Debbie Goes To Washington
Advocacy on Capitol Hill
Date 6/17/2026
Debbie vs. Washington D.C.
Recently, I was given the opportunity to take my advocacy voice to a whole new level when I was invited by the Community Oncology Alliance to share my experience and thoughts with the people who make our laws. And what an experience it was!
In one day, I met with the staff members of six different Texas U.S. Representatives as well as Senator Ted Cruz’s staff. A group of six delegates from Texas had the opportunity to share how important it is to preserve community oncology practices, such as the one that I go to (Texas Oncology). We also talked about the desperate need for reform in several government programs that directly affect those community oncologists and take money directly out of their pockets while giving it to other larger oncology centers. We shared how urgent it is to reform the insurance pre-authorization process so that patient care isn’t delayed or denied for cancer patients.
And we walked. And walked. And walked some more!
Walking Uphill Both Ways
Many of us have heard the exaggerated stories of older generations who claimed that they walked five miles to school in the snow—uphill both ways. Well … in Washington, we literally walked uphill both ways! There is a reason the Capitol building is called Capitol Hill.
It’s literally at the top of the hill.
And that got me thinking … living with metastatic breast cancer often feels like a never-ending uphill walk. We have a challenge come up in our path, and we work that one out, only to face another one maybe 100 yards up the trail. We knock that one out, and yep, you guessed it …another one shows itself. We can see the top of the hill, but we can never quite reach the top.
We are constantly walking uphill, with very few places to stop and rest. It’s exhausting, frustrating, maddening, and saddening—all at the same time. Just writing about it makes the fatigue wash over me and threatens to stop me in my tracks.
You know what? That’s OK. I will continue climbing and knocking out the obstacles that arise, one at a time (sometimes two or three at a time).
I will continue using my voice to advocate for real healthcare and government program reform.
I will never sit down and shut up about what cancer patients need.
And I will always use my sense of humor and my speaking prowess to do it!
But I know that I can’t do it alone. I am relying on my climbing tools to help me keep going. My medical team, friends, family, and my faith are critical to my climb.
Although physically I suffer alone, I refuse to ever think that I am climbing alone.
Weekly Challenge
This week, take a few minutes to evaluate your own life path. Do you feel like you are always walking, climbing, or crawling uphill? Is work becoming an insurmountable obstacle? Are your personal relationships or finances threatening to make your climb feel never-ending?
Stop and take a break on the side of the path. Look at the beauty surrounding you—the trees, the mountain ahead, and the flowers. The friends, the family, and your faith community. Take inventory of the available climbing tools, take a nap, take a sip of water, and then keep climbing.
Reaching the summit will make it all worth it.
And while you are climbing, remember to always go forth and … be exceptional!
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