She doesn't drink alcohol anymore.
Nor eat sugar or carbs, because carbs turn into sugar in the body.
What Port Coquitlam performer Kryst Hogan does consume is a lot of salads, as well as up to $1,500 in medications per month to fight cancer.
And next month, her friends will host a fundraiser at the Rio Theatre to help Hogan pay for the ongoing medical bills that will likely last the rest of her life.
On Sept. 9, the Rio Theatre and Fame Productions will present Boobies for Burgundy, a burlesque romp and musical show of which the proceeds will support Hogan as she battles the disease.
Hogan, who goes by the stage name of Burgundy Brixx, found out she had a tumour in her colon during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She had it surgically removed in 2021 and last year, underwent an operation on her liver, which cancer also attacked.
Now, she feels great, but takes "a lot of alternative and naturopathic treatments along with chemotherapy," she told the Tri-City News.
"I'm trying to heal and have a positive mindset and do all the good things for my body."
Hosted by Mz B Haven, Boobies for Burgundy will see Hogan in the front row for the "Fu–– Cancer" event that features music from The Hang-Ten Hangmen and talent from:
- Susie Sweet Cheeks
- Shaboobie Boobarella
- Tonya Kay, a cancer survivor
- Fionna Flauntit
- Ann Narky
- Beauty Shop Dolls
- The Purrfessor
- Tiki-A-GoGo
- Rocket Apollo
Sponsored in part by Moody Ales in Port Moody, the event comes a day before the celebration of life for a longtime Rio Theatre partner who died Sunday (Aug. 27) of brain cancer; three years ago, he was given a year to live.
Hogan, who does graphic design for the Rio and whose original production about her cancer journey — called The C-Word — was named a Pick of the Fringe by the Vancouver Fringe Festival last year, said the fundraiser will be poignant.
"Cancer is hard," she said.
"It's hard when you're fighting this thing you can't see… but I feel really blessed. It's emotional. I think about my legacy often: Rather than waiting for the worst to happen, I've decided to live my life the best that I can."
Hogan said teaching dance, performing in theatrical shows (she plays a witch in the upcoming Wizard of Oz on Granville Island in November), singing, practicing yoga and meditating "is what I need to do to stay happy."
And she’s looking forward to watching her peers' performances at Boobies for Burgundy.
"It'll be a real treat for me to be in the audience — not on the stage."
Tickets to Boobies for Burgundy on Sept. 9 at the Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway St., Vancouver, close to the Commercial–Broadway SkyTrain station) are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. There’s also limited VIP seating for $40. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. Visit riotheatre.ca.
