Interview with Destiny Darby, June 9, 2023

Partial Transcript: Aright, it is June 9th 2023--

Segment Synopsis: Destiny Darby talks about being born and raised in Coal Creek , Kentucky. Darby talks about the Mormon culture she grew up in and discusses different milestones of her life, like going to college and getting married, and how her upbringing influenced those milestones. She delves into her decision to get divorced and how that pivot changed her life.

Keywords: Allen (Ky.); College life; Collegiate life; Divorce; EKU; Eastern Kentucky University; Eastern Kentucky culture; Floyd county (Ky.); Hollers; LDS; Mental health; Mormon; Mormon culture; Motherhood; Single-parenthood; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Coal Creek (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Let's go back to growing up--

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about the culture in Eastern Kentucky and her experience growing up there. She talks about the family dynamics she experienced, among other struggles. She mentions how her perspective shifted as she got older and became aware of her background and the stereotypes surrounding it.

Keywords: Allen (Ky.); Classism; Coal mining towns; Domestic violence; Eastern Kentucky; Eastern Kentucky housing projects; Floyd County (Ky.); Food stamps; Government assistance; Housing Projects; Low-income areas; Mental health; Mental health resources; Opportunity in Eastern Kentucky; Opportunity in low-income areas; Poverty; Resources for mental health; Stereotypes of poverty; Eastern Kentucky law enforcement

Partial Transcript: What about siblings?

Segment Synopsis: Darby describes her siblings and her relationship with them in depth. She talks about how their lives have progressed and how it's effected her. She discusses drug use in Eastern Kentucky and how it's addressed by the community and government.

Keywords: Child Protective Services; Childcare; Domestic violence; Drug addiction; Drug use; Eastern Kentucky; Eastern Kentucky drug addiction; Government compensation; Government enablement of drug use; Kentucky railroad; Mental health; Railroads; Sibling conflicts; Mental illness

Partial Transcript: Growing up, what, and this is going to relate--

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about her experience with health and wellness growing up, and how that was influenced by her community at the time. She talks about how mental illness affects wellness and how societal expectations contribute to those same issues. She then briefly mentions her experience with cancer and the surgeries involved.

Keywords: "Deep" surgery; ADHD; Agricultural influences on health; Agricultural market; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Body Dysmorphia; Breast Implant Illness; Bulimia; Cancer; Cigarettes; Cosmetic culture; Cosmetics; Diabetes; Diet culture; Eating disorders; Health in different cultures; Impacts of stress on health; Implants; Micro surgeries; Obesity; Plastic surgery; Repression; Smoking; Societal beauty standards; Stress; Trauma; Wellness; Health

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about your cancer--

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about her career and conditions of her life at the start of her journey with cancer. She explains the events surrounding her cancer diagnosis and her experience with the healthcare system.

Keywords: Anxiety; Breast Cancer; Cancer diagnoses; Cancer symptoms; Dehumanizing patients in healthcare; Depression; Diagnosis; Financial struggles in healthcare; Healthcare; Poverty; Real estate; Single parents; Stages of cancer; Cancer

Partial Transcript: So what is next?

Segment Synopsis: Darby explains the medical experiences she had to undergo as she began fighting cancer. She talks about the process and logistics of the surgeries she had and how she made decisions concerning the different surgeries.

Keywords: Body dysmorphia; Body image issues; Breast reconstruction; Cancer; Chemo; Chemotherapy; Cosmetic surgeries; Cosmetics; DIEP; DIEP surgeries; Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP); Double mastectomies; Implants; Logistics of lumpectomies; Lymph node biopsies; Mastectomies; Post-surgery issues; Radiation; Rebuilding tissue surgeries; Social media communities; Surgical processes; Lumpectomies

Partial Transcript: So, before we get too far--

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about the family dynamic she's created and how she broke the news of her diagnosis to her family. She discusses the attitude she approached fighting cancer and briefly mentions remission experiences and how cancer effects your approach to life in general.

Keywords: Anxiety; Attitudes towards cancer; Cancer; Cancer diagnosis; Cancer in media; Mental health; Paranoia; Remission; Remission experiences; Representations of cancer; Family dynamics

Partial Transcript: It was, it was ins--

Segment Synopsis: Darby conveys how cancer affected her career and how she was supported through her journey. She talks about how she approaches the issues she's faced with and how all of her experiences are effected by that.

Keywords: Authenticity; Kinship in media; Manifestation; Manifestations; Media presence; Navigation in Lexington (Ky.); Real estate; Real-estate media; Representation in the media; Single parenthood; Social media; Support systems; Taylor Williams; Taylor Williams Real Estate; Single motherhood

Partial Transcript: So, what are you doing post surgery?

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about her medical experience after her mastectomy and DIEP surgery. She describes how the cancer spread to her lymph nodes and her choice to do chemotherapy.

Keywords: Bedside manner; Breast cancer; Cancer; Chemo; Chemotherapy; Healthcare; Lymph nodes; Lymphoma; Masectomies; Masectomy; Medication; Oncology; SLN Dissection; SNL; Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection; Stigmas of chemo; Post-surgery experiences

Partial Transcript: How does chemo--like how do you do it?

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about the assumptions and reality of chemotherapy. She talks about different parts of the process and her experience with chemo. She discusses how important her support systems were for her during the process.

Keywords: Chemo ports; Chemotherapy; Gender performativity; Healthcare; Healthcare systems; Invasive ductal carcinoma; Medication; Physical effects of cancer; Support systems; Chemo

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about the cold capping--

Segment Synopsis: Darby describes a procedure called cold-capping she did during chemotherapy to try to keep her hair. She talks about the healthcare system, expenses she faced, and why cold capping was important to her.

Keywords: Altruism; Autonomy for cancer patients; Chemo; Chemotherapy; Cold caps; Cultural financial strain; Dating culture; Economy in healthcare; Experimental science; Fundraising for causes; Gender performativity; Healthcare; Healthcare expenses; Insurance; Markey Cancer Center; Nipple reconstruction; Poverty; Priorities in healthcare; Social media; Social media communities; Cold capping

Partial Transcript: So that aside how do you feel Markey did?

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about her experience with Markey Cancer center as a patient and how she felt it could be improved. She talks about how isolating and overstimulating her experiences were but how she trusted Markey's credibility.

Keywords: Body autonomy; Healthcare; Issues in healthcare; Issues in patient care; Mental health; Objectification in healthcare; Patient advocacy; Patient care; Physician communication; Markey Cancer Center

Partial Transcript: So how is it--

Segment Synopsis: Darby reflects on the changes in her perspective and personality after experiencing cancer. She talks about her journey of acceptance and how she is grateful for her experience.

Keywords: Attitudes towards life; Environmental freedom; Health consciousness; Meditation; Mental health; Remission; Self-awareness; Self-love; Trauma; Post-cancer experiences

Partial Transcript: So, recently you've posted some pictures--

Segment Synopsis: Darby talks about a women's healing retreat she went on after her experience with cancer and how it affected her.

Keywords: Community building; Healing journeys; Reiki; Retreats; Self-discovery; Social media; Sound baths; TikTok; Women retreats; Yoga retreats; Yoga

Partial Transcript: So, we'll go ahead and wrap up--

Segment Synopsis: Darby concludes the interview she gives what advice she has to offer for people dealing with cancer and what is next for her.

Keywords: Accepting help; Communities; Online communities; Self-advocacy; Storytelling; Social media