already in talks with surgeons and plastic surgeons and um I'm going next week for a whole bunch of appointments for bone scans and all sorts of things just to make sure that it is contained and uh and then we'll remove it and I'll be good as new. Even better. Even better. That's that's that's how I'm approaching this. This is not sad for me. This is empowering.

[00:03:36]Screw you, cancer.

[00:03:37]>> Yeah. Is it any surprise that Andy immediately thought of others? Th- yeah.

[00:03:42]I mean, honestly, it's the first thing she said when she told us was my kids, my husband my my coworker like thinking about others.

[00:03:52]>> Yeah. Meanwhile, we're all here thinking about her, you know? That's all we're thinking about.

[00:03:56]>> It's really that's really weird, too.

[00:03:58]Right? Like so this past week I've kind of been trying to make the rounds and talk to people about it because first of all, there are no secrets among the four of us, right? Like we you can't live that way and that's how I feel in my household as well. Um so having that conversation with my kids and my head like that had to come first. You guys sorry come second. Um having this conversation was tough. But what I appreciate about you guys um is that you matched my energy. Right? When I was ready to tell you what was going on, I I told you like listen, I've already been through the scary part of this and the angry part of this and and all the uncertainty and I am certain that I'm going to come out of this with flying colors. So like do not be sad for me right now. Right? And I didn't even have to say that. Like I felt like you guys totally matched my energy, which is something that I've learned in this process as well because when someone presents something to you, that's you know, you want to meet them where they are. Don't be the person that's like, "OH MY GOSH, MY MOTHER DIED FROM BREAST CANCER." Like that No one wants to hear that. Thank you. I'm sorry that you went through that. But like do not tell me that as I'm going through this right >> Now is not the time.

[00:05:07]>> No. No, we can discuss that later.

[00:05:09]>> But I want to say thank you because in the way that Andy did tell us exactly that, you know, displaying such strength and of course vulnerability and shed some tears, but like for me, I thought, "Oh my gosh, for her to be standing with this diagnosis and still be strong and confident and so certain." I mean, we've done our survivor celebration for so long and we've met so many amazing women who have gone through this and they have come out stronger. They have stood tall and and I'm sure you've drawn inspiration from them after hosting that event for years and years and years and years.

[00:05:40]>> For sure. Like we've been doing it for decades at this point. Um you know, and my mom is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed when she was 65. She's 89 years old now. 89 years old, right? Like she's a survivor. Talk about a thriver, right? And um and it was interesting because I I, you know, having that conversation is tough, too. She just lost my sister Yeah. years ago. I don't like I hated having to tell this to her, but what I realized is that my mom at 89 isn't thinking future at all. She's very much in the present. So I was like, "Mom, I have to go in for a biopsy." And she was like, "Okay.

[00:06:14]Yeah. [laughter] You get it done. Get it done. Then call me, right?" And she like didn't even think about it. Um and then and then when I told her what the results were, she was like, "Okay. So all right. So like how are you now? How are the kids? Like how is everything?"

[00:06:29]She was really very matter-of-fact about it. She's texting me, which is super sweet cuz she's 89 and doesn't do that often.

[00:06:36]>> Right. Um she didn't even remember what kind of breast cancer she had. So it turns out that hers was in her ducts and mine's in the lobes. So they're kind of right next to each other, but not the same thing. Um so we're like, "Oh, that's so fun." You know, like Right.

[00:06:50][laughter] I HAVE BREAST CANCER. WE'RE LIKE WE'RE CANCER TWINS. LIKE COME ON.

[00:06:56]I REMEMBER WHEN MY MOM was going through this back then. She was still going to work every day. She like she had to go through chemo. Hopefully I won't have to. I don't know yet. We're going to do all these tests to find out. But um you know, like and she she really did so well and I guess I'm so similar to her that it's probably anybody who knows both of us, it's not a surprise that I'm approaching this the same way that she did. No doubt. And I want to repeat what we talked privately about because I think it's so important for the Summer Squad to know, right? Like anybody who's ever gone through a diagnosis like this, things pop up. Appointments change, things go on. We're going to be as transparent as Andy wants us to, which I know is going to be extremely transparent, but keep that in mind. You know, give grace. If if if Andy needs to take a couple days even for her own mind, then we allow it. We we encourage it.

[00:07:44]>> real health, man.

[00:07:45]>> Because you never know what day you're going to wake up and you're going to say, "I just don't have it today." You know, I just can't I just can't be the Andy Summers I need to be today in order to laugh, cry, and have some fun. And we want to give you all the grace and all the leeway to take that time whenever you need it. So I'm a I'm a really faithful person, right? If you know that like if you know me, you know that about me. Um and I know that this could have crept up in my life at any time, but I know that it's happening now because I'm so well surrounded with like the most amazing people who are you are going to be carrying this burden even more so than I am. That's how I feel. Like that's I just know that you're those people, right? Um and so if it was going to happen like now's the time. I'm so grateful for you. You have no idea.

[00:08:39]You have no idea. We love you. We love you so much.

[00:08:42]>> And and the Summer Squad loves you cuz the amount of texts that we're getting right now just full of support and there was one I really wanted to shout out. I don't have a name. I'm sorry, but somebody put, "Andy, it's the month of Mary. She will watch over you." And yeah. So those are the kind of listeners we have.

[00:09:00]>> Yes. Who think about that stuff.

[00:09:02]Everyone I'm going through I'm I'm not lying. Tens, dozens and dozens and dozens of texts. Just cried with you.

[00:09:09]Kick cancer's, you know what?

[00:09:10]>> [laughter] >> Praying, praying, prayers, prayers. So thank you. Thank God I caught it as early as I did because I know that I will be fine.

[00:09:18]>> Yeah, Andy, you mentioned something so beautiful and we're going to put this up on the podcast if you missed the initial announcement just moments ago uh about this weight loss journey and getting fit journey, and how you might not have even noticed in that moment, you know, here if this you know, if you hadn't gone back to the gym and really gotten yourself better and put yourself first. And then you got your mammogram, which is so important for early detection. I mean >> easy to put that stuff off when you're busy, when you're working, when you have a family, when you're you know, like there are million things that you could be doing, but if you're not taking care of yourself, no one else is taking care of you, right? You're you're not able to take care of anyone else. It's so you're good for nothing. Like you've really you have to make yourself a priority.

[00:10:02]>> You even had was it a chiropractor who told you we're going to sit down and make all these appointments for you because you're over >> Yeah, it's so a few weeks ago it was like a couple about a month and a half ago or maybe 2 months ago now. I had really bad back pain. I thought that I tweaked something while I was working out and I went to the doctor and before I left the doctor's office they were like do not leave until you've made all of your appointments. Like you need to have your colonoscopy. You need to have your mammogram. Like all this stuff is due.

[00:10:30]Just do it now and I was like amen. I am and I sat right down in the waiting room and I'm like online making these appointments. Thank God.

[00:10:37]>> Yeah. Thank God for all of that. Listen and I told you before I'm a faithful person and I see this all as God winks.

[00:10:43]Like this is God putting me in my best place and I'm listening to him because that's what I believe. Right.

[00:10:49]>> Right? So if you feel like nah, that sign didn't mean anything, don't overlook that. No.

[00:10:55]>> It probably did mean something.

[00:10:57]>> No doubt. So is there anything like what are the next steps? Like or what what comes next after this now? I'm not I'm not sure. Um right. So diagnosis and then a million doctor's appointments. I mean like so I've already seen a surgeon a breast surgeon and I'm going to go to see another one just so that I have options. Like a friend of mine works for the hospital system and she was like just just have you have options. Like just go talk to someone else just to see and I was like okay, it's not going to hurt. Like you feel like you don't want to offend anyone. They don't care. Mhm.

[00:11:32]Right? Like I truly believe that this network, right? I'm working within the Penn medical system, they truly want what's best for me. I know that because my sister was treated for cancer at Fox Chase and Penn actually helped her at another hospital. Wow.

[00:11:45]>> want what's best for you. Right? So So yeah, so I'm going to see another surgeon so that's coming up um in the beginning of Ju No. No. It's in a couple weeks so I have another appointment.

[00:11:55]>> Um but next week I will talk to a plastic surgeon. I will get um an um MRI on like my upper torso just to make sure that that's you know, everything is contained. I'll have a bone scan. I'll have a cat scan. So I've got a couple day I'll be taking a couple days next week that I'm going to need for myself.

[00:12:13]Again Totally.

[00:12:14]>> Right? Like to get the stuff done but also so that I could breathe through it and I'm not rushing and you know, I had a full-on panic attack before I went to my first um surgeon meeting. I I And I thought I was fine. I thought I was fine and I all of a sudden was walking out to the car and I was like I am not breathing. Like what is happening right now?

[00:12:34]Because it's a lot. I think I think you told me once like allow yourself to feel the feels, right? Like allow yourself to let that in and and or else you might end up you know, in the parking lot having these chest pains cuz you're like I can't believe I haven't felt the feels yet, you know?

[00:12:50]>> know cancer is the devil and it wants that. It wants that. It wants all that negativity. It wants you to be sad and upset and angry and anxious and all of that and that's what it feeds off of and I am I am not giving in to that.

[00:13:04]>> Not today. Right. You know what though?

[00:13:07]>> watch.

[00:13:08]>> Going to all these appointments you're going to get so much reading done. Oh my gosh. Yes. Check out my book club if you haven't done so yet. Yes. The Andy Summer Show dot com. I just read a book off her book club. So so great. You got to do it. Andy, we are rooting for you.

[00:13:22]We are here for you. I hope you feel all of the Summer Squad listening right now rooting for you every single day. Thank you. So I just want to read you a couple texts. We all have a couple but from the Summer Squad. There is a woman that wrote in, I am listening to the show and I just wanted to say that I'm 39 years old and I just got diagnosed with breast breast cancer in January.

[00:13:43]I am stage two and I also have three kids and a husband and the fear in Andy's voice was exactly the fear of mine. But I'm kicking cancer's butt and so WILL ANDY.

[00:13:52]>> YES, YOU ARE. [screaming] LET'S GO.

[00:13:54]AMAZING. And let me just say this, right? Because I know Shannon, you have a couple friends who are sisters who are going through breast cancer treatment right now and they're young, right? Yes.

[00:14:05]Her So my friend Cal, her sister Julie just rang the bell.

[00:14:10]>> Yes, Julie.

[00:14:12]Amazing.

[00:14:14]>> wait for Cal to do the same and yeah, it's it's hard. It's hard though.

[00:14:18]>> It is hard and I you know, like when this call came through on Friday and I'm thinking like if I were younger it would be like okay, this really stinks but okay, right? But like I'm at a such a stage in my life when so many people still rely on me that it's I'm like I I feel like if I lose this, I'm letting everyone down.

[00:14:42]Like these are the these are the thoughts, you know? And I know that I'm not alone in that.

[00:14:46]>> Yeah. And I can't even imagine being only 39 and having three littles. Like at least my daughter's 18 now. Like she's going to be out of the house in the fall and my 14-year-old like I've just been saying my focus has been on Tory for so long. I can't wait to just focus on Leonard for his high school years. I can't take that from him. He deserves me to give him all the attention and all the love.

[00:15:12]>> Mhm. And I I refuse to not be here for it. So there. I just There you go. I just gosh, there's so many bad words I just want to say that I can't cuz I will will get in so much trouble.

[00:15:23]>> 30 years in radio and this is the closest she's ever gotten to multiple curses. And [laughter] honestly, I mean you can't go anywhere because whose coattails am I GOING TO RIDE?

[00:15:33]COME ON. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? [laughter] I can't do this. That's incredible. We have another message. It says Andy, you are strong as you believe you are. My mom who's my best friend was diagnosed in January 2024 and is in remission today.

[00:15:47]>> Awesome.

[00:15:48]When things got scary, we just kept saying to each other you're going to be okay and if you believe it Yeah. you will be. Stay strong. We are here for you. God bless. Thank you. Yeah, the support is really amazing. I just started looking at the text messages now because I couldn't before. But yeah, like thank you and thank you for matching my energy. Thank you for knowing that like I'm ready for this fight. I don't need to hear the horror stories. I need to hear the successes cuz that's what's going to get me through this. So I know we're talking a lot about winning but I want to talk about a loser on the show.

[00:16:22]And he's our LOVABLE LOSER TOM.

[00:16:24]>> [screaming] >> HE SAID ANDY, I MAY BE THE LOVABLE loser but you are the lovable winner. That's Tommy. Woo.