Oct. 30, 2025
We Popped Champagne at 4AM. It’s Her Cancerversary.
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RSS Feed Twelve years ago today, Amy Robach got news that she had stage-2 breast cancer. Today started with candles, a toast, reflection, and a reminder.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, it is Thursday, October thirtieth, twenty twenty five, and we had damn good reason to pop open a bottle of champagne at four am as we were starting our work day. And with that, welcome to this very special cancer Versary episode of Amy and TJ.
00:00:21
Speaker 2: Amy Robot. Please tell the folks what is a cancer versary?
00:00:25
Speaker 3: First of all, well, it's the day that cancer patients, survivors thrivers celebrate their anniversary of surviving. And so I actually had a question early on because a lot of folks choose different dates for their cancerversary. Some people pick the day they finished chemo, some people picked the day they finished their surgeries or their treatment, and some people picked the day they were diagnosed. And I went with that way forward because someone said this to me, a survivor said this to me. I chose the day I was diagnosed because that's the day I started surviving.
00:01:06
Speaker 2: And what day did you pick?
00:01:08
Speaker 4: October thirtieth? The day I was diagnosed.
00:01:10
Speaker 2: The day you were diagnosed was October thirtieth, this day twelve years ago? Is that right?
00:01:16
Speaker 4: That's correct?
00:01:17
Speaker 2: Happy Canniverse cancer versary, baby.
00:01:19
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:01:20
Speaker 3: It's one of those days where, yeah, it's impossible not to get emotional.
00:01:25
Speaker 2: Are you supposed to? Is it offensive? How should people note or take or recognize the day to you? Because it seems weird to say happy happy cancer version right?
00:01:36
Speaker 3: No, I actually really believe that it's important to celebrate. It's important as a moment to recognize how precious time is, how amazing it is that we're all here still one more day, one more minute, one more hour.
00:01:52
Speaker 2: You have to know that. Though does it matter? Do you have? Can? Can the day come and go without excuse me? You can note it in your own mind, but does it need to be to you appreciate people taking note of it? Almost like a birthday. I know that's a weird comparison, but some people don't like birthday. I don't want all its attention and no, and I don't want to pick where we're going and that kind of shit. Do you think?
00:02:13
Speaker 3: I think have to's and expectations are problematic period, so I wouldn't expect anyone else to. However, I have been a believer in honoring, in noting, in acknowledging certain anniversaries because I do think they do serve as a very important reminder for us to remember what's important to appreciate, to be grateful, and to spread the love. And I think at that point it's on me to recognize it. It's on me to recognize how to be living differently and better.
00:02:45
Speaker 2: But how is the day different from any other in that what you just said, is it? You said a reminder? But at the same time we get reminders from We were just talking about Tony Todd in the Last Final Destination movie. He he gave us a reminder with come of lines that life is precious and we have to live every day. Sometimes we have a family member, somebody, a friend, or somebody close to us that's passed unexpectedly, and we always say it's a reminder. But for a cancer survivor, you still need sometimes these reminds. I'm sure you are more aware than most people are of your mortality, if you will, But still is it even for you? Sometimes you find yourself needing reminders more than even you think you should need.
00:03:30
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think we all and I think as more time goes by, which is a beautiful thing.
00:03:36
Speaker 4: Oh my goodness.
00:03:37
Speaker 3: I used to think about cancer every minute of every day. Then it became, you know, a couple times a day, then it solely became a couple of times a week, and now I can go weeks without thinking about cancer, and that's a beautiful thing. No one wants to be dwelling on or in this like disease. However, there is a really positive point when you can have that moment where it comes back to you like wait a minute, When things are going bad, or things are going wrong, or you're getting frustrated by little stupid, silly stuff that you won't remember in five days, let alone five years. Those are the moments where're like, wait a minute, like perspective here, it's all going to be okay.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Put on perspective there, You're you're not I guess you kind of change, change or train yourself. You're not in that moment thinking about cancer, but you're in that moment still thinking. Your mind is trained differently. Is that Is that fair to say you're not just thinking cancer.
00:04:39
Speaker 4: No, I'm thinking gratitude.
00:04:41
Speaker 3: I'm thinking I'm thinking especially like honestly, baby, if you and I and we haven't had a lot of this lately, which has been awesome, but if you and I are having a rough spot or a rough patch, or I actually get frustrated with myself for not finding a way to peace sooner, because I'm just like, we don't have six hours, we don't have six days. We don't know why am I wasting time being pissed off about something that actually doesn't even matter.
00:05:08
Speaker 4: It's my ego, it's my pride, it's.
00:05:11
Speaker 3: Whatever, And so yes, I use those moments to remind myself of how precious time is. That is the biggest reminder, I think, And to remember to love people, to laugh more, to live more, to love more. Those are the things that hit my brain. It's not cancer, it's it's you have right now.
00:05:32
Speaker 2: But that's all a matter of you being trained, I guess the past twelve years to see life differently and recognize life differently. But when did it happen? I know you won't know what exactly, Maybe you will. When did that transition kind of start to where it's not cancer, cancer, cancer, cancer cancer, but just a matter of looking at life as a more beautiful thing.
00:05:52
Speaker 3: It definitely when the fear subsided, and the fear didn't subside I think for a solid two years from my diagnosis, so it it took a full two years for me to just not be actually living in fear and then oh yeah, I mean I was well, and I'm not saying I didn't have moments of fear just come washing over me unexpectedly in certain moments, but the day to day fear started to subside after that period. And then it really it was baby steps and it was conditioning, and it was taking that fear and trying to flip it on its head and say it's powerful.
00:06:35
Speaker 4: Right when you are afraid, there.
00:06:38
Speaker 3: Is There aren't a lot of emotions that are more powerful than fear. And so when I could take it and say, okay, i'm feeling this now, I'm going to go do something fun, I'm going to go do something meaningful.
00:06:49
Speaker 4: I'm going to go do something impactful.
00:06:51
Speaker 3: And so when I start to feel that anxiety, which it still does pop up, I don't.
00:06:56
Speaker 4: Think it ever goes away. Fully, it doesn't.
00:06:58
Speaker 3: It hasn't for me yet, and honestly, I kind of hope it doesn't, because it's become motivating to live differently, to make different choices, to make better choices in moments where more other fears come up, and I'm just like, wait a minute, I know how to do this. I'm going to take this and I'm going to use this for good.
00:07:14
Speaker 2: When did you start making cancer jokes?
00:07:17
Speaker 3: Oh?
00:07:17
Speaker 4: Throughout?
00:07:18
Speaker 3: Like, oh yeah, when I was going through chemo, I was making cancer jokes because you just had to.
00:07:23
Speaker 4: It was so miserable.
00:07:25
Speaker 3: And even the girls were younger, they were seven and ten when all of this was happening, and they we would actually joke about it in moments.
00:07:35
Speaker 4: Of like stupid, like every day stress, we would make a joke about how ridiculous it was.
00:07:40
Speaker 2: Well for you in the milestone moments you talk about cancer versary. What are the other dates on the yearly calendar that are anniversaries if you will?
00:07:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, October thirtieth was the day I was diagnosed. December sixteenth was my first day of chemo. April twenty fourth was my last day of chemo. I mean you really remember these dates. I don't think they ever go away. And those are like my main ones, because chemo is one of those things where it is an event and it does take away a lot from you throughout that moment, and I am very proud of going through that, having gone through that, and I do like laugh and look back at how much pride I took in not taking any days off. Yes, I took days off from my double mistectomy. I took I believe two weeks off and that was it. And then I never missed another day of work. And I look back at that and I laugh at the pride I took in that. Why, like I invested all this time in a job that I thought defined me. That was my value and it's part of the reason why. And I think it's important to have something to focus on other than being a cancer patient in those moments when you're in treatment. However, the emphasis I had was on making sure I showed up for work every day. And I look back at now the last couple of years and laugh at my devotion and my loyalty to a job that actually gave nothing in return.
00:09:04
Speaker 2: But I mean another way possibly looking at it, is that was a very much a positive. It kept you focused, It kept you driven, It kept you you had a goal and something to deal with pressurize even not just like doing a crossword puzzle. You had a real purpose and focus in life. Is there not some argument that even some doctor would make that that was good for you.
00:09:25
Speaker 3: Yes, And even to that point, my doctor at the time, doctor Oratz who you've met multiple times.
00:09:30
Speaker 4: I had this focus.
00:09:31
Speaker 3: The first meeting I had with my oncologist, the first thing I said to her was how can I still go and cover the Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea. I had already signed up for it, I was already accredited for it, and I wanted to go.
00:09:44
Speaker 4: That was where my head was. I needed to have.
00:09:47
Speaker 3: Some goal other than ringing the bell, some goal other than getting through chemo. I needed to shift my focus. And so yes, in that sense, it was a blessing. However, upon further reflection, looking back now, I am now able to proudly say that my work, and it's with someone I love now in a different way, in a different place, in a different atmosphere, is integal to my life, but doesn't define me in a way that it did back then. And I understand that I needed that maybe that distraction. But I have a better focus now on what's important.
00:10:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, but that's I don't know. I don't know if it's possible to get to that perspective before you have a life altering and a literally a life threatening situation come up. That's always the challenge, right You're trying to get to that perspective before it's forced upon you. You are. I mean, I guess I get it to a certain degree. I don't know. I don't know if it's a bad thing, and looking back on it, if your perspective was wrong, I think a lot of people would be that way. Think that way. You have a career, you have a family, and look, I think this industry probably, I think the industry puts you in that position as well. Where you were at the time. I know you still had a little climbing to do as far as the industry goes. But we take one day off and we think the person that gets to fill in for us is going to end up taking our job. It's just been this kind of competitive business forever. So I don't know if you would have been in a different industry had you had the same attitude. I don't know if you would have, if you'd had the right support that you should have had at the time, if you would have had that same attitude. But here we are. It all worked out. And the reason I know it worked out is because I'm sitting across the table from you right now, happy and healthy and life is great. So it worked out.
00:11:49
Speaker 3: It absolutely did, and it was funny to think that in the middle of all of that. So I remember after round five of chemo, my on collegist told me, you know, you're going to have to I know you haven't taken any breaks from work, but you're going to have to start taking a break because when I came back from the Olympics, we upped the chemo to every other week, and so she was like, there's no way you're going to be able to keep continuing with this five day week schedule. That is when I got the phone call from then ABC president Ben Suurrwood saying, You've now been given the Monday through Friday news anchor job. And I knew at that moment that, of course I was not going to take another day off. So I thought my career was taking a huge shift upwards right when I was taking a huge shift downwards in my energy level and my treatment, and the two coincided, and you know, you do what you have to do. You rise up to that point and you meet the expectations that are in front of you. And maybe that was exactly what needed to happen at what I thought was the worst possible time, but it gave me. It gave me an outlet. It gave me something to do other than being a cancer patient, and for that I'm grateful.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: Well, folks, we are absolutely grateful for today. I think a lot of you will know. We get up really really early, really really early to get our work done. But today our work day started a little differently. Stay here, I'll explain to you exactly what happened when Robes rolled out of bed on her cancer versary this morning. Hey, the folks, welcome back to this very special cancer versary episode of Amy and TJ. Twelve years ago today, Amy Robock found out that she had stage two two breast cancer. And here we are, twelve years later, cancer free, doing a thing, rocking, rolling. She's got a great career going. She has a great, great coworker that she gets to spend her time with every single day.
00:13:51
Speaker 3: She's also my fiance. Now, okay, we'll trying to keep it before we very often.
00:13:59
Speaker 2: I have a lot because anything to keep from saying girlfriend again, I.
00:14:04
Speaker 3: Actually want to lean towards a husband. It's so funny. I'm like fiance, I'm fifty two years.
00:14:10
Speaker 2: Lean away from the girl friend. Beyonce, Yes, well you had a boyfriend it's better than a boyfriend. Oh yeah, so you're getting there. But folks today, well especially we tell you all all the time. We get very early around here, between three or four o'clock in the morning.
00:14:22
Speaker 3: And.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: Well, Robes, I will let you tell it. I had a whole plan and whole thing in mind about what the day was going to look like. And we have much more the day to go. But I wanted to make sure when you walked out, you knew well you were, you were aware that I was aware.
00:14:37
Speaker 4: I would say, very sweet. I walked out, and.
00:14:41
Speaker 3: I walk out at about four ten, because my alarm goes off at four. I go into the Yeah, I just get myself somewhat put together and walk out and you've got candles lit. It's pitch black, and you've got the glow of the computer on your face.
00:14:59
Speaker 4: Because you've been up for an hour. You usually get up an hour before I do.
00:15:04
Speaker 3: And there were two glasses of champagne at the table, and that was you're not And you said to me, you're alive, and I knew, I knew you knew.
00:15:18
Speaker 4: It was very sweet.
00:15:18
Speaker 2: Almost other days I say you're alive and it means something different, meaning he finally woke up. There it is. But yeah, today is different, and especially and it's cloudy and it's overcast day. It's gonna be raining today, and that feels like just life. It feels like, I don't know. Today feels great and we're upbeat and we're happy, and we have a lot to look forward to. We have great trips coming, we have great family trips coming, have very great family events coming. It's just a great, great time for us, and we're sharing a little bit of it now. We try to keep rogues. We're trying to keep to ourselves. To the most part, we're trying to just enjoy we're public people who trying to enjoy some privacy. To a certain degree, we are. We still have the attitude nobody gives a damn about our relationship, and we made that mistake and it cost us before. So we're trying to find that balance. But this is something I think rogues is worthy for a lot of people out there who have their own cancer versaries to see how other people are treating it, dealing with it, and even for family members or friends or spouses or partners of those people just because they're telling you out it's just another day. Don't think for a second that it doesn't matter that you acknowledge that how important this day is to the person in your life who had to go through cancer. Everybody needs to take note of this day, this day, not because it's your day. I'm saying, take note of a cancer verse.
00:16:44
Speaker 4: I know I got emotional when you were saying that upbeat no, because I do want to say this.
00:16:52
Speaker 3: Look, I have been offended and upset in moments, and everyone's in different places in their life. But anyone who complains about getting older or about another birthday, it has always been upsetting to me since my cancer diagnosis. I was one of those people beforehand. But every day, every year is absolutely a gift.
00:17:17
Speaker 4: And if you can try to find.
00:17:20
Speaker 3: That attitude, it's a game changer because instead of saying, oh I'm older, Oh look at this wrinkle, Oh you know my body isn't doing what it used to be able to do. All that may be true, but it beats the alternative. And anyone who has faced this disease, who's loved somebody who's faced this disease, understands how important time is and how precious that gift is.
00:17:43
Speaker 4: And so that's what today is for me.
00:17:45
Speaker 3: It's a reminder to embrace whatever this day brings, whether it's rain and wind and the weather you didn't want or the weather you love. Whatever it is, you're here, you're a lie, You're able to react, you're able to give, you're able to love, you're able to receive. So I just yeah, today's a beautiful day and another important reminder of the fact that we're all just lucky to be here and grateful to be here.
00:18:19
Speaker 2: Hopefully, well, we are lucky, we are grateful, we are blessed. Yesterday, but tomorrow yesterday as well well. Happy cancerversary, baby. We got some partying to do, but we want to hop on and acknowledge what today is and if you've got that person in your life. Several of the cancer versaries today, tomorrow, this month, next month, and so on. But it's always worth noting folks, so we appreciate you. It's always going along on this journey with us. But for now I'm TJ. Holmes along with my still thriving fiance Amy Robot. We'll talk to you also
Speaker 1: Hey, it is Thursday, October thirtieth, twenty twenty five, and we had damn good reason to pop open a bottle of champagne at four am as we were starting our work day. And with that, welcome to this very special cancer Versary episode of Amy and TJ.
00:00:21
Speaker 2: Amy Robot. Please tell the folks what is a cancer versary?
00:00:25
Speaker 3: First of all, well, it's the day that cancer patients, survivors thrivers celebrate their anniversary of surviving. And so I actually had a question early on because a lot of folks choose different dates for their cancerversary. Some people pick the day they finished chemo, some people picked the day they finished their surgeries or their treatment, and some people picked the day they were diagnosed. And I went with that way forward because someone said this to me, a survivor said this to me. I chose the day I was diagnosed because that's the day I started surviving.
00:01:06
Speaker 2: And what day did you pick?
00:01:08
Speaker 4: October thirtieth? The day I was diagnosed.
00:01:10
Speaker 2: The day you were diagnosed was October thirtieth, this day twelve years ago? Is that right?
00:01:16
Speaker 4: That's correct?
00:01:17
Speaker 2: Happy Canniverse cancer versary, baby.
00:01:19
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:01:20
Speaker 3: It's one of those days where, yeah, it's impossible not to get emotional.
00:01:25
Speaker 2: Are you supposed to? Is it offensive? How should people note or take or recognize the day to you? Because it seems weird to say happy happy cancer version right?
00:01:36
Speaker 3: No, I actually really believe that it's important to celebrate. It's important as a moment to recognize how precious time is, how amazing it is that we're all here still one more day, one more minute, one more hour.
00:01:52
Speaker 2: You have to know that. Though does it matter? Do you have? Can? Can the day come and go without excuse me? You can note it in your own mind, but does it need to be to you appreciate people taking note of it? Almost like a birthday. I know that's a weird comparison, but some people don't like birthday. I don't want all its attention and no, and I don't want to pick where we're going and that kind of shit. Do you think?
00:02:13
Speaker 3: I think have to's and expectations are problematic period, so I wouldn't expect anyone else to. However, I have been a believer in honoring, in noting, in acknowledging certain anniversaries because I do think they do serve as a very important reminder for us to remember what's important to appreciate, to be grateful, and to spread the love. And I think at that point it's on me to recognize it. It's on me to recognize how to be living differently and better.
00:02:45
Speaker 2: But how is the day different from any other in that what you just said, is it? You said a reminder? But at the same time we get reminders from We were just talking about Tony Todd in the Last Final Destination movie. He he gave us a reminder with come of lines that life is precious and we have to live every day. Sometimes we have a family member, somebody, a friend, or somebody close to us that's passed unexpectedly, and we always say it's a reminder. But for a cancer survivor, you still need sometimes these reminds. I'm sure you are more aware than most people are of your mortality, if you will, But still is it even for you? Sometimes you find yourself needing reminders more than even you think you should need.
00:03:30
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think we all and I think as more time goes by, which is a beautiful thing.
00:03:36
Speaker 4: Oh my goodness.
00:03:37
Speaker 3: I used to think about cancer every minute of every day. Then it became, you know, a couple times a day, then it solely became a couple of times a week, and now I can go weeks without thinking about cancer, and that's a beautiful thing. No one wants to be dwelling on or in this like disease. However, there is a really positive point when you can have that moment where it comes back to you like wait a minute, When things are going bad, or things are going wrong, or you're getting frustrated by little stupid, silly stuff that you won't remember in five days, let alone five years. Those are the moments where're like, wait a minute, like perspective here, it's all going to be okay.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Put on perspective there, You're you're not I guess you kind of change, change or train yourself. You're not in that moment thinking about cancer, but you're in that moment still thinking. Your mind is trained differently. Is that Is that fair to say you're not just thinking cancer.
00:04:39
Speaker 4: No, I'm thinking gratitude.
00:04:41
Speaker 3: I'm thinking I'm thinking especially like honestly, baby, if you and I and we haven't had a lot of this lately, which has been awesome, but if you and I are having a rough spot or a rough patch, or I actually get frustrated with myself for not finding a way to peace sooner, because I'm just like, we don't have six hours, we don't have six days. We don't know why am I wasting time being pissed off about something that actually doesn't even matter.
00:05:08
Speaker 4: It's my ego, it's my pride, it's.
00:05:11
Speaker 3: Whatever, And so yes, I use those moments to remind myself of how precious time is. That is the biggest reminder, I think, And to remember to love people, to laugh more, to live more, to love more. Those are the things that hit my brain. It's not cancer, it's it's you have right now.
00:05:32
Speaker 2: But that's all a matter of you being trained, I guess the past twelve years to see life differently and recognize life differently. But when did it happen? I know you won't know what exactly, Maybe you will. When did that transition kind of start to where it's not cancer, cancer, cancer, cancer cancer, but just a matter of looking at life as a more beautiful thing.
00:05:52
Speaker 3: It definitely when the fear subsided, and the fear didn't subside I think for a solid two years from my diagnosis, so it it took a full two years for me to just not be actually living in fear and then oh yeah, I mean I was well, and I'm not saying I didn't have moments of fear just come washing over me unexpectedly in certain moments, but the day to day fear started to subside after that period. And then it really it was baby steps and it was conditioning, and it was taking that fear and trying to flip it on its head and say it's powerful.
00:06:35
Speaker 4: Right when you are afraid, there.
00:06:38
Speaker 3: Is There aren't a lot of emotions that are more powerful than fear. And so when I could take it and say, okay, i'm feeling this now, I'm going to go do something fun, I'm going to go do something meaningful.
00:06:49
Speaker 4: I'm going to go do something impactful.
00:06:51
Speaker 3: And so when I start to feel that anxiety, which it still does pop up, I don't.
00:06:56
Speaker 4: Think it ever goes away. Fully, it doesn't.
00:06:58
Speaker 3: It hasn't for me yet, and honestly, I kind of hope it doesn't, because it's become motivating to live differently, to make different choices, to make better choices in moments where more other fears come up, and I'm just like, wait a minute, I know how to do this. I'm going to take this and I'm going to use this for good.
00:07:14
Speaker 2: When did you start making cancer jokes?
00:07:17
Speaker 3: Oh?
00:07:17
Speaker 4: Throughout?
00:07:18
Speaker 3: Like, oh yeah, when I was going through chemo, I was making cancer jokes because you just had to.
00:07:23
Speaker 4: It was so miserable.
00:07:25
Speaker 3: And even the girls were younger, they were seven and ten when all of this was happening, and they we would actually joke about it in moments.
00:07:35
Speaker 4: Of like stupid, like every day stress, we would make a joke about how ridiculous it was.
00:07:40
Speaker 2: Well for you in the milestone moments you talk about cancer versary. What are the other dates on the yearly calendar that are anniversaries if you will?
00:07:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, October thirtieth was the day I was diagnosed. December sixteenth was my first day of chemo. April twenty fourth was my last day of chemo. I mean you really remember these dates. I don't think they ever go away. And those are like my main ones, because chemo is one of those things where it is an event and it does take away a lot from you throughout that moment, and I am very proud of going through that, having gone through that, and I do like laugh and look back at how much pride I took in not taking any days off. Yes, I took days off from my double mistectomy. I took I believe two weeks off and that was it. And then I never missed another day of work. And I look back at that and I laugh at the pride I took in that. Why, like I invested all this time in a job that I thought defined me. That was my value and it's part of the reason why. And I think it's important to have something to focus on other than being a cancer patient in those moments when you're in treatment. However, the emphasis I had was on making sure I showed up for work every day. And I look back at now the last couple of years and laugh at my devotion and my loyalty to a job that actually gave nothing in return.
00:09:04
Speaker 2: But I mean another way possibly looking at it, is that was a very much a positive. It kept you focused, It kept you driven, It kept you you had a goal and something to deal with pressurize even not just like doing a crossword puzzle. You had a real purpose and focus in life. Is there not some argument that even some doctor would make that that was good for you.
00:09:25
Speaker 3: Yes, And even to that point, my doctor at the time, doctor Oratz who you've met multiple times.
00:09:30
Speaker 4: I had this focus.
00:09:31
Speaker 3: The first meeting I had with my oncologist, the first thing I said to her was how can I still go and cover the Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea. I had already signed up for it, I was already accredited for it, and I wanted to go.
00:09:44
Speaker 4: That was where my head was. I needed to have.
00:09:47
Speaker 3: Some goal other than ringing the bell, some goal other than getting through chemo. I needed to shift my focus. And so yes, in that sense, it was a blessing. However, upon further reflection, looking back now, I am now able to proudly say that my work, and it's with someone I love now in a different way, in a different place, in a different atmosphere, is integal to my life, but doesn't define me in a way that it did back then. And I understand that I needed that maybe that distraction. But I have a better focus now on what's important.
00:10:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, but that's I don't know. I don't know if it's possible to get to that perspective before you have a life altering and a literally a life threatening situation come up. That's always the challenge, right You're trying to get to that perspective before it's forced upon you. You are. I mean, I guess I get it to a certain degree. I don't know. I don't know if it's a bad thing, and looking back on it, if your perspective was wrong, I think a lot of people would be that way. Think that way. You have a career, you have a family, and look, I think this industry probably, I think the industry puts you in that position as well. Where you were at the time. I know you still had a little climbing to do as far as the industry goes. But we take one day off and we think the person that gets to fill in for us is going to end up taking our job. It's just been this kind of competitive business forever. So I don't know if you would have been in a different industry had you had the same attitude. I don't know if you would have, if you'd had the right support that you should have had at the time, if you would have had that same attitude. But here we are. It all worked out. And the reason I know it worked out is because I'm sitting across the table from you right now, happy and healthy and life is great. So it worked out.
00:11:49
Speaker 3: It absolutely did, and it was funny to think that in the middle of all of that. So I remember after round five of chemo, my on collegist told me, you know, you're going to have to I know you haven't taken any breaks from work, but you're going to have to start taking a break because when I came back from the Olympics, we upped the chemo to every other week, and so she was like, there's no way you're going to be able to keep continuing with this five day week schedule. That is when I got the phone call from then ABC president Ben Suurrwood saying, You've now been given the Monday through Friday news anchor job. And I knew at that moment that, of course I was not going to take another day off. So I thought my career was taking a huge shift upwards right when I was taking a huge shift downwards in my energy level and my treatment, and the two coincided, and you know, you do what you have to do. You rise up to that point and you meet the expectations that are in front of you. And maybe that was exactly what needed to happen at what I thought was the worst possible time, but it gave me. It gave me an outlet. It gave me something to do other than being a cancer patient, and for that I'm grateful.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: Well, folks, we are absolutely grateful for today. I think a lot of you will know. We get up really really early, really really early to get our work done. But today our work day started a little differently. Stay here, I'll explain to you exactly what happened when Robes rolled out of bed on her cancer versary this morning. Hey, the folks, welcome back to this very special cancer versary episode of Amy and TJ. Twelve years ago today, Amy Robock found out that she had stage two two breast cancer. And here we are, twelve years later, cancer free, doing a thing, rocking, rolling. She's got a great career going. She has a great, great coworker that she gets to spend her time with every single day.
00:13:51
Speaker 3: She's also my fiance. Now, okay, we'll trying to keep it before we very often.
00:13:59
Speaker 2: I have a lot because anything to keep from saying girlfriend again, I.
00:14:04
Speaker 3: Actually want to lean towards a husband. It's so funny. I'm like fiance, I'm fifty two years.
00:14:10
Speaker 2: Lean away from the girl friend. Beyonce, Yes, well you had a boyfriend it's better than a boyfriend. Oh yeah, so you're getting there. But folks today, well especially we tell you all all the time. We get very early around here, between three or four o'clock in the morning.
00:14:22
Speaker 3: And.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: Well, Robes, I will let you tell it. I had a whole plan and whole thing in mind about what the day was going to look like. And we have much more the day to go. But I wanted to make sure when you walked out, you knew well you were, you were aware that I was aware.
00:14:37
Speaker 4: I would say, very sweet. I walked out, and.
00:14:41
Speaker 3: I walk out at about four ten, because my alarm goes off at four. I go into the Yeah, I just get myself somewhat put together and walk out and you've got candles lit. It's pitch black, and you've got the glow of the computer on your face.
00:14:59
Speaker 4: Because you've been up for an hour. You usually get up an hour before I do.
00:15:04
Speaker 3: And there were two glasses of champagne at the table, and that was you're not And you said to me, you're alive, and I knew, I knew you knew.
00:15:18
Speaker 4: It was very sweet.
00:15:18
Speaker 2: Almost other days I say you're alive and it means something different, meaning he finally woke up. There it is. But yeah, today is different, and especially and it's cloudy and it's overcast day. It's gonna be raining today, and that feels like just life. It feels like, I don't know. Today feels great and we're upbeat and we're happy, and we have a lot to look forward to. We have great trips coming, we have great family trips coming, have very great family events coming. It's just a great, great time for us, and we're sharing a little bit of it now. We try to keep rogues. We're trying to keep to ourselves. To the most part, we're trying to just enjoy we're public people who trying to enjoy some privacy. To a certain degree, we are. We still have the attitude nobody gives a damn about our relationship, and we made that mistake and it cost us before. So we're trying to find that balance. But this is something I think rogues is worthy for a lot of people out there who have their own cancer versaries to see how other people are treating it, dealing with it, and even for family members or friends or spouses or partners of those people just because they're telling you out it's just another day. Don't think for a second that it doesn't matter that you acknowledge that how important this day is to the person in your life who had to go through cancer. Everybody needs to take note of this day, this day, not because it's your day. I'm saying, take note of a cancer verse.
00:16:44
Speaker 4: I know I got emotional when you were saying that upbeat no, because I do want to say this.
00:16:52
Speaker 3: Look, I have been offended and upset in moments, and everyone's in different places in their life. But anyone who complains about getting older or about another birthday, it has always been upsetting to me since my cancer diagnosis. I was one of those people beforehand. But every day, every year is absolutely a gift.
00:17:17
Speaker 4: And if you can try to find.
00:17:20
Speaker 3: That attitude, it's a game changer because instead of saying, oh I'm older, Oh look at this wrinkle, Oh you know my body isn't doing what it used to be able to do. All that may be true, but it beats the alternative. And anyone who has faced this disease, who's loved somebody who's faced this disease, understands how important time is and how precious that gift is.
00:17:43
Speaker 4: And so that's what today is for me.
00:17:45
Speaker 3: It's a reminder to embrace whatever this day brings, whether it's rain and wind and the weather you didn't want or the weather you love. Whatever it is, you're here, you're a lie, You're able to react, you're able to give, you're able to love, you're able to receive. So I just yeah, today's a beautiful day and another important reminder of the fact that we're all just lucky to be here and grateful to be here.
00:18:19
Speaker 2: Hopefully, well, we are lucky, we are grateful, we are blessed. Yesterday, but tomorrow yesterday as well well. Happy cancerversary, baby. We got some partying to do, but we want to hop on and acknowledge what today is and if you've got that person in your life. Several of the cancer versaries today, tomorrow, this month, next month, and so on. But it's always worth noting folks, so we appreciate you. It's always going along on this journey with us. But for now I'm TJ. Holmes along with my still thriving fiance Amy Robot. We'll talk to you also