Today's Newsletter Might Be the Health Reminder You've Been Needing to Hear
Keeping up with health screenings and paying attention to our bodies is no joke. Our guest this week, Courtney Drake-McDonough, will tell you why.
Hello!
As you probably know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This is important if you’re a woman, obviously, because it reminds us to stay on top of our health, schedule our annual mammograms, support those who may be battling breast cancer, and basically do a wellness audit of our lives.
And to my guy readers… you’re not off the hook either. Please don’t forget to schedule important screenings and just be in touch with your doctor if you feel something’s not right with your health or how you’re feeling.
We all have to look out for Número Uno… right?
At any rate, for today’s newsletter, I’m featuring a special Who I’d Rather Be Talking About featuring someone who understands all of the above.
That person is Courtney Drake-McDonough.
Courtney is a publisher, writer, and podcaster who travels the world to find delicious, local food. I met Courtney on a press trip to Mallorca, Spain and found she’s not only a fabulous travel mate, but has so many interesting stories to share about food, culture, travels, and her life experiences.
Then, I listened to her podcast - it’s incredible! She’s got the kind of voice that’s perfect to listen to while you work, walk, drive, etc. - like that reassuring pal who teaches you interesting things and asks all the right questions.
Most importantly, Courtney has a personal story and a very important message to share about breast cancer. 🩷
Without further ado, let’s meet Courtney.
Let’s start with an intro. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and still live there because it’s an awesome place (if it had an ocean, it would be perfect). I’ve known my husband since we were 14 and we’ve been married 36 years. We have four grown kids - two sons and two daughters.
I have a degree in Mass Communications which encompassed journalism, marketing, broadcast and video. I’ve ended up using every one of those!
Career-wise, I’m the publisher and managing editor of two websites:
First, Real Food Traveler, a digital, culinary travel magazine that I purchased six years ago and revamped, which informs and entices people to travel but encourages them to experience the really local cuisine when they go.
I also have InGoodTasteDenver, a Colorado-centric blog covering food, arts, culture and travel throughout the state.
How has your career evolved over the years?
I changed my dream of becoming an ad exec on Madison Avenue when I took a creative writing class in college and got an A+ on a piece about a first date, a sandwich and a Mozart symphony. Yup, one good grade and the thrill of the writing was enough to change my career path.
My writing career started with a newspaper column
I wrote for my university paper called In Good Taste Denver, which later became the blog. It was intended to help the international student body discover what was going on in their adopted city. Since graduating, I’ve worked for magazines, newspapers, websites, for ad agencies and in public relations, all of which have one thing in common - writing.
Podcasting was never on my radar.
However, after I purchased Real Food Traveler (RFT) and was redesigning and re-envisioning it, I thought of trying a podcast. I like that listeners can hear the passion in the guest’s voice for what they do. I always pair the podcasts with a written article on the site so people can also have visuals to go along with what they are hearing. I’ve surprised myself with how much I love doing the podcasts! The greatest compliment I can get from a guest is when they say they forgot we were doing a podcast because they felt so at ease.
Can you tell us a bit about your travels?
I’ve been traveling for work for the past 7-8 years or so. Depending on the year and the opportunities, I go on 5-6 work-related trips/year and maybe 2-3 personal trips. By “work related” I mean the entire purpose of going is to do research to write about the destination and/or meet podcast guests. Usually, these opportunities find me when the destination reaches out to me.
Ironically, I’d just finished making Real Food Traveler “mine” in terms of design and functionality when the pandemic hit. The year after that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So there were a couple of years there when I didn’t travel at all.
But now, post- pandemic, I start with an idea of who I want to feature and what kind of story I want to write. But, I like to let the trip unfold because some of the most wonderful stories come out of an unexpected encounter.
And typically, I record a podcast with someone once I’m back home, over Zoom. But I have done some “live,” like I did on the trip where you and I met in Mallorca including with a man who runs a cooking school in a 17th century windmill, a woman who manages an olive oil orchard and producer, and another with a husband and wife who gave up their careers to become bakers, only making items authentic to Mallorca.
Do you have a favorite Real Food Traveler trip? A meal you wish you could have again?
We went to Maui and happened upon the historic Banyan Tree in Lahaina. I’d never seen anything like it - one tree taking up an entire park, reaching out, setting down roots everywhere, steadying itself, grounding itself. It was so impactful for me, especially after having gone through cancer. I took tons of photos and videos trying to capture what I was seeing but they didn’t do it justice. Three weeks later, the fire happened. I’m so happy to learn that the tree is coming back. Somehow it was almost a given that it would.
As for a meal…
there have been many, but you and I were at a fabulous meal at a Arabella Golf Club where they served tapas. I loved trying all of the local favorites. I wouldn’t typically have any of them at home so they were a perfect example of what our site is all about, experiencing really local cuisine. What’s “typical” food for them was new to me, which is great.
What kind of food do you like to prepare at home?
Do you have a go-to chef or cookbook?
We eat pretty simply at home. After years of cooking for our family of six and trying to be all Martha Stewart about everything, I’ve given that up and moved to more basic things like focusing on vegetables and protein. That might mean a main dish salad or roasted veggies and grilled chicken or salmon.
As for cookbooks…
I have a multi-volume collection of my mom’s and grandma’s recipes that I often turn to. My current resource is Milk Street TV and their cookbooks because all of the recipes are tried and true and have an international angle, which ties right in with my Real Food Traveler site! #FullCircleMoment
Can you share advice someone interested in travel writing or podcasting?
I don’t feel like I’m the best one to give advice on podcasting because I’m still in the “growing it” stage but I will say:
Have “talking points” for you and your guest that help keep you from going off on unrelated tangents.
Treat it like a conversation, interjecting questions and comments as they naturally come up. It’s not supposed to sound scripted and it’s supposed to be fun.
As for getting into travel writing - when you do your own travel, make some notes at the end of the day about what you did, how you felt while experiencing it, and tips you’d pass on to someone interested in going.
Write “mock” articles or start your own blog just to BE writing and then take it from there. So, the best way to begin being a travel writer is to travel and then write, literally.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Can you share a bit about your experience?
It was a shocker and very much a woo-woo kind of thing.
I’d been experiencing itching behind my left nipple and in my back in the corresponding area (like straight through) that wasn’t going away. I knew that just wasn’t right. I made an appointment for a mammogram and it showed nothing. They decided to do an ultrasound too, to take a closer look and it also showed nothing. But it was policy for the doctor to come in and take a look too so she did and she was moving the little device around saying, “nope, nothing, nothing.” And then she moved it ever so slightly and said “oh, there it is.” It was a tiny tumor that turned out to be cancerous.
So the woo-woo was that the doctor was just about to send me home but made that one move. And itching can be a symptom of some kinds of cancer but NOT the kind I had. Had I waited until my annual mammogram six months later, it would have been much bigger.
I was fortunate enough to be able to just have a lumpectomy which was followed by chemo and radiation. I’m 2 ½ years out now which, for my kind of breast cancer, is half way through the period when it is most likely to recur. They have me doing multiple kinds of tests to monitor any changes though.
What are some things you wish you knew before you went through your treatments?
I wish I hadn’t read so much or listened to other people’s stories so much. The way your body and mind responds to what you’ll go through will vary tremendously. Hearing all the terrifying things that could happen isn’t helpful. Walk the fine line between knowing the essentials of what you need to without doing a deep dive.
What was the most challenging part of your treatment process?
How did you cope with the side effects?
The most challenging part was holding my breath during radiation! Because my radiation was on my left side, where my heart is, I had to hold my breath in a certain way which “moved” my heart and lung out of the path of the radiation beam so they wouldn’t get damaged. During the 5-10 minutes of treatment, I’d have to hold my breath for varying amounts of time, up to 40 seconds. They had an illuminated panel above the bed with photos of cherry blossoms - my favorite. So I’d look at different clusters of blossoms with every breath and try to focus on that while holding my breath to not freak out over how long I was holding my breath!
The only real side effect I had through the whole thing, thankfully, was losing my hair. Once I shaved it though, it was actually very freeing and I wished I’d done it sooner.
I never wore a wig. I had a lot of fun wearing beautiful scarves, tying them in a variety of styles. I got compliments all the time. Otherwise, I was never nauseous, never exhausted, and still looked healthy. I was very, very fortunate. Sometimes I feel guilty giving any advice about the breast cancer experience because I did have a relatively easy time of it. But I did have two surgeries, lots of chemo, lots of radiation and continue to have lots of testing.
I feel there’s value in what I can share. Plus, so many people were so kind to me - I want to give back in any way I can.
Were there any unexpected challenges or surprises during your cancer journey? What (or who) helped you stay positive and motivated throughout your cancer experience?
The biggest challenge for me was something that shouldn’t have been a big deal at all - my port. It’s a coin-shaped device that’s surgically implanted just under the skin through which they administer the chemo drugs. Mine was in my arm (they can also be in your upper chest) and I think I started exercising too soon after having it implanted and it had tilted a bit. That made it really hard to access so I always had to go to chemo on the day my “port whisperer” nurse, as I called her, was on duty because she was the only one who could access it. Normally, the port is no big deal.
As for staying positive, there were several things that helped me and might help others going through cancer treatment…
I kept exercising which helped me in a multitude of ways including keeping me strong and healthy. It kept endorphins higher and helped de-stress me. Plus, psychologically, it was me doing something positive for my body while cancer was trying to do something negative.
I regularly did YouTube videos from the “YoQi” channel (subscribe, even if you’re totally healthy). Her videos combine yoga and qigong and they were instrumental in helping me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually reduce or eliminate the feelings that kept me in a state of stress. I made sure to do one on chemo days to get me in the right frame of being.
My family and friends helped me through the whole process. They were kind and supportive. My husband was a rock. 💗
Something my kids came up with that was brilliant and wonderful…
They found a box with compartments in it and put a pretty stone in each along with a little message of encouragement and love, like a fortune in a fortune cookie.
Every day of radiation, I would take out a stone, rub it between my fingers, read the message and put the stone in a pretty bowl. That meant that I had a visual record of the days that were passing, getting one day closer to a full bowl of these pretty stones.
It helped so much. I still touch the stones in the bowl when I’m feeling anxious about the future and I read the messages too. I highly recommend doing something like this, with one bowl “giving” the stones and one bowl “receiving” the stones to have a visual reminder of getting to the end of the treatment.
Finally, advice for someone who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, and advice to women in general about breast health?
Do your annual mammograms!
And.. if something just doesn’t feel right with your body (even if you don’t feel a lump which I didn’t because it was tiny), GO TO THE DOCTOR. And if that doctor dismisses you without checking, GO TO ANOTHER DOCTOR. Advocate for yourself, always.
Second, and this is really important -
although the anger, resentment and fear you feel is natural, it doesn’t serve you well. Just before I started treatment, a friend told me she was angry every second of every day of her cancer treatment. It hit me that, if I did that, with every scary thing I was going to face, I’d be slamming it up against negativity and what good would that do?
Instead, I made a conscious decision to “go with the flow,” treating every treatment and appointment like it was just another thing on my to-do list. I appreciated the treatments and medications for helping to cure me.
I firmly believe that coping with everything with acceptance and cooperation made a huge difference in how well I did.
Thank you, Courtney for sharing your inspiring story with us!
You can find Courtney in these places:
Real Food Traveler on Instagram, Facebook, and X, and listen to the podcast anywhere you find podcasts.
In Good Taste Denver on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
But wait, Courtney has more for us!
Normally, I will offer a few links for free subscribers and the rest for paid. But Courtney has so many great tips, that I want everyone to enjoy them!
Favorite Podcast: Wiser Than Me by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She talks to women who are older than her and it’s fascinating, uninhibited, raw and wonderful. It totally celebrates when you get to reach an age where you don’t care what people think nearly as much as you used to (which doesn’t mean you become a bitch, it just means you are more honest, direct, and secure knowing who you are.)
Go-To Recipe: Put diced potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, and red/yellow/orange peppers in a baking dish. Top with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Drizzle with olive oil and herbs. Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the veggies are softened. Magic! It’s even better the next day.
Book you’d read again and again: My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life: A Cookbook by Ruth Reichl. It’s a memoir and cookbook that’s so personal, beautifully written and the recipes work. I also read Eat Pray Love often, even just sections, because I love Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing and the book speaks to me in new ways all the time. So, suck it, people who think it’s trite!
Netflix/streaming rec: I watch a lot of rom-coms in one room while my husband watches space alien/medieval/car chase shows in another. But we both love Somebody Feed Phil. Phil Rosenthal is so joyful about life, people, food and travel. Every time I watch his show it reinvigorates how I feel about what I do and why I do it.
Morning Routine: My wonderful husband makes coffee for me which I drink along with a big glass of water and do my exercise routines, less than five minutes after I get up. If I don’t do it immediately, it ain’t happening. I do a variety of aerobic, stretching, and YoQi videos I mentioned above, for about 45 minutes. Then I shower, get dressed and am downstairs in my office by about 8:30am.
Nighttime Routine: After going for a post-dinner walk, we watch some TV or go over household stuff and then I brush my teeth, wash my face, set my alarm and watch a rerun of “The Nanny” while I’m doing all that because it’s still so dang funny. We watch the news and try to stay up long enough for Stephen Colbert’s monologue because he makes us feel less alone in our fears for the world. Most of the time, we realize we’ve slept through it when we hear the applause erupt.
Trip or Vacation Spot: Kauai, Paris, Venice, Mallorca
Travel tip: You were kind enough to share my best one in your recent article with travel writer travel tips. I shared how it. helps to roll your clothes and put them in “packing cubes” which you then just slip into drawers at your destination. Hang up only what you have to. It makes packing and traveling easier. Also, plan ahead but allow wiggle room for the unexpected which is where a lot of the fun can happen.
Self-Care Activity: Oh man, I should be getting a commission for how much I’ve talked about her in this article but I truly credit Marissa from YoQi.com for keeping my mental state in good shape. And Miranda Esmande-White of Essentrics (both available on YouTube) for keeping my aging body limber, in balance, and strong. Look them both up - you’ll thank me.
Healthy Snack: I keep a container of unsalted, roasted, mixed nuts at my desk and portion off about two tablespoons worth each afternoon around 3pm. That’s when the lull usually hits me. I eat them one nut at a time and focus on what each one tastes like. They are healthy, delicious, and hold me over for dinner so I don’t get the pre-dinner hangries and want to eat all the crunchy chips in the world!
Life motto or favorite quote?
Motto: Be grateful, even for the little things.
Quote: “Growth only happens outside your comfort zone.” That’s uncomfortably true.
And, that’s a wrap!
Thank you, Courtney for sharing these amazing tips!
And…
Thank you all for reading!
Abbey
P.S. Don’t forget to schedule your mammogram or other health tests!
Do you know someone who should be featured in Who I’d Rather Be Talking About? Message me! Thank you!
Thank you Abbey for featuring Courtney and her story. This needs to be shared with the whole world!