Time gets sharper when you stop assuming there will always be more of it. For Traci Doutaz, known to many friends as Doutaz Mania, that reality has made room for roller derby.

It includes ridiculous snacks, tattoos, and travel plans. She also keeps a rule: ‘I ain’t got time for a bad time.’ As a cancer fighter, she stays focused on living fully.

More than 60 episodes after her first appearance on Snackin’ & Yakkin’ with BIG Ben Kennedy, Traci returned for an honest conversation about stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She spoke candidly about the challenges she faces and the resilience she maintains.

During the discussion, she described the life she is determined to keep living and the daily routines that support her resilience. She emphasizes courage, hope, and practical approaches to treatment, and she speaks as a cancer fighter.

A Lowcountry High Rollers friendship that grew over time

Ben Kennedy first met Traci through the Lowcountry High Rollers flat track roller derby community in Charleston. He announced bouts while Traci skated, and although they were friendly for years, the connection grew stronger as they became part of the team’s longtime alumni circle.

“When we see each other, it’s immediately, ‘Oh my God,’ because it was such an interesting time.”

That shared history includes reunions, roller derby stories, and plenty of fandom jokes. Traci proved she had watched the first Twilight movie, while Ben admitted he came late to Harry Potter and Star Wars.

Tattoos, Doritos, and a little Kentucky flavor

Traci’s tattoos come with stories. Her Edward Cullen tattoo and other Twilight references came from her longtime artist at Woolly Worm Tattoo in Berea, Kentucky. Her “Baja Blessed” tattoo came after a Hawaii bird-watching trip with friends Sadie and Johnsky, a goofy albatross, and their first taste of Taco Bell Baja Blast.

The episode’s snack table was equally personal: nacho cheese Doritos and Kentucky-made Ale-8-One ginger ale. Ben tried pawpaw, a fruit flavor Traci described as hard to pin down but easy to enjoy.

Living with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

A routine PET scan conducted in November delivered troubling news. Traci’s breast cancer had recurred and spread to her bones, to the liver, and to several nearby lymph nodes. This news marked a new phase in her cancer journey and prompted urgent planning with her medical team.

She describes her diagnosis as stage 4 metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, a term that carries weight for daily life, medical decisions, and future planning. As a cancer fighter, she faces the challenges ahead with a plan for treatment and with the steadfast support of family and friends.

Metastatic breast cancer cells remain breast cancer cells even when they travel to another part of the body. The National Cancer Institute’s explanation of metastatic breast cancer outlines how those cells can spread through blood or lymph systems. The American Cancer Society’s triple-negative breast cancer guide also notes that distant spread can include the bones and liver.

Traci receives weekly IV treatment. Although she said the medication is not classified exactly as chemotherapy, it has brought familiar side effects, including hair loss, fatigue, chemo brain, and the heavy drowsiness that follows IV Benadryl.

Keeping roller derby in her life

Doctors discussed placing a port for treatment, but Traci asked to keep using her veins as long as possible because a port could end her ability to skate safely. Her care team agreed to try, and extra hydration before Wednesday treatments has helped.

She still skates when she feels able. The goal is simple: keep doing what she loves for as long as she can.

The parts of treatment people don’t always see

Treatment has affected more than Traci’s energy. She lost her eyelashes and eyebrows, which also made contact lenses harder to wear. With help from a friend, she found temporary eyebrow tattoos online, trimmed them to size, applied them with water, and set them with powder and spray.

They lasted through two roller derby games and several days afterward. Humor helps, but the details matter too: fatigue can hit two or three days after treatment, and losing her sense of taste made eating frustrating for someone who loves food.

Her teammates also found a way to show support. A teammate made “Mosquito” stickers using a photo of Traci’s expressive face, then surprised her with them before an away bout. Traci later ordered hundreds, and friends still find them in unexpected places.

A reminder to take screenings seriously

Ben shared his own medical anxiety after a home stool screening test came back positive. The follow-up colonoscopy found no polyps, and he received a 10-year clearance. He also woke from anesthesia singing “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.”

The experience changed his view of screening. The CDC’s colorectal cancer screening guidance states that adults ages 45 to 75 should be screened. A recommended test can be scary, but avoiding it only extends the uncertainty.

“Goals Before I Ghost You”

Traci has replaced the phrase “bucket list” with Goals Before I Ghost You. She keeps a notebook of trips, tattoos, unfinished projects, and experiences she wants to have while continuing treatment.

Her plans include Seattle, the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival, Salem, Massachusetts, and a Halloween heavy metal cruise. She has already checked off seeing the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere in Las Vegas, along with a visit to the Bacchanal Buffet, where she tried bone marrow for the first time.

She heard “I ain’t got time for a bad time” at a Kentucky ’90s country cover show, and it stuck. The phrase has become her filter for arguments, obligations, and anything that steals energy from the people and experiences she loves.

Helping make more magic possible

Traci’s fundraiser is called Less Tragic, More Magic. Donations can help make a particular goal possible, whether that means gas for a trip, a hotel stay, time at the beach with her dogs, or a tattoo with a story behind it.

Supporters can leave a note with their donation to share the experience they hope to help fund. Readers can also follow future episodes through the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ YouTube channel.

Make Room for the Good Time

Traci’s story doesn’t deny grief, fear, or the unfairness of a prognosis. It makes room for all of it, while refusing to let those things take every good day with them.

Her message is clear: do not waste time on a bad time when there are people to love, games to skate, songs to hear, and memories still waiting to happen.

Traci’s previous episode can be found here: Breast Cancer, Roller Derby & “Going All In”: The Courage of Traci Doutaz