Lessons from two cancer journey stories that required event prof superpowers<\/h2>\n
We talk a lot about the importance of taking care of our health in the midst of busy planner lives, usually just before we jump on a red eye and spend a week grazing leftover cheese boards and eating out of vending machines. But actively fighting for our care can be a life-or-death decision. Regular checkups are not optional as demonstrated by the two stories that follow.<\/p>\n
Thank you to the brave leaders who agreed to be vulnerable about their personal journeys in hopes that at least one other event prof will take the time between site inspections to schedule a checkup rather than ignoring the signs until it is too late.<\/p>\n
A Lesson in Self-Care<\/h3>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.smartmeetings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/kate-stage-luxury-300x140.jpg\")
Kate Patay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhen Terramar<\/a> Vice President of Global Engagement Kate Patay found a lump on her chest while at the company\u2019s annual sales meeting in Los Cabos, she thought it was odd but didn\u2019t worry about it. When she returned, she casually mentioned it to her husband and he continued to ask her about it until she made an appointment to have it checked. \u201cI realized I was being selfish by not taking action,\u201d she said. \u201cWe take care of other people, whether 50 or 500 and we can\u2019t do that well if we\u2019re not taking care of ourselves, it\u2019s selfish of me to not put myself first.\u201d That is when she made the call.<\/p>\nThe initial appointment occurred almost a month later because of travel and a lack of urgency since she had been in for a mammogram that came back clear four months earlier. When she made it onto the paper-lined table, the doctor confirmed her suspicion but had to refer her to a specialist for an appointment that happened a month later. That led to more appointments and scans. \u201cYou hear about getting called into the room and the doctor was so kind, but she said very clearly that what she saw was concerning and after all this time, she did not want me to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe talk\u201d happened on a Friday afternoon. The biopsy followed on Monday morning and that afternoon Patay was on a rescheduled overnight flight to Chicago bandaged up, unable to lift any of her bags. The news of an invasive ductal carcinoma came just before she walked into a room full of friends and planners. \u201cIt was isolating and lonely because I was trying to digest what I was reading and didn\u2019t want to fall down a Google rabbit hole before I heard it from a professional,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Patay compartmentalized and tucked the news away while she worked. Even after it was confirmed, she didn\u2019t come home right away because there was nothing that could be done and she didn\u2019t want to be sad at home alone. Once she told her husband, he became the self-appointed protector-in-chief. But she decided to keep the knowledge close, family and close friends because she wanted to save everyone else from worrying.<\/p>\n
The good news is that Patay was in early stage one and it had not yet spread to her lymph nodes. But an MRI revealed the presence of a second lump so instead of the lumpectomy initially planned, she opted for a double mastectomy. Breast cancer is a disease that runs in Patay\u2019s family. Four relatives have been diagnosed with the same disease at the same age so she understood the implications.<\/p>\n
That history made what happened even more painful. Even with the extreme measures, post-operation imaging showed that the mass had been left behind. She had to go in for a second emergency surgery that left her scarred, weak and in pain for months. She was having spasms in her hand and difficulty moving her arm and her doctors didn\u2019t seemed to be listening to her. \u201cIt was so devastating. I made guttural sounds I had never heard before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.smartmeetings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/kate-hospital-225x300.jpg\")
Patay was determined to get better. She did her research to find the best surgeon to get her back to functioning and when told she would have to wait until March of 2026 for an appointment, she politely asked if she could call each week checking to see if there had been a cancellation. In the meantime, her husband was traveling with her\u2014including to a Smart Meetings Incentive Experience in the Bahamas\u2014to carry her bags. \u201cI was persistent. I didn\u2019t want to keep carrying this heavy burden,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Patay\u2019s notes and calls did not go unanswered. On a Thursday in September, she was told there was an appointment the following Wednesday in Las Vegas and her team jumped into action, changing calendars, finding a place for her to sleep and making arrangements to stay with her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I wasn\u2019t a planner, I probably wouldn\u2019t have had those tools available to me and be so well trained in taking what information you\u2019re given at the time and making the best possible decision with the information presented to you,\u201d Patay reflected five months later as she was just getting back to full mobility.<\/p>\n
What was most difficult was the change of roles. \u201cI\u2019m the fixer. I\u2019m the helper in my world and I had to ask for help. I had to raise my hand and say, \u2018Can you please help me?\u2019 and be vulnerable,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n
In the next breath she smiled and said, \u201cEveryone came through. I\u2019m so grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that the worst is in the rear view, Patay wanted to tell her story to encourage other meeting professionals to take responsibility for their health. \u201cI have always told people you do have to take care of yourself first. I can\u2019t imagine what this conversation would have been if I had put my care off six months, or even the nine months or so until I would have had another mammogram,\u201d she mused.<\/p>\n
Patay urged planners to go with their gut because it\u2019s usually not wrong. \u201cIf something doesn\u2019t feel right, poke at that to see why.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Praise of Personal Risk Management<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartmeetings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/david-stage-300x168.png\")
David Allison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDon\u2019t let embarrassment get in the way of a long life. That is the message keynote speaker and The Valuegraphics Research Company<\/a> founder David Allison is trying to get out. From stage, he talks about understanding people based on what matters to them, not on demographics such as age, gender or ethnicity. But last year, he got a personal lesson in how valuable health is at any age.<\/p>\nHe noticed that something wasn\u2019t right and went to the doctor for a series of tests that can feel invasive but can also be life saving. \u201cIt\u2019s embarrassing for guys to talk about their stuff and we don\u2019t want to doctors poking at us. It\u2019s humbling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When Terramar<\/a> Vice President of Global Engagement Kate Patay found a lump on her chest while at the company\u2019s annual sales meeting in Los Cabos, she thought it was odd but didn\u2019t worry about it. When she returned, she casually mentioned it to her husband and he continued to ask her about it until she made an appointment to have it checked. \u201cI realized I was being selfish by not taking action,\u201d she said. \u201cWe take care of other people, whether 50 or 500 and we can\u2019t do that well if we\u2019re not taking care of ourselves, it\u2019s selfish of me to not put myself first.\u201d That is when she made the call.<\/p>\n The initial appointment occurred almost a month later because of travel and a lack of urgency since she had been in for a mammogram that came back clear four months earlier. When she made it onto the paper-lined table, the doctor confirmed her suspicion but had to refer her to a specialist for an appointment that happened a month later. That led to more appointments and scans. \u201cYou hear about getting called into the room and the doctor was so kind, but she said very clearly that what she saw was concerning and after all this time, she did not want me to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe talk\u201d happened on a Friday afternoon. The biopsy followed on Monday morning and that afternoon Patay was on a rescheduled overnight flight to Chicago bandaged up, unable to lift any of her bags. The news of an invasive ductal carcinoma came just before she walked into a room full of friends and planners. \u201cIt was isolating and lonely because I was trying to digest what I was reading and didn\u2019t want to fall down a Google rabbit hole before I heard it from a professional,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Patay compartmentalized and tucked the news away while she worked. Even after it was confirmed, she didn\u2019t come home right away because there was nothing that could be done and she didn\u2019t want to be sad at home alone. Once she told her husband, he became the self-appointed protector-in-chief. But she decided to keep the knowledge close, family and close friends because she wanted to save everyone else from worrying.<\/p>\n The good news is that Patay was in early stage one and it had not yet spread to her lymph nodes. But an MRI revealed the presence of a second lump so instead of the lumpectomy initially planned, she opted for a double mastectomy. Breast cancer is a disease that runs in Patay\u2019s family. Four relatives have been diagnosed with the same disease at the same age so she understood the implications.<\/p>\n That history made what happened even more painful. Even with the extreme measures, post-operation imaging showed that the mass had been left behind. She had to go in for a second emergency surgery that left her scarred, weak and in pain for months. She was having spasms in her hand and difficulty moving her arm and her doctors didn\u2019t seemed to be listening to her. \u201cIt was so devastating. I made guttural sounds I had never heard before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Patay\u2019s notes and calls did not go unanswered. On a Thursday in September, she was told there was an appointment the following Wednesday in Las Vegas and her team jumped into action, changing calendars, finding a place for her to sleep and making arrangements to stay with her.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I wasn\u2019t a planner, I probably wouldn\u2019t have had those tools available to me and be so well trained in taking what information you\u2019re given at the time and making the best possible decision with the information presented to you,\u201d Patay reflected five months later as she was just getting back to full mobility.<\/p>\n What was most difficult was the change of roles. \u201cI\u2019m the fixer. I\u2019m the helper in my world and I had to ask for help. I had to raise my hand and say, \u2018Can you please help me?\u2019 and be vulnerable,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n In the next breath she smiled and said, \u201cEveryone came through. I\u2019m so grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n Now that the worst is in the rear view, Patay wanted to tell her story to encourage other meeting professionals to take responsibility for their health. \u201cI have always told people you do have to take care of yourself first. I can\u2019t imagine what this conversation would have been if I had put my care off six months, or even the nine months or so until I would have had another mammogram,\u201d she mused.<\/p>\n Patay urged planners to go with their gut because it\u2019s usually not wrong. \u201cIf something doesn\u2019t feel right, poke at that to see why.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let embarrassment get in the way of a long life. That is the message keynote speaker and The Valuegraphics Research Company<\/a> founder David Allison is trying to get out. From stage, he talks about understanding people based on what matters to them, not on demographics such as age, gender or ethnicity. But last year, he got a personal lesson in how valuable health is at any age.<\/p>\n He noticed that something wasn\u2019t right and went to the doctor for a series of tests that can feel invasive but can also be life saving. \u201cIt\u2019s embarrassing for guys to talk about their stuff and we don\u2019t want to doctors poking at us. It\u2019s humbling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\nPatay was determined to get better. She did her research to find the best surgeon to get her back to functioning and when told she would have to wait until March of 2026 for an appointment, she politely asked if she could call each week checking to see if there had been a cancellation. In the meantime, her husband was traveling with her\u2014including to a Smart Meetings Incentive Experience in the Bahamas\u2014to carry her bags. \u201cI was persistent. I didn\u2019t want to keep carrying this heavy burden,\u201d she said.<\/p>\nIn Praise of Personal Risk Management<\/h3>\n
![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.smartmeetings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/david-powerpoint.jpeg\")
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