Author: Chris Sanchez

Devoted to Motherhood, Heather Now Navigates Life with Stage 4 Colon Cancer

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date September 14, 2025
No Comments on Devoted to Motherhood, Heather Now Navigates Life with Stage 4 Colon Cancer

Devoted to Motherhood, Heather Now Navigates Life with Stage 4 Colon Cancer

September 14, 2025

Heather, devoted mom to two energetic, young boys discovered she had stage 4 colon cancer in May 2024. It shifted her world in ways she never imagined possible. With all that’s been thrown her way, she staunchly stuck to her priorities, being present for her children, so that she could watch them grow into kind-hearted men.

Interviewed by: Taylor Scheib
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

Heather’s symptoms began subtly in the summer of 2023 and then worsened. Severe bloating after meals, a distended abdomen, and, later, rectal bleeding became impossible to ignore. Like many busy parents, she brushed off these signs, thinking they were just dietary issues. She tried to manage them by changing her diet, but they persisted, so she finally saw a gastroenterologist. A series of tests, including an ultrasound, uncovered lesions in her liver and a diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer. This set in motion a whirlwind of appointments and evaluations.

The news of metastatic cancer was surreal and disconcerting. Heather recalls the disbelief, the constant urge to “fix” things, and the emotional waves that followed. Hearing “stage 4 colon cancer” was jarring, not just because of the diagnosis itself, but also because it’s rarely associated with young, otherwise healthy women in their 30s. Because she had to process this reality while caring for her young sons, her emotional journey became more convoluted.

Heather’s treatment began with chemotherapy. While the side effects were challenging, including severe rashes, blurred vision, and hair loss, her determination never wavered. Encouragingly, her scans showed significant improvement, with tumor markers dropping to zero. However, her oncologist determined that a liver transplant might be her best chance for long-term health.

After facing delays and uncertainties with initial transplant centers, Heather found hope at NYU Langone Health, where the process moved swiftly. Her candid doctor emphasized the need for a living liver donor due to the scarcity of cadaver livers for patients like her.

Heather’s strength is amplified by her powerful support network. Her husband, who balanced his work life and parent-teacher association roles, became her rock. Her friends and family stepped in, too, managing school runs and childcare so that Heather could focus on her treatments. Social media became a surprising source of hope for her, as she was able to link with potential liver donors and rally her community of supporters.

Despite the physical toll of treatments for stage 4 colon cancer, Heather prioritizes her quality time with her sons. Whether attending school events or simply sharing bedtime stories, she cherishes these moments. Even on tough days, her desire for her children to live normal lives shines through.

Heather’s advice is heartfelt: “Don’t ignore your body’s signals. Prioritise your health because your loved ones depend on you.” Her story isn’t just about stage 4 colon cancer; it’s about the power of advocacy, community, and unwavering love.

Watch Heather’s video and scroll down to browse through the transcript of her interview for more insights:

“I just thought I was bloated, until I wasn’t.” Discover Heather’s surprising first symptom
How 47 strangers (and counting) have stepped up to save one mom’s life
Parenting while battling stage 4 colon cancer
“I didn’t think it could happen to me.” What Heather wants every young woman to know
The emotional rollercoaster of waiting for a liver transplant and staying hopeful

Name: Heather C.
Age at Diagnosis:
- 35
Diagnosis:
- Colon Cancer
Staging:
- Stage 4
Symptoms:
- Severe bloating
- Indigestion
- Vomiting
- Rectal bleeding
Treatments:
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery: liver transplant (upcoming)

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make informed treatment decisions.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Patient Story.

Transcript of Heather’s Interview

Hello, my name is Heather
When things first started to feel “off”
The moment everything changed
Finding the right care team
What my stage 4 colon cancer treatment plan has looked like
Exploring options for my liver
Meeting my transplant doctor
How I’ve navigated my emotions about the liver transplant
Staying present with my kids
Staying optimistic about my diagnosis
What my biggest advice is

Hello, my name is Heather

I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in May 2024.

I have two boys, James and Lucas. They’re six and three. I’m obsessed with them. Whatever I do, my number one reason is to make sure I’m there with them.

I want to see them grow big, and I want to see what kind of men they become. Hopefully, good men. It’s important to be kind.

When things first started to feel “off”

I let things go on longer than I’d like to admit, but I can remember as far back as the summer of 2023. Lucas was just about a year old by then. I remember going to a wedding and looking in the mirror, thinking I looked six months pregnant. I thought, “This should not be the case.” That was my main symptom, severe bloating. I’d eat the smallest thing and just look enormous, and I would show my husband. I’d go, “This isn’t normal,” and he would agree. Something was going on.

I let that go on a bit longer, obviously. By 2024, I started noticing rectal bleeding. It wasn’t like normal rectal bleeding. It was a little bit heavier. I was concerned. So I remember being at an urgent care one day and mentioning it to them. I was there for something totally different, like a cold, but I did mention it to them, and they were like, “It’s probably internal hemorrhoids.” I continued for a couple more months, but it wasn’t going away. The bloating and indigestion were really bothering me.

I gave up gluten and dairy. I was just trying to heal myself instead of just going and getting this looked at. But I finally decided, “Okay, I’m going to find a gastroenterologist and I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

So, I saw the gastroenterologist and he was good, he didn’t do wrong by me. He said, “Okay, we’re going to schedule an ultrasound of your abdomen, a colonoscopy and endoscopy, and we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

The moment everything changed

We had the ultrasound done first, and that’s where they found lesions throughout my liver. They called me and said, “We want you to come in.” I said, “No, no, you have to tell me right now. I’m alone with my children, and I can’t wait till tomorrow. I’m going to be freaking out all day.”

I put up enough of a fight that they did a Zoom with me and told me that they’re suspecting I have metastatic cancer. They’re just not sure where it’s coming from. So they said, “We’ll move up your colonoscopy, and in the meantime, go to your dermatologist, go to your gynecologist, go to your eye doctor if you’ve ever had a freckle in your eye,” which I did. So for the next couple of days, I did that.

Then, of course, it was the colonoscopy that found the mass.

I don’t think I even believed them still. I’m always trying to fix whatever is going on, whether it’s something small or big, or something with the kids. I need to get to the bottom of it right away. I just need to fix this.

I don’t think I was able to just sit down and really soak it in. I think that’s what I’m doing a lot nowadays. Now, everything still feels so surreal that it’ll hit me every once in a while, and I’ll just start crying. But yeah, I don’t think I really knew the severity of it in the first few months. As strange as that sounds, I was just like, “I’ve just got to do things. I’m just going to do whatever they tell me to do, and we’ll fix it. We’ll be out of this in the next couple of months,” which definitely was not the case.

I guess I never thought it would be colon cancer. I thought it would be something treatable, and it’s not really something heard of in people my age, especially young women. You hear a lot of breast cancer and ovarian stuff. You never really hear of colon cancer in young, pretty much healthy women in their 30s.

Finding the right care team

As soon as I woke up from my colonoscopy, I was sitting in my driveway on the phone, calling oncologists and making appointments. I found a doctor who was interested in my story because I was young and had stage four cancer. He wanted to pull me in right away. So I moved fairly quickly. My oncologist, Dr. Cohen, has been great. Aggressive in a good way.

So I made three different appointments, with Sloan Kettering, another doctor nearby, and that oncologist, who was actually referred by a colorectal surgeon I saw first and told me, “You don’t need surgery. You need chemo.” He referred me to that oncologist. He was the one who wanted to see me right away, and the other two had open appointments really far out. I wanted to get this done quickly.

At my first meeting with the oncologist, he said, “Okay, you have scans scheduled for these dates that aren’t going to work for me.” He called them all up and went, “No, she needs to come in now. She’s 35.” I liked that about him right away. I think I met with him maybe at the end of May or June, the month of my son’s birthday. I had my first treatment. Everything moved quickly, and I liked that. I absolutely felt like he wanted to help me.

What my stage 4 colon cancer treatment plan has looked like

Originally, I was put on two different chemo drugs, and one of them caused a rash. I was only able to tolerate seven rounds of the first drug, which was a good day at the seventh round. I was just looking around and noticed that my vision was getting very blurry. My heart started racing. I told the doctors, “I don’t know if this is anxiety, but just letting you guys know that something’s wrong.”

So they came over and took my blood pressure. They’re like, “Okay, disconnect her and pump her with Benadryl.” They said that this usually happens around the seventh round. Not everyone can tolerate it. So, then I was switched to another drug, but still with back-to-backs. So I’ve been on that for 18 rounds, I think I had 25 or 26 so far. So that would be like probably 18 rounds of that new drug.

It causes hair loss, which, luckily, I have not been experiencing lately, which is nice. I mean, just my eyelashes and my eyebrows. I had such a severe rash on my scalp that my hair just thinned so much. I ended up just shaving it off.

Exploring options for my liver

Ever since the start of June 2024, everything has been shrinking. I’ve been seeing improvement. Every scan is better than the last. My first Signatera test was around 3000, and then by around August of 2024, it was zero. So I walked in for my appointment with the oncologist, and everyone was celebrating.

So, in my head, I was like, “Does that mean I’m done? What does this mean?” But no, I wasn’t done yet. Every Signatera since then has been negative. So all the lesions except for maybe two or three were so small that they weren’t even lighting up on a PET scan anymore. So everything seemed to be improving to the point that the oncologist said, “Okay, let’s talk about an ablation. We have a surgeon here upstairs. You can see him later today, and you could talk about what’s next.”

So I had that appointment, I went upstairs, I met with him, and I was ready to talk about an ablation or resection or whatever was needed to finish this off, and then we could move on with our lives. He walked in and he said, “You are not resectable. There are numerous lesions throughout your liver, and yes, they’re small, but I can’t say that they’re not cancerous. So, I think your best option would be a transplant or a pump that pumps chemo directly into the liver.”

“Oh, my gosh,” I thought, “What do you mean? That’s not what I thought they were going to say.” So I went home. I cried and thought about it for a while, and I was like, I don’t know if I want this hepatic artery infusion or HAI pump. I’m reading more and more about it. If I did need a transplant, having a HAI pump could potentially damage my liver, and I wouldn’t be eligible for a transplant any longer. So I said, “I think I want this transplant.”

It took me a couple of months to hear from the transplant coordinator at this particular hospital. I kept emailing the surgeon and saying, “When am I going to hear back from him?” And he was like, “I can’t believe you haven’t heard from them yet. Let me reach out again.” And then another week or two would go by, and I would be like, “Hey, it’s me again. Still haven’t heard from the transplant coordinator,” and they were getting angry because I guess it wasn’t happening on their end. I finally heard from them in maybe January.

I got an appointment for February of 2025, and I went to this hospital. They didn’t seem too familiar with my history, and they just went over it quickly, like, “Okay, yes, you should get a transplant, but because you’re otherwise healthy, you would not be anywhere near the top of the list for a cadaver liver. I said, “Oh, okay.” With colon cancer, liver transplants are so new. It’s not really something that helps you get there faster. So I said, “Well, what about a living donor transplant? Because I have a sister. We all have the same blood type. Is that something I can consider?” And they were like, “Absolutely, but we don’t do that here.”

So I left that appointment and cried a lot the whole ride home. But when I got home, I started googling hospitals that do living liver transplants, and found a ton of them. I made appointments at three of them on my couch in the middle of the night, just scheduling them on their websites. NYU was one. They all called me the next day and asked for my scans. NYU got back to me first and said, “We have a surgeon who would like to meet you, so let’s get you in here.” I met that doctor at NYU, and it’s been going pretty fast ever since.

Meeting my transplant doctor

So, the doctor came in, and he was very tall, first of all, and very serious, but candid. Tough, like I want in a doctor. So he said to me, “Look, there are always going to be go spots, and this is something that’s going to go everywhere. So, what you need is a liver transplant, and you’re the perfect candidate for it. It’s nowhere else in your body aside from your liver, and you’re young. This is something I want to do for you, but I’m going to need a donor. So, I told him about my sister, and he was like, “Okay, but, well, I need backup. I want you to go on social media. I want you to get out there.”

So that’s what we did. We went on social media. My husband’s made a lot of connections through being in the military and in our school community. He’s taking care of me, becoming a PTA dad. He works in the movie business, so he made a lot of connections that way. So, he just went on social media and started posting it. I think in a matter of days, I had 47 applicants for a liver transplant, and the number’s been growing since then. I have been really blessed in that way.

I think people started going in for evaluations in April, this past April, and they really can’t tell me anything about it. It’s anonymous, so I don’t know who’s going in and who’s getting nicked. They’re still screening people. My sister was one of the first to go in, and she unfortunately can’t donate to me, but she’s going to help me in so many other ways, so she doesn’t beat herself up about it.

How I’ve navigated my emotions about the liver transplant

It’s scary. I’m scared, impatient sometimes, because I’m just so tired of chemo, and I know I can’t stop chemo until this happens. But mainly afraid, because it’s not a guaranteed cure. It could come back after this. It’s a lot of unknowns.

I don’t know anything. I don’t know when this could happen. I don’t know what life’s going to be like afterwards. I’m hoping that I’m strong enough to bounce back from this and live a nice, long, healthy life.

I don’t want anyone to be without me. I think I worry about them more than myself. Yeah, sure, I’m scared of dying and not being here, but I’m scared of what that would do to them.

Staying present with my kids

I do want to be there for them, I definitely do, especially when I’m feeling good. I want to be there. I want to be at the school pickups and drop-offs, and whatever activities they have going on. So when I feel good, I do it, and then when I don’t feel good, I still try to do it, and then I get yelled at about doing it. So, I just try to rest the first couple of days after treatment, kind of stay away from them a little bit because they’re always trying to drink my water and kiss me and be all over me, and I just feel like, “Stay away from this stuff. It’s poison.” That’s the time they get to spend more time with their dad. They need normal childhoods, and they need to just be kids and not worry about what I’m doing.

We’ve had such an amazing community behind us and helping us in a lot of ways. Friends who are doing pickups and drop-offs, and family who are coming to watch them while we do our treatments. I just want my kids to have fun. So whoever’s with them, I’m like, “Oh, good, I know they’re gonna have a good time,” or they’ll be outside or they’ll be playing, like they won’t just be sitting there watching TV all day long while I’m getting something done, because that’s more important. I still want them to be kids.

Staying optimistic about my diagnosis

I’ve always kind of been this person, and I think it helps me shake off the serious talks. My nurses always say, “Oh my gosh, she’s smiling. She’s back, smiling again. I don’t know why she’s so happy to be here.”

I don’t know. It just makes me feel stronger, I guess. Maybe it’s a defense mechanism. A coping mechanism to get me through it. It definitely helps, and my husband has a similar humor, too. We all have sad stuff, so it helps us get through it. It really is helpful. You can’t have those sad eyes looking at you all this time; we need to talk about other things. So every time people ask me about it, I’m like, “Oh, aren’t you sick of talking about me?”

What my biggest advice is

I want people, especially people my age, or people starting families, big careers, or getting married, to not brush off any abnormal symptoms that they may be having. I want you to take care of your bodies.

I know, we put ourselves aside to take care of our children, and then it takes us months, sometimes years, even like go to the dentist. I don’t want you to do that because you are important to so many people. You need to be there, because like I said, the people who depend on you wouldn’t survive without you. Had I taken care of this sooner, maybe we wouldn’t have been talking today. But I also can’t think about that too much. Just take care of your bodies. Don’t go to Doctor Google. Call a physician and tell them everything. Even the stuff you’re embarrassed to say. Tell them what’s going on. Because sometimes it’s not normal. Just do the best you can.

Thank you for sharing your story, Heather!

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Share your story, too!

Perspectives from a Lung Cancer Caregiver: Stephen and Emily Huff’s Candid Conversation

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date September 13, 2025
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September 13, 2025

Lung Cancer Caregiving: Stephen and Emily Huff’s Candid Conversation

Edited by: Chris Sanchez

When Stephen Huff was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer, the world he and his wife Emily had envisioned together seemed to fall apart. But Emily stepped into the role of cancer caregiver with grace and determination. They were both overwhelmed and frightened, but Emily’s quiet strength became Stephen’s anchor.

Stephen and Emily navigated the emotional turmoil of his lung cancer diagnosis together. Hand in hand, they took on tough decisions and conversations about life, family, and their future. Emily gently encouraged Stephen to consider fertility treatments despite his initial hesitation because he didn’t see fatherhood in his future and asked her, “What if I die?” Emily’s simple yet profound response, “What if you live?” This helped Stephen shift his mindset from preparing for death to embracing life and their dream of having a family together.

Stephen’s and Emily’s experience wasn’t just about surviving cancer; it was about growing together. Their bond deepened and strengthened through hospital visits, sleepless nights, and emotional hurdles. Today, as proud parents of their kids, Owen and Violet, they celebrate parenthood and cherish the family they once thought was beyond reach.

Stephen calls Emily the glue that holds their family together. Her selflessness, compassion, and belief in better days ahead empowered Stephen to fight, not just for survival, but for a life filled with love and purpose. Watch their video and read their raw, honest conversation for more:

Discover the simple but powerful question that changed Stephen’s outlook on life.
Learn how Emily’s role as a cancer caregiver made all the difference.
Find out how Stephen and Emily defied the odds to start a family.
See how love and support can be life’s most potent medicine.
Be inspired by their resilience and hope.

Name:
- Stephen Huff
Age at Diagnosis:
- 29
Diagnosis:
- Lung Cancer
Staging:
- Stage 4
Symptoms:
- Lingering shortness of breath
- Persistent cough
- Lump in collarbone
Treatments:
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy

Thank you to Pfizer for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for treatment decisions.

Table of Contents

About Stephen
When We Found Out That Stephen Had Cancer
We Now Have the Family We Always Wanted
"You're the Glue that Holds Us Together"

Stephen: “… you’re the biggest reason why we have a family right now… You’re the number one reason why we’re able to hold our kids. They’re miracles.”

About Stephen

Stephen Huff: Hi, my name’s Stephen. I got through stage 4 lung cancer thanks to my doctors, family, and my wife and cancer caregiver, Emily.

When We Found Out That Stephen Had Cancer

Emily Huff: I remember being in the doctor’s office, waiting for the doctor to come in and praying it wasn’t the worst-case scenario. I remember when the doctor said those words, “stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer” — that was the worst-case scenario. My heart sank.

Stephen: Oddly enough, I remember that my mom was there before on the first appointment, and that was before we had done the biopsy. But we had asked a lot of questions, and we were asking him, “Based on the imaging, what did you think? What was your best guess?” And he said, “It looks like adenocarcinoma.”

And then it seemed like forever. The waiting was so hard. We weren’t sleeping at all, and I wasn’t really eating, and I was so consumed with fear.

After the appointment, we stood in the parking lot, and it was just you, my dad, my mom, and me. I remember saying, “It’s all going to be fine. I’ll be okay. I’ll get through this. Guys, what are we all worried about?” That was really just the denial. It was so surreal.

You think about living a long life. It’s like it’s a forethought for most people. People think, “Oh, yeah, when I’m retired, I’ll do that. Or when I have grandkids, I’ll do that. Or when my kids are old, I’ll do that.” And then in an instant, literally in an instant, you have stage 4 lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, non-small cell, there’s no cure, thinking like, “I’m going to die.” I was in shock and denial.

Emily: “… I remember when the doctor said those words, “stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer” — that was the worst-case scenario. My heart sank.

We Now Have the Family We Always Wanted

Emily: I had always planned to have a family. I always wanted to have a family with you. That felt like it was stripped away when we received that diagnosis. But I’m so grateful that we’re here on the other side now with two beautiful children.

My hope for them, for Owen and Violet, is that they know how loved they are, that love brought them into this world, and it’s the most important thing. Family is the most important thing to me, and I want them to know they’re so loved.

Stephen: Before our diagnosis, I was thinking that we would have at a minimum three, maybe four kids, because I honestly love the idea of family, especially around the holiday times. I love getting together and the feeling of seeing your cousins, your aunts and your uncles, and your brothers and your sisters, the closest people that you have, and sharing all the good times in life with your loved ones.

I envisioned us having four kids and them having husbands and wives and having kids of their own and having 20 people over for Thanksgiving and Christmas. When we got the diagnosis, all that changed immediately, and the immediate thought was I need to get my affairs in line with the fact that I’m going to prepare to die here soon. I didn’t think about it. It’s not that I still wouldn’t want those things. I just didn’t think it was a reality for me.

You probably even remember the night or the day we talked to our doctor, and she went, “You should go to the fertility center and bank sperm in case you want to start a family.” I literally remember thinking, “I’m not going to do that.”

We got home that night, and you never pushed me. You never fought me or got mad at me. You never said, “You have to do this.” We talked, and I remember saying, “What if we have kids and what if I die?” And you were like, “What if you live?” And that changed my perspective on what survivorship looks like. You’re either preparing yourself for death or you’re living life to the fullest.

It was a defining moment for me, and I’m so grateful that you had that feeling. You had that conscious hope that we were going to survive and that we were going to be able to get through this together. I needed that. You would get mad if I said this, but you’re the biggest reason why we have a family right now.

Emily: You think so?

Stephen: I know so. You’re the number one reason why we’re able to hold our kids. They’re miracles.

Emily: All these things had to line up for this to happen for us. We had to hear from our doctor that that was even a possibility. That never would have crossed our minds to seek fertility treatment at the start of this journey. You responding so well to treatment, and our mental state going from, like you said, preparing to die to preparing to live and enjoy our lives and enjoy this time we have together, and that shift. Then it naturally evolved into getting back on track to what we want for our lives.

I’ve been in awe of how strong you are. You’re mentally so strong and able to get up every day and keep pushing through with your life. We’ve started new careers and moved houses. We’ve obviously started a family. We’ve been able to push through. You’ve been so strong through it all, and I look up to that.

Emily: “I always wanted to have a family with you. That felt like it was stripped away when we received that diagnosis. But I’m so grateful that we’re here on the other side now with two beautiful children.”

“You’re the Glue that Holds Us Together”

Stephen: There are so many different traits that I love about you. You’re strong. You’re kind. You’re absolutely the most selfless person that I know. You think about everyone else except yourself. You put everyone else forward. You wake up early to take care of the kids when I can’t. You take care of me when I can’t. You take care of our family. You put us in front of yourself, and you’re the glue that holds us together.

Emily: I would say that it’s you.

Stephen: I don’t think so. When I’m wrestling with Owen at 9 p.m. when he should be going to bed, I’m not the glue. You are truly the most perfect person for me.

I have never said this to your face, but what I would say is that you inspire me to be a better version of myself, to be the best dad and the best husband.

You hold me accountable. You keep me in check. Your selflessness and your ability to always think about what’s best for everyone else and and then your hope, too. I love your hope. You’re the one who keeps me up when I’m down. You have always been able to keep me in check and to keep my eyes on the end game.

I don’t know where I’d be without you today. Probably not alive, but I’m just very glad and grateful to have you in my life.

Stephen: “We talked, and I remember saying, “What if we have kids and what if I die?” And you were like, “What if you live?”

Special thanks again to Pfizer for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

Thank you for sharing your story, Stephen and Emily!

Inspired by Stephen and Emily's story?

Share your story, too!

Cancer Caregiver Stories

Nat G., Spouse of Bladder Cancer Patient

“You have to become selfless as a caregiver. You have to assure that person that you are there for them.”
...

Blair D., Spouse of Brain Cancer Patient

“Find other people who are going through the same thing you are. This journey is very isolating and very lonely.”
...

Emily Huff., Spouse of Stephen, Lung Cancer Patient

“Emily's the reason why I’m alive today. The treatments have kept the cancer at bay, but she's the one who’s kept me living, breathing, and enjoying life.”
...

Lung Cancer Caregiver Series Episode 2: Stephen and Emily Huff's Candid Conversation

"We talked, and I remember saying, "What if we have kids and what if I die?" And you were like, "What if you live?"
...

Marsha Calloway-Campbell, Spouse of Myeloma Patient

"Once you are taking care of someone with myeloma, be their advocate because it’s a journey. It can be challenging at times so they need somebody."...

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Relying on My Faith and Family to Get Through Bladder Cancer: Jon’s Story

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date September 11, 2025
No Comments on Relying on My Faith and Family to Get Through Bladder Cancer: Jon’s Story

September 11, 2025

Relying on My Faith and Family to Get Through Bladder Cancer: Jon’s Story

Jon spent decades as an expert in developing tech for cancer detection. He never imagined that his work would one day help unveil his own bladder cancer diagnosis. Jon’s story is both eye-opening and inspiring. His experience shows the significance of self-advocacy and risk-adapted treatment, and the evolving landscape of bladder cancer care.

Interviewed by: Keshia Rice
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

It all began with him noticing darkening urine and visible blood, which prompted a visit to his GP. The doctor conducted a CT scan, which revealed muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and later confirmed that it had already spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed and agonizing over worst-case scenarios, Jon chose to be proactive. He harnessed his natural curiosity as a researcher, focused on potential solutions, and delved into bladder cancer treatment options.

Navigating the healthcare system had its twists, including a referral to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, a development Jon views as a “God wink.” There, he experienced top-notch care and learned about promising new treatments that could potentially double survival rates. Jon’s story highlights the potential of bladder-sparing approaches if a complete response is achieved with first-line treatment, offering hope for improved quality of life.

Active in patient advocacy, Jon attends cancer conferences, championing the importance of patient voices in medical discussions. His journey exemplifies resilience, faith, and the power of informed decision-making.

Watch Jon’s video and read his story to find out more about:

How his career in cancer tech paved the way for his own diagnosis
The “God wink” that altered his treatment path
What Jon’s story reveals about bladder-sparing treatments
Why self-advocacy is crucial in bladder cancer care
Jon’s inspiring role as a patient advocate at major cancer conferences

Name:
- Jon T.
Diagnosis:
- Locally Advanced Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Symptoms:
- Darkening urine
- Blood in urine
- Dull right flank pain
Treatments:
- Surgery: transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)
- Antibody-drug conjugate
- Chemotherapy

Thank you to Johnson & Johnson for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for treatment decisions.

Table of Contents

About Me
How I Found Out I Had Bladder Cancer
How I Reacted to My Diagnosis
My Treatment Options
I Started My Bladder Cancer Treatment
Program Highlight: Bladder Cancer Breakthroughs 2025: New Treatments & Bladder-Sparing Advances
I Attended Cancer Conferences as a Patient Advocate
I Look Forward to Many Breakthroughs in Cancer Care
Bladder Cancer Helped Me Feel and Appreciate the Love Around Me

Interviewed by:
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

My journey had many twists and turns, but I look at them as “God winks” that guided me in the right direction.

About Me

Hi, my name is Jon. I’m a bladder cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in 2023.

My journey has had many twists and turns, but I look at them as “God winks” that guided me in the right direction.

How I Found Out I Had Bladder Cancer

I actually spent decades working on technology to detect cancer. I never imagined that technology would one day help me detect that I had bladder cancer.

I had some darkening urine. I was on a business trip at the time. And on my return, I started to see blood. My wife prompted me to go see my GP, and I went to see him. He did a urine culture, but he saw the blood in my urine, and he immediately had me in for a CT that afternoon.

That’s how I discovered I had muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

I had anatomic imaging done, an MRI and a CT, which indicated that there was no spread. But here in Knoxville, I helped develop the PET/CT, and I wanted one done. So my oncologist ordered a PET/CT, and that found that the disease had spread to four local lymph nodes.

How I Reacted to My Diagnosis

Unfortunately, the way that managed care works, I discovered my urologist was going to have me in for a transurethral resection or TURBT the next day. But it turns out, I got a call that evening, and he was out of network.

He referred me to a colleague at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Again, I look at that as a God wink, because the care that I’ve received at the University of Tennessee Medical Center has been fantastic.

In early 2023, when I was diagnosed, the outlook for muscle-invasive metastatic bladder cancer was bleak. I was given a prognosis of 16 months.

I guess for the first time, I was looking a bit at my mortality and thinking about getting my affairs in order.

I actually spent decades working on technology to detect cancer. I never imagined that technology would one day help me detect that I had bladder cancer.

My Treatment Options

I’m a researcher by nature. So I was looking at my options, and I spent a lot of time just figuring out, spending more time on what I would be doing and less on what might go wrong.

So that kept my mind occupied while the process continued.

I went to this doctor, prepared to ask for a specific type of treatment. But little did I know, at the same time, a top doctor was sharing news about a new treatment option for bladder cancer at a major conference.

He had a standing ovation because essentially the overall survival had doubled with that systemic treatment.

That would change everything.

I Started My Bladder Cancer Treatment

New research like this is increasingly giving bladder cancer patients like me more options.

I began treatment on December 11th, 2023.

My Bladder Cancer Story Continues Below

Program Highlight: Bladder Cancer Breakthroughs 2025: New Treatments & Bladder-Sparing Advances

The Patient Story spoke with Dr. Ashish Kamat from MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Kamat is one of the world’s top bladder cancer specialists.

Bladder cancer care is evolving rapidly, with new treatments offering the potential for longer survival and better quality of life — including the possibility of preserving the bladder.

In this expert-led discussion, Dr. Kamat breaks down the latest in research, emerging therapies, and what patients and care partners need to know now to make informed treatment decisions. He wants patients and their families to speak up and ask more questions of their own doctors.

Dr. Kamat: Patients will come in and say, “This is what I was told. I have no choice. I have to do this.” And first off, every patient has a choice. So when I hear that, that itself makes me not very happy because patients always have a choice. Our role is to guide them.

I really encourage patients who are faced with the paradigm or the conundrum of having muscle-invasive disease to ask their physician, “Hey, I know that this is standard of care for me, but if it doesn’t work, what else do you have available?” Because there’s a lot of stuff that’s available.

So there are biomarkers that people have developed trying to help us understand which patients may respond so well to the systemic therapy that we don’t have to take the bladder out. Again, this is being studied. It’s not something that I can say a patient should go to their physician and say, “Hey, I have this biomarker. I don’t want my bladder out.” No, it’s not ready for prime time. But we’re looking at those.

The advantage of taking part in the clinical trial for every patient is that they are at the forefront of the research, but also, they get better care, right? Because if a patient is on a clinical trial, by definition, they are being followed very, very closely.

It’s very, very important for us to reach out to patients, but if we don’t do that, and we don’t get patients and their carers to be educated and involved and actually understand the disease process, then we can’t get them the best chance of a cure. It’s not just the surgery, it’s not just the medication. It’s not just the radiation, but it’s a true partnership. And in some ways, it’s a selfish motive to get patients more educated because it helps me give them the best results.

For the rest of this interview, watch our program replay ON DEMAND.

Learn what’s changing, how it impacts treatment decisions, and what it all means for patients today.

Bladder Cancer Breakthroughs 2025: New Treatments & Bladder-Sparing Advances

Hosted by The Patient Story Team

In this expert-led discussion, MD Anderson’s Dr. Ashish Kamat breaks down the latest in research, emerging therapies, and what patients and care partners need to know now to make informed treatment decisions.

Watch On DEMAND!

Back to My Bladder Cancer Story

More needs to be done to increase survival rates for bladder cancer. I believe this is on the horizon.

I Attended Cancer Conferences as a Patient Advocate

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meetings, you have 40,000 oncologists gathered, all working on all the different cancers. So you see all these incredible scientists and doctors working for you. But you also see how patient care is thought about.

That aspect of including the voice of patients in these major meetings was a revelation to me. And so working as an advocate has been very rewarding.

I Look Forward to Many Breakthroughs in Cancer Care

More needs to be done to increase survival rates for bladder cancer. I believe this is on the horizon.

I’m not quite two years in yet. I’ll be two years in this September, so who knows what’s coming down the road. But I believe that this is an exciting time.

Bladder Cancer Helped Me Feel and Appreciate the Love Around Me

You don’t appreciate all the love that’s actually there for you until you go through a situation like this. So I definitely am more sensitive to the love around me, and what I consider the love of Christ as well.

Meeting all these people on their cancer journeys has been a real pleasure.

I definitely am more sensitive to the love around me, and what I consider the love of Christ as well.

Special thanks again to Johnson & Johnson for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

Thank you for sharing your story, Jon!

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Share your story, too!

Perspectives on Lung Cancer Caregiving: Stephen and Emily Huff

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date September 6, 2025
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September 6, 2025

Perspectives on Lung Cancer Caregiving: Stephen and Emily Huff

Edited by: Chris Sanchez

This is Stephen and Emily Huff’s cancer caregiver story. When Stephen was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at just 29, he was devastated. A former professional baseball player and educator who’s lived a healthy lifestyle for years, he could never have imagined that seemingly harmless symptoms like shortness of breath and a cough would lead to such a diagnosis.

But by Stephen’s side through every doctor’s appointment, treatment session, and emotional high and low was his wife and dedicated cancer caregiver, Emily. She’s far more than just his caregiver, though. She’s Stephen’s advocate, researcher, emotional anchor, and greatest cheerleader. Her strength and vulnerability helped them both navigate the complexities of living with cancer. They faced their fears together and grew stronger as a couple, thanks to their openness and support for each other.

Stephen’s prognosis was daunting, to say the least, but he and Emily clung to hope. They had shared a dream of parenthood, and it became a wonderful reality with the birth of their son, Owen, in 2020.

Stephen credits his survival not just to medical treatments but to Emily’s presence and support. Read their story and watch their video to learn more about:

How Emily helped Stephen thrive beyond a stage 4 diagnosis
The role of a cancer caregiver in helping a patient deal with life’s toughest moments
From diagnosis to parenthood: A couple’s empowering journey through lung cancer
The strength that love and faith brought to Stephen’s cancer story

Name:
- Stephen Huff
Age at Diagnosis:
- 29
Diagnosis:
- Lung Cancer
Staging:
- Stage 4
Symptoms:
- Lingering shortness of breath
- Persistent cough
- Lump in collarbone
Treatments:
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy

Thank you to Pfizer for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for treatment decisions.

Table of Contents

About Stephen
My First Lung Cancer Symptoms
Getting My Diagnosis
My Reaction to My Diagnosis
Side Effects of My Treatment
Role of a Cancer Caregiver
Sharing Our Emotions
We Got Through Tough Times Together
We Achieved our Dream of Parenthood

Honestly, I wouldn’t be here today if not for Emily. She’s been the treatment that’s kept me alive.

About Stephen

Stephen Huff: My name is Stephen, and I survived stage 4 lung cancer thanks to my doctors, family, and my wife and cancer caregiver, Emily.

I’ve tried to live a very healthy and straightforward life. Growing up, I was heavily involved in sports, especially baseball. I’ve had the privilege of playing college and professional baseball, and I was extremely vigilant about what I put into my body.

It started with my dad. My dad loves baseball. Growing up in the South in the ‘90s, the only TV station that we got at night was the Atlanta Braves. The 90s were the mecca for Atlanta Braves baseball. Every night, coming home from school, we’d get our dinner trays out and watch the Braves play.

I fell in love with baseball. I grew up at the baseball park. I was there even when I wasn’t quite old enough to play. I watched him and tried to envision what it would look like when I was old enough to play myself. Once I started to play, it took off. I got the bug bad and became obsessed with it.

My First Lung Cancer Symptoms

Stephen: It was 2017, and I was 29. Things were starting to line up for me. I returned to graduate school and earned my master’s degree in education. I’d just landed my first teaching job, and I was very excited about starting a new career. I was engaged to the love of my life, Emily. We were going to get married in September 2017.

I experienced what I thought was a minor instance of shortness of breath. However, it started happening again and again, to the point where it would interrupt me while I was talking. I had a similar experience with coughing. What began as a daily cough evolved into difficulty breathing and a problem lying down at night.

Emily Huff: One day, he felt a lump in his collarbone. We didn’t correlate the two, but it was something that was bothering him, so I told him to get it checked out.

I knew the words that were going to come out of his mouth before he even said them. It was a very surreal feeling.

Getting My Diagnosis

Stephen: I was about halfway home when my phone rang. It was a number that I didn’t recognize. It was my doctor on the other end. He said, “Stephen, are you driving right now?” I said, “Yes. Is everything okay?” And he said, “I think you should pull over.”

I remember pulling into a parking lot in a church near where we lived. I was almost home at this point, and my heart began to race. I knew the words that were going to come out of his mouth before he even said them. It was a very surreal feeling. I was terrified. My heart was racing. I could hardly speak. I was so nervous and jittery.

He said, “Stephen, I’ve made an appointment for you with an oncologist first thing tomorrow morning.” I asked, “An oncologist, like a doctor or a physician who specializes in cancer?” And he said, “Yes.”

Emily: We had our appointment the next day, and they told us that it looked like adenocarcinoma.

Stephen: I don’t remember a whole lot after that. I asked, “What’s going on? What did you see? What did the scan say?” These were his exact words. “Something very serious is going on in your body, Stephen.”

That afternoon, I called Emily. She was on a work trip, and I said, “Can you come home, please?” Of course, she asked me a million questions. But her response at the end was, “Yes, I’m coming back soon.”

My Reaction to My Diagnosis

Stephen: I can’t even put that experience into words. I wouldn’t wish that experience on my worst enemies. I would never wish for anyone to go through the process of hearing those words from a doctor. Immediately, I went into denial when I heard that.

I’m a man of faith, and I lean very much into my faith. I do believe that my Lord and Savior has sent two angels into my life. The first one is Emily, and the second one is my mom. My mom works in the cancer research industry, so I asked my mother, my father, and Emily to come with me to my appointment.

Emily: My first feeling when I heard that diagnosis was complete and utter devastation. It was like the world stopped. We were in the doctor’s office with our parents. You almost stop hearing and seeing things. Your mind starts racing. I couldn’t believe it.

After the appointment, we didn’t even know what to do with ourselves. We got cheeseburgers, which is the weirdest thing. How do you move forward after hearing those words?

I remember hearing more from the doctor than my husband did because he was even more in shock. Thankfully, his parents and I were there to put the pieces together and figure out a plan for the next steps.

I went home and started reading. I read everything there was to read about non-small cell lung cancer, different driver mutations, possible treatment options, being a cancer caregiver, and what this experience could look like.

We searched for survivor stories. That was something we had to lean on in the first few days. We were trying to pull some form of hope, because in that doctor’s office, we were told he had a 5% chance of survival for five years. That’s something we could neither accept nor make sense of.

As Stephen’s cancer caregiver, I wanted to try to find as much hope by researching on the Internet. That was my way of helping in those first few days.

I remember hearing more from the doctor than my husband did because he was even more in shock. Thankfully, his parents and I were there to put the pieces together and figure out a plan for the next steps.

Side Effects of My Treatment

Stephen: My first line of treatment was a targeted therapy and not chemotherapy. I did end up getting some radiation. However, thankfully, because I’ve been on targeted therapies since I was diagnosed, my side effects have been pretty manageable.

Mentally, it’s been challenging at times. One of the things that cancer in general does, and even treatments do, for that matter, is take away the feeling of control in life. I had a really hard time with that, feeling like I didn’t control my destiny.

It’s been an adjustment for me. Before my diagnosis, I was very healthy and very active. I had full control of my body and the path forward. But the treatments have been a lifesaver. They kept the cancer at bay.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be here today if not for Emily. She’s been the treatment that’s kept me alive. My family has kept me alive.

She’s my rock. She’s my cancer caregiver. She’s also my confidant. She’s my best friend. She’s my soft place to land. She’s also my biggest motivator.

Role of a Cancer Caregiver

Stephen: Emily is born with the temperament to not only put up with me but also to deal with a husband who has stage 4 lung cancer.

She comes to every single appointment. She takes notes. She does research. She’s involved in advocacy. I tell her all the time, “I don’t know how you do it.” Caregivers withstand so much.

They listen to us and go through everything we go through. Yet patients are often the priority. “How’s Stephen doing? Is he okay? Is he sleeping enough? Is he eating enough?” She is so strong that I have to step back and ask her, “How are you doing? How are things with you?” I can’t imagine the weight that she carries.

Emily’s very strong. She’s also very stoic, so she doesn’t wear her emotions on her sleeve. A lot of times, when we would be going through something challenging, she put her strong face on and said, “Let’s do this. We got this.” Deep down, I knew that she was battling. She was hurting.

Caregivers withstand so much. They listen to us and go through everything we go through. Yet patients are often the priority.

Emily: I’ve always tried to steer away from showing Stephen my fear. I want him to see positivity and hope. It’s hard for a caregiver to take on that fear, worry, and stress alone. That’s why I think it’s important to find outlets because it is important to share those feelings.

I’ve never wanted to put that burden on Stephen because he’s going through enough with this diagnosis and his fear and worry. I think that’s the challenge of being a caregiver and not putting that on the patient’s plate.

Stephen: As a patient, I need to do a better job of thinking about her feelings above mine. Emily and I have talked about this. I’m very fortunate that I’m doing well. I’m a six-year survivor of stage 4 lung cancer. The reality is that we live in fear of something going wrong. We talked about what life would look like if something were to happen to me.

Emily: There have been moments where we’re vulnerable together. I’ve come out and shared all of my worries and fears. At the end of the conversation, we both feel better getting those worries and fears off our chests.

It’s shown me that I don’t have to hold it in so much and that Stephen is still my support, even though he’s the patient. He wants me to be vulnerable and share how I’m feeling with him, just as much as I need that from him as well. There have been moments where I’ve shared everything that I’m thinking and feeling, and it hasn’t been a negative. It’s brought us closer.

There have been moments where we’re vulnerable together. I’ve come out and shared all of my worries and fears. At the end of the conversation, we both feel better getting those worries and fears off our chests.

We Got Through Tough Times Together

Emily: If I could tell myself that we would still be here as a couple and we would have a family, a house, and live our lives as normal, I wouldn’t believe it. I would say get through the tough times and feelings of hopelessness because there is hope and beauty throughout this experience.

You’re not alone. There are many people out there who are going through the feelings, thoughts, and worries that you’re going through as well. It’s incredibly important to find your support system, whether that’s your partner, your family and friends, an online social media group, or a combination of all of those things.

It’s important to take care of yourself if you want to be there for the person you’re caring for. Don’t lose sight of making sure that you’re okay throughout this journey, too.

We Achieved our Dream of Parenthood

Emily: Stephen and I were engaged when he was diagnosed. It was three months before our wedding. We always knew that we wanted to be parents. That was core to our beliefs and our wants as a couple.

This diagnosis happened, and that’s the last thing you think about. You think instead about how you’re going to survive the day or the week.

Our oncologist talked to us right before Stephen started treatment to say that we should look at fertility options in case we decide to start a family down the road.

Stephen: When we talked to my oncologist about family planning and how I was a young cancer patient, my oncologist recommended we go to the sperm bank, and I had no interest in that. I was focused on getting my life in order. I had the hope that we could start a family someday.

I remember sitting in our bedroom and talking about how I was going to cancel the appointment at the fertility clinic. Emily asked why, and I said I didn’t see why I should do this.

“Are we going to have kids after all this? Stage 4. You heard the doctor. There’s no cure. What if we have kids? What if I die?” And she said, “Stephen, what if you live?”

Emily: We found so much hope in research and advancements in treatment options. We decided to move forward with family planning because we knew when we met each other that that was what we wanted out of life.

We did IVF while Stephen was still on treatment. We had our baby boy Owen in 2020, right before COVID. It was the best decision we ever made. But I questioned it for a long time. Is this something that we should do in our situation, bringing a child into this world with everything we have going on?

For so long after Stephen’s diagnosis, I felt that I would worry about what my life was going to turn out to be.

Having our son fulfilled my dream and gave me purpose. I do feel like I have a purpose in being there for Stephen and supporting him on his journey as a patient.

Now I’m a mom and I have two children to take care of and to love. They bring me so much purpose and joy. I don’t know why I spent one minute questioning if it was the right choice, because it feels like it was meant to be.

Stephen: Beating cancer doesn’t mean living to be 100 years old. It’s when I lay my head down on the pillow at night, and I can say “yes” to these questions: Was I the best husband possible? Was I present? Was I attentive? Was I the best dad I could be that day?

The greatest title I’ve ever had in my life isn’t “baseball player” or “teacher”; it’s “husband and dad.” Emily’s the reason why I’m alive today. The treatments have kept the cancer at bay, but she’s the one who’s kept me living, breathing, and enjoying life.

It’s important to take care of yourself if you want to be there for the person you’re caring for. Don’t lose sight of making sure that you’re okay throughout this journey, too.

Screen Shot 2020-12-29 at 2.16.05 PM (1)

Episode 2

In our next episode, Stephen and Emily share a candid conversation, as they reflect on their journey together so far.

Our next video.

Special thanks again to Pfizer for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

Thank you for sharing your story, Stephen and Emily!

Inspired by Stephen and Emily's story?

Share your story, too!

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“You Are Not Your Cancer”: Colleen’s Stage 4 Endometrial Cancer Message

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date September 5, 2025
No Comments on “You Are Not Your Cancer”: Colleen’s Stage 4 Endometrial Cancer Message

September 5, 2025

“You Are Not Your Cancer”: Colleen’s Stage 4 Endometrial Cancer Message

Colleen discovered she had stage 4 endometrial cancer in 2022, when she was 54. Her story began with severe, unusual menstrual bleeding, which she humorously calls “crime scene periods,” and episodes of extreme weakness. Doctors told her she was just experiencing perimenopause. Her symptoms persisted until she and her husband moved to Germany, where she had a car accident. She was lucky enough to escape injury from the accident — but during her ER check-up, doctors unexpectedly found a mass in her abdomen. This twist of fate ultimately led to her diagnosis.

Interviewed by: Taylor Scheib
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

After she was diagnosed, Colleen leaned heavily on credible medical resources focusing on endometrial cancer, rather than simply searching online. She underwent a multitude of treatments: a full hysterectomy, radiation, brachytherapy, and chemotherapy. She was initially declared “no evidence of disease,” but later on her doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to her leg and lung. Her voice, once her signature as a singer, was deeply affected, challenging her sense of identity and plunging her into emotional lows. But Colleen ultimately managed to shake off these challenges.

Mental health became a pivotal part of her healing. Colleen found solace in community support, friendships, and maintaining a semblance of independence. Her message is clear: “You are not your cancer.” She urges others to find their support systems, relentlessly communicate with healthcare providers, and cling to personal beliefs that provide comfort.

Watch Colleen’s video and read her story. You’ll find out more about:

How a car accident led to her life-changing diagnosis
“You are not your cancer” — Colleen’s heartening mantra
How losing her singing voice affected her identity
The emotional toll of stage 4 endometrial cancer and finding light in community
The crucial role of self-advocacy in Colleen’s health journey

Name: Colleen J.
Age at Diagnosis:
- 54
Diagnosis:
- Endometrial Cancer
Staging:
- Stage 4
Symptoms:
- Very large blood clots during menstruation
- Anemia
Treatments:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy: brachytherapy
- Surgery: full hysterectomy
- Immunotherapy

Thank you to Karyopharm Therapeutics for supporting our patient education program. The Patient Story retains full editorial control over all content.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make treatment decisions.

Table of Contents

About Me
When I First Noticed That Something was Wrong
My Symptoms Had Progressed Even Before the Car Accident
The Tests the Doctor Did
The Moment Everything Changed
The Cancer Spread
How My Care Team Shifted When My Cancer Spread
Where I’m At in My Diagnosis
My Knowledge of Clinical Trials
How I’m Managing my Mental Health
What I Want Others to Know

… whatever you believe in, hang on to it. If it’s a religious belief, if it’s a way to lead your life, hang on to those things.

About Me

Hi, my name is Colleen.

I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2022, when I was 54.

When I First Noticed That Something was Wrong

The first time that I wasn’t feeling right, I was living on the island of Guam. It was before COVID, probably in 2019. I was at a volunteering event for the United Service Organizations.

I had to tell the woman that I was working with that I needed to leave, which was very unusual for me, but I was just feeling very unwell. I couldn’t catch my breath and felt very weak. I thought this probably was the onset of a big anemic episode, because then, when I got home, I had what I like to call a “crime scene period” — a menstrual period with very large blood clots.

I couldn’t find a doctor who would take my insurance in Guam. I went back to the States to visit my husband and saw a doctor there. And that doctor said, “Oh, you know, it’s probably just perimenopause. You’re at that age where this can start coming on, so I wouldn’t take it too seriously.”

Then we moved to Germany, and one of the first times I was driving in Germany, I got in a car accident.

They took me to the emergency room. I was totally fine after the accident. No issues. I walked away from it.

But the ER doctor came and said, “You know, we found something unusual in your abdominal area, so we’d like you to refer to our OB-GYN? Are you interested in doing that?” And I said, “Sure.”

Before the accident, I had actually been experiencing more “crime scene” menstrual periods, and they even seemed to be getting worse.

My Symptoms Had Progressed Even Before the Car Accident

Before the accident, I had actually been experiencing more “crime scene” menstrual periods, and they even seemed to be getting worse.

In hindsight, looking back, I was actually having a hemorrhage. I was going through multiple pads in 20 minutes. I would be doubling up on tampons and going through them in 20 minutes or half an hour, which would be described as hemorrhaging if it were any other type of issue. Something that you would need to go to the emergency room for.

But because this one doctor had told me, “Oh, you know, you’re perimenopausal, this just is par for the course,” I thought, “I guess this is normal,” even though it didn’t seem very normal.

The Tests the Doctor Did

He did an ultrasound in his office and went, “Oh, yeah, I’m going to keep you in the hospital.” So, this is still from the hospital stay from the car accident. “We’re going to do a DNC so that I can get enough tissue to send for a biopsy.” Because that’s the other thing with endometrial cancer. If they don’t get it in the right part of your uterus, then you can also have a misdiagnosis, because they’re not getting enough tissue, or they didn’t go to the right area.

Luckily, he was an oncologist before. He got his OB-GYN certification. So he knew a little something about what was going on.

The Moment Everything Changed

I don’t know when I heard the word ‘cancer.’ Well, nobody ever wants to hear that word, but my OB-GYN was really a positive person.

He went, “Listen, we’re going to schedule you for a full hysterectomy. We’re going to take a look around at the other organs in the area, see what’s going on. But if this is in the early stage, this could have a really good outcome for you. So, no need to worry right now about it. Even though I’m telling you ‘cancer,’ and nobody likes to hear that, let’s take each thing as it comes. Instead of trying to see into the future.”

I took it to heart. Generally, I felt okay; I wasn’t hurting and didn’t have a lot of pain at the time.

I actually knew nothing about stage 4 endometrial cancer, let alone endometrial cancer. The education was from what my doctors were giving me here and from going to reputable cancer sites. So, not just using Doctor Google and picking the first article that came up, but from the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson, and other leading cancer centers in the US.

I was trying to back up what I needed to do and what the typical treatment would look like.

The Cancer Spread

After that point, I had my treatment.

I did radiation for 28 days. I did brachytherapy, which is an internal radiation in the vagina. Three sessions of that. That’s all standard. I didn’t start with chemotherapy, so they did my hysterectomy in April 2022. I didn’t start my chemo until October, and so then my chemo finished up in around March of 2023. Well, maybe a little earlier than that.

At that point, they considered me “no evidence of disease.”

Nine months afterward, though, right before Christmas 2023, we found out that the cancer had spread to my leg. My leg broke while I was putting on my pants.

Oh, that was a big emotional time. I mean, anytime you hear about bone metastasis, it’s not good news. Cancer is practically impossible to get out of the bone. It’s very hard to treat. Pretty much all you can do is slow it down.

… anytime you hear about bone metastasis, it’s not good news. Cancer is practically impossible to get out of the bone.

How My Care Team Shifted When My Cancer Spread

As my disease was progressing, the doctor said, “Okay, it’s time to move on. We have some other teaching hospitals in the area.”

So he moved me over to get most of my care through those hospitals and through my infusion clinic that I go to now. So he knew when it was time to release me as well. I felt like he was watching out for me and was trying to offer me the best choices that were available.

When I broke my leg, I wasn’t under his care. I was under the care of the orthopedist at the same hospital where he worked. Although he always asked that when I come to that hospital that I stay in his ward. Because he knows my whole history, he can keep an eye out for me.

Breaking my leg was pretty traumatic. I’m kind of a get-up-and-go type of person. I don’t want to be limited in what I can do. I was fighting with everything to get back to driving, get back to being more independent.

I really liked my care team in the bigger facilities, like my radiological oncologist, and I liked that I actually ended up having to see a pulmonologist, because they discovered while I was healing from the femur break that I also had metastasis in my lung.

It was freaky. You can see the damage to my vocal cords. They were extremely swollen from having tubes stuck down so many times during the surgery for my leg. I had a failed bronchoscopy, a successful bronchoscopy, and then the surgery. The pulmonologist at the bigger hospital was really trying to take care of it, but he said, “The damage was done even before I got a chance to get the tubes down your throat.”

I took a good six months, maybe even a little longer, to get any type of singing sound out of my voice, and to have my voice not sound scratchy when I was speaking.

I’ve been known for having a beautiful singing voice. It’s been such a big part of my identity since I was tiny. I started singing when I was three.

My voice is such a big part of my identity that when cancer affected it, it sent me spiraling into a depression of sorts.

Where I’m At in My Diagnosis

I had an episode during which I coughed up blood. What with that and my metastases, they said, “Let’s try something other than chemo.” They put me on immunotherapy for about six months.

That was miserable, pretty much because I was eating that soft food diet, kind of the same diet as when I was having the radiation therapy in my abdomen. But I would get sores in my mouth, and I couldn’t eat anything. I went from being 200 pounds down to 126 pounds. Then that stopped working because I had another episode.

They decided, “Okay, let’s go back with the traditional chemo, but we’re going to see you every week. It’ll be a lower dose.” That’s what I just finished in July. And then I had a few spot radiation treatments on my leg where it had broken on my knee and on my hip.

And then they found another potential area of concern in my hip. So they did a biopsy of that. It had to be sent to the Molecular Tumor Board.

I haven’t heard back about what molecular markers might be available for other treatments for me.

I had an episode during which I coughed up blood. What with that and my metastases, they said, “Let’s try something other than chemo.” They put me on immunotherapy for about six months.

My Knowledge of Clinical Trials

The doctors haven’t referred to clinical trials. The area that I am in is so rural that I don’t think there are a lot of clinical trials that happen here. And they have used the term ‘palliative care,’ which freaked me out the first time. Because I have stage 4 endometrial cancer, they’re considering everything that they’re doing.

I’ve been on palliative care for a year and a half. They consider it an extra level of care for patients who might need some help doing things.

My infusion doctor said, “We have these teams of doctors and nurses that will come into your house and help you. So, we would call that home health care. Except for your getting a doctor and a nurse coming in.” So he set me up with them.

He added, “The great thing about them is that they can help you manage your pain a lot better than I can.”

How I’m Managing my Mental Health

Unknowns are hard. I like to be in control. So that’s what my stage 4 endometrial cancer experience has been about. Sometimes you just have to release it. Release it and keep pressing. Like with the pain. Keep telling your doctors over and over about it.

It’s also been important to stay connected with my friends and stay involved in the community.

I should also add that maintaining my independence is also really important. Continuing to be able to get myself around if I want to go for a drive, although I’m doing that less and less, because my right leg is the one that has the cancer. So, it’s not great for driving sometimes. I just stay home if I need to stay home.

It’s also been important to stay connected with my friends and stay involved in the community.

What I Want Others to Know

You are not your cancer. You can do what you want to do with it.

Although stage 4 endometrial cancer does have something of my identity. It’s a new identity that I have besides being a singer, a wife, and a singing teacher who is now raising awareness about cancer.

It’s really easy to go inward and reduce your social circle. But I would urge people to find your compatriots, like through some of the groups on Facebook. There are a lot of really great groups on Facebook for a lot of different types of cancer.

It’s interesting how some friends react. Some will become more distant, but others will set up your meal trains and sign up geniuses for you.

I think the biggest thing for me has been a chance to reflect on cancer, and whatever you believe in, hang on to it. If it’s a religious belief, if it’s a way to lead your life, hang on to those things.

Just keep looking up, whatever your diagnosis is.

You are not your cancer. You can do what you want to do with it.

Special thanks again to Karyopharm Therapeutics for its support of our independent patient education content. The Patient Story retains full editorial control.

Thank you for sharing your story, Colleen!

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Faith and Fitness Helped Nicole Face Stage 3 Colon Cancer

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date August 29, 2025
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August 29, 2025

Faith and Fitness Helped Nicole Face Stage 3 Colon Cancer

Nicole was only 27 when she found out she had stage 3 colon cancer. It all began with typical stomach pain, which she’d experienced previously. This time, though, the pain grew sharper, and she could point to a spot on her lower left side where it was focused. When her bathroom habits became inconsistent and dark blood appeared in her stool, she knew it was time to run to a doctor. She exhausted various treatments with her primary care physician, and a gastroenterologist later on confirmed via colonoscopy that a tumor was causing the blockage.

Interviewed by: Taylor Scheib
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

Hearing the phrase “stage 3 colon cancer” was both disconcerting and surreal, but Nicole faced it head-on. Her faith helped her deal with this unexpected diagnosis. Realizing that this was entirely beyond her control and trusting that there was a plan also helped her ground herself and find peace in the middle of the shock. Her mother, who accompanied her to appointments, was shaken, but Nicole focused on what she needed to do next.

Nicole underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Her surgeon performed an impressive procedure, removing the tumor and 40 lymph nodes. Her gastroenterologist guided her through six months of challenging chemo sessions. Nicole found ways to manage chemo’s tough side effects. She discovered that icing her hands and feet helped reduce nerve damage, and despite having a sore throat from the medication, she made sure to eat nutritious foods whenever possible.

After her stage 3 colon cancer treatment, Nicole wholeheartedly embraced a healthier lifestyle. She admits that her nutrition wasn’t ideal before the diagnosis. Now, she focuses on balanced meals rich in fruits, vegetables, and plenty of water. Fitness became a cornerstone of her new routine. Remarkably, she ran a marathon just eight months after finishing her chemo regimen.

Nicole continues to be rooted in faith. She believes in the power of being present and surrounding herself with positivity. She encourages everyone, not just cancer patients, to reflect on what truly matters, to cherish their health, and to make small, impactful changes. Whether it’s growing a few vegetables, choosing a salad over fast food, or simply finding joy in little things, it all adds up.

Watch Nicole’s video and scroll down to browse her interview transcript for more on:

The subtle symptoms Nicole almost ignored and what saved her life
How she reclaimed her health after stage 3 colon cancer
Why faith and eagerness to reinvent herself became Nicole’s pillars after her cancer diagnosis
Nicole’s nutrition wake-up call: What she wishes she’d known (and done) earlier
The small but meaningful changes that have helped her reorient her life

Name: Nicole S.
Age at Diagnosis:
- 27
Diagnosis:
- Colon Cancer
Staging:
- Stage 3
Symptoms:
- Dull lower abdominal pain that sharpened and was focused on the lower left side
- Appearance of dark blood in stool
- Difficulty retaining food due to near-complete blockage of sigmoid colon
Treatments:
- Surgery: colectomy
- Chemotherapy

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make informed treatment decisions.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Patient Story.

Transcript of Nicole’s Interview

Hi. I'm Nicole
When something first felt “off”
The moment everything changed
What my treatment plan looked like
What survivorship means to me
How I reprioritized my health
What I want people to know

Hi. I’m Nicole

I’m Nicole. I was diagnosed in 2022 with stage three colon cancer, and I was 27 at the time.

When something first felt “off”

My initial symptoms were very normal. It started with stomach pain, and it got progressively worse. Now I’ve had lots of issues growing up. So for me, it’s relatively normal. However, the pain began to increase, and it was almost as if I could point to the spot where I felt the pain, which was my Lower GI. It was on my left side, and I knew exactly where I was experiencing the pain. I could point to it when someone asked, and what made me want to go see the doctor was when I was having issues going to the bathroom, and it wasn’t consistent.

So I went to the doctor. We tried everything. I was convinced that it was a blockage, but it wasn’t a blockage in the sense that I thought. I thought there was some kind of food blocking the way, and that stool softener would help, and all these other medications would help. Well, we exhausted the list, my primary care doctor and I, and then I went to the gastroenterologist.

Right before they had called it was a day or two before, and I had dark blood in my stool, which was an indicator that something was going on, and many people can think hemorrhoids or something like that when there’s blood in your stool, but mine was darker blood. I think that’s an important distinguishing feature.

The moment everything changed

I went into my appointment sooner than I thought, and it was a blessing, such a big blessing, because I don’t know if it would have been stage four by August or what would have happened, but I went in, and they immediately got me in for a colonoscopy.

I woke up from my colonoscopy. Everything went well, and I was told that I had a tumor that was indeed the blockage that I suspected. So I only had a few millimeters for food to get by.

So that’s really interesting to me. I never thought that was a possibility for someone like me, but I will say that I had never really focused on my diet. I had always eaten. I mean, I still eat sort of normally, the somewhat standard American diet, but I have incorporated more vegetables and fruits into my day-to-day, and I think that makes a big difference. More water. Just doing a better job at my nutrition because my nutrition was not good at all before.

I really would have benefited from seeing someone like a nutritionist before I even knew I had cancer. So, I would recommend that for anyone who is having any GI issues or stomach issues, just go talk to someone who’s a professional and have them evaluate your diet, because it’s actually such a significant part of your lifestyle, what you put into your body. So, that was something that I started to focus on after my diagnosis, but it wasn’t that simple and straightforward.

I want to mention that it was in my sigmoid colon, which is actually a very common location for colon cancer.

Because the word cancer had already been thrown around, I think I was just ready for it at that point. I was like, okay, what’s next? And if I had been afraid and too shy or not willing to take that appointment that came up early. Then I think I would have been in a more difficult position, but I think the timing of things was very helpful, and being faithful and trusting that there is a plan that’s greater than yourself. And this is maybe a little bit out of my control. In that way, I was ready for those words, and, yes, it’s a shock initially. I think my mom was more shocked. She went to the appointment with me because you need someone to drive you home. So, she was more shocked, but I think I was ready.

What my treatment plan looked like

Well, my stage three colon cancer had spread to 12 lymph nodes, which is a good amount of lymph nodes. So it had spread, and while my surgeon was amazing. I actually do want to mention my surgeon and my gastroenterologist because they were so incredible.

My gastro oncologist is at Tufts, and she is the surgeon who did my surgery. Her name is Doctor Lillian Chen, and she was so incredible. Specializes in smaller surgeries. Trying to think about arthroscopic surgery, and she was still able to get 40. Not only fix my colon, right, and take out the tumor, but she also took out 40 lymph nodes, which is an incredible amount, and as many as she could around the area near my tumor. So I love her so much. She has an incredible bedside manner.

My gastroenterologist is actually from my hometown, and she did recommend the gold standard, which is first the surgery and then the chemotherapy part. For six months, I did a mixture of two chemotherapy drugs. She was very careful with me when my platelets got low. I highly recommend her because she did such a great job managing that, even though I think that the gold standard of treatment is a tough path. It’s not an easy path, but I loved her too. And her name is Doctor Kim Perez, and she is at Dana-Farber, not Tufts. So, I was treated at Dana-Farber Chestnut Hill.

I did 12 rounds. I think that the chemo part was the hardest because I wasn’t able to eat very healthy. I tried my best to drink healthy drinks, but one of the chemo drugs makes your throat feel like a tiny straw. So, it was really hard to have anything cold, like a smoothie or fresh-pressed drink, because it hurt to swallow, but I still did anyway. I was like, I got to get this in. I need the nutrition. That part was the hardest. I was so interested in ways to game the system and not get the nerve damage, and just get the most out of it. So during chemo, I would ice my hands and I would ice my feet, and I personally think it helped me. I was able to run a marathon eight months after treatment. So, if I could do that, I think that the icing worked for me.

I think it’s looked like an entirely different journey on its own. I didn’t have any really lasting effects from the surgery. I feel like the surgery improved my life, but the chemo has had lasting effects on me.

What survivorship means to me

So, survivorship to me has looked like managing those things that came from chemotherapy and making sure that I’m doing my best job to be a healthier version of myself, and think more positively, and surround myself with people who care about me and pour myself into a passion outside of work. It’s looked like reinventing myself, which is fun. I also would have never had this opportunity to reflect so much if it weren’t for experiencing such a life-changing diagnosis and treatment, and I would highly recommend to anyone listening who maybe doesn’t have a cancer diagnosis to think about this as the check-in that you needed to reevaluate and reflect. Even if you haven’t gone through cancer, to think about what’s important to you, because that’s really been top of my mind, is what’s important to me. What do I want to get out of the rest of my life? Because it’s a lot more fragile than I thought.

How I reprioritized my health

Your health is the most important thing in your life. You know, love, I would say, is the ultimate language of the universe.

However, to feel love and give love, we need to be present. And in a cancer diagnosis, you just have to be present, and your health is everything. There’s nothing else that is more important in that moment. Because you want to be here.

This is my choice. In my health, in my body. What do I want to do? I knew I wanted to continue fighting to live. It was just a whirlwind of emotions all of a sudden, and then realizing, I’m so ready to focus on just my health.

I want to encourage healthy habits to prevent such a horrible thing. Even if you do everything right, there is still a possibility that, even if you did everything right, maybe it still didn’t work. We hear that all the time with all the percentages. What is it? They told me I had a 50% chance of living beyond five years, which I took with a grain of salt, because there are so many things that go into that calculation.

Just don’t listen, drown out the voices that tell you that there isn’t a chance because there’s always a chance. And yeah, I just reframed my whole life to be around my health.

But honestly, it helped me so much in my journey. So I want to tell more people. It’s not that hard. Grow some of your own vegetables if you want. Try it out. Do something different. Or just buy a salad for lunch. It’s as simple as taking a step in the right direction, and you’ll start noticing that that change multiplies in your life. And I’ve gone. I’ve backtracked on my journey. It’s okay to fall short. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to eat bagels for a whole week. It’s okay. You can mess up.

What I want people to know

Think about just being in the present, and maybe you’re involved religiously. Maybe you’re more spiritual and not religious. You could pray. You could just think about something positive. That would be my biggest piece of advice. Go find your secret place that makes you happy and spend a little time in that place when you feel overwhelmed.

Thank you for sharing your story, Nicole!

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Chrystal’s Experience with Stage 3C Cervical Cancer with PALB2 Mutation

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date August 26, 2025
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August 26, 2025

Strength in Family & Advocacy: Chrystal’s Story of Stage 3C Cervical Cancer with PALB2 Mutation

Chrystal, a nurse and devoted mom of three, found out that she had stage 3C cervical cancer in March 2025. She had felt a deep pull towards healthcare after losing her mom to breast cancer when she was only a little older than Chrystal is now. Determined never to feel helpless again, she pursued nursing, focusing on geriatrics and long-term care.

Interviewed by: Taylor Scheib
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

Chrystal’s symptoms crept in gradually, including pain during intimacy, abnormal bleeding, irregular periods, extreme exhaustion, and swelling in her groin. She attributed some of these symptoms to other issues, like shingles. But when she discovered a lump under her arm, it spurred her to see her gynecologist. After a series of tests, including a cold knife cone biopsy, Chrystal received the life-changing diagnosis of cervical cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, stage 3C, with PALB2 mutation). (Editor’s Note: Squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix are the most common type of cervical cancer. A PALB2 mutation is a mutation of a special cancer-preventing gene that causes it to stop working.)

Chrystal found that mental health was key in her stage 3C cervical cancer experience. She was mentally exhausted trying to deal with the long waiting periods for test results. She found solace in her family, especially her husband, a fellow cancer survivor, who provided not just emotional support but practical advice about chemotherapy. Chrystal also opened up to her daughter, sharing every detail of her diagnosis and treatment. She did this to arm her daughter with information and to encourage her, too, just in case she would have a similar experience in the future. By being so transparent, she sparked an honest dialogue about women’s health.

Caregiver support was equally crucial. Chrystal recognised how deeply her experiences affected her husband and friends. She encourages others to check in on their caregivers, acknowledging that their stress often goes unnoticed.

Education became both Chrystal’s coping mechanism and mission. She actively searched for information about stage 3C cervical cancer and treatments to fill gaps in online resources. Now, she connects with other cervical cancer survivors to offer them guidance and hope. She’s even co-planning a cervical cancer retreat to foster community and support among survivors.

Chrystal now undergoes regular MRIs, mammograms, and follow-ups every six months. She’s also passionate about long-term care advocacy and remains committed to her family. Watch her video and find out more about:

How her medical background shaped her stage 3C cervical cancer experience.
Why caregiver support is as important as patient care.
The frank, open, and empowering conversations Chrystal and her daughter had.
How she took her experience forward into advocacy for cervical cancer awareness.
The unexpected mental health challenges Chrystal faced beyond her treatment.

Scroll down to read the transcript of Chrystal’s interview.

Name: Chrystal M.
Age at Diagnosis:
- 41
Diagnosis:
- Cervical Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) with Pelvic Lymph Invasion
Stage:
- Stage 3C
Mutation:
- PALB2
Symptoms:
- Pain during intimacy
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Abnormal bleeding, sometimes heavy
- Severe exhaustion
- Pain in left leg and groin area (deep vein thrombosis)
- Lump in left armpit
Treatments:
- Surgery: installation of inferior vena cava filter
- Radiation therapy: brachytherapy
- Chemotherapy

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make informed treatment decisions.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Patient Story.

Transcript of Chrystal’s Interview

Hello, I'm Chrystal
How I knew something was wrong
The doctor I went to first
Researching my symptoms
The moment when everything changed
How I found my care team
My treatment plan
When the reality of my diagnosis hit me
My husband was able to relate to what I was going through
I had side effects from my treatment
I had to do high-dose rate brachytherapy
I had more testing done
My cancer spread
What have been the most challenging parts of my diagnosis
Where I’m at now with my diagnosis
What my monitoring is like
I wanted to be open with my daughter
What I want others to know

Hello, I’m Chrystal

I’m 41 years old. I was diagnosed with stage 3C cervical cancer in March 2025.

I am a mom to three beautiful children. I am a nurse who is passionate about geriatrics and long-term care. I’ve worked mostly in the nursing home, and it’s definitely my life’s work. My father and I have been to several baseball games this year. That was my treat to myself during treatment. We love to go out, be outside in the sunshine, experience different things, and we just like to do things outside.

I did not start in the medical profession; I started in my parents’ business. They owned a flooring business. I became a mom. And then my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; she passed away at 43, she lost that battle, and I did not know how to help her. I felt useless and helpless, and I was very worried. My father called me and was trying to kind of explain things, and he’s not medical either, and so I just felt this calling. My spirit just felt pulled to medicine. And I never wanted to be in the dark again.

How I knew something was wrong

My first red flag was something that kind of incrementally increased over about three years. That was pain during intimacy. At first, it was just kind of positional, and then it kind of led to some bleeding. And then it got to being almost full menstrual blood, and so that was very concerning, aside from the fact that it was very painful. I began to have irregular periods where I might have a full period every two weeks and then may go, say, six weeks without one. My hormones were just all over the place. I was exhausted. I’m a nurse, so I understand, we all have those things that wear us out, but I was more exhausted than usual. I also began to have pain in my left groin area, almost like where your lymph node is, it began to get very swollen and painful, but at the time, I wrote it off because of shingles. I actually experienced shingles every so often, so I thought maybe it was something to do with that.

And it wasn’t until I experienced or felt a knot in my left armpit one morning in the shower. It was a Friday morning, and I remember going to work and then casually mentioning it to a coworker, and she was like, You should probably get that checked.

The doctor I went to first

I had been seen by a gynecologist here locally; he is a great, fabulous guy. I had an abnormal PAP about three years ago. He wanted to do a colposcopy, so we did that. Then he scheduled another LEEP procedure about a year later. And I said, no, absolutely not. I just could not even think about confirming that appointment, it made me nauseous. So fast forward to, I’ve not gone to any appointments for about a year and a half. And that’s when I went to a gynecologist to talk to them about the lump under my arm. And that’s when she said, We need to do a pap smear.

I don’t even have a PCP, okay. To this day, I still don’t. I’ve had cancer, but I don’t have a regular routine doctor that I go see and get meds from. So she was talking to me both as a PCP, as a woman, and as the gynecologist that was like, hey, we really need to check this out. So she said, why didn’t you have the procedure, why didn’t you want to have the colposcopy? And she got to the root of it, which was my fear because it’s painful. I have an immediate reaction to epinephrine, which is commonly used to control the bleeding. It makes me feel like I’m going to have an absolute heart attack. All of it is bad for me. And she said, well, why don’t we do this? I’ll do a regular little PAP smear in the office, no pain, no problem, which I agreed to. And then she said, I’m going to see what the results are, and if they’re abnormal, like we suspect that they might be, I will schedule you for a cold knife cone biopsy in the O.R., that way you can be put under general anesthesia, you won’t feel a thing.

Researching my symptoms

I had no idea what was going on with my body at the time, so I’m on the Google machine trying to search for my symptoms. And whenever I went to social media, because that’s where I tend to get a lot of information these days, nobody really had a lot of information about what I needed. So I honestly just sat and waited, I waited for the scan appointment, I waited for the results. I waited, and I was in MyChart all the time.

The results came back, they were cervical dysplasia or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3, which is the high-grade abnormal cells. And she said, I want to get you in for the cold knife cone biopsy to take the biopsy under general anesthesia. I’m going to call the O.R. and see when we can get you booked. I went into the O.R. two days later. and then just kind of casually clicked into place, and I was able to get seen pretty quickly.

The moment when everything changed

It took me nine days to get my biopsy results; that was a really long time. I checked MyChart every hour, both at work and at home. I called the lab and said, Hey, I had a biopsy done nine days ago, and within an hour, they sent me the results, but I was at work when I read the report, and I was numb immediately, like, Okay, well, we’ll just deal with that whenever we get home. My husband was running some errands.

He comes home, and he is still unpacking the vehicle, you know, unloading the groceries, and I gave him a hug. And when I squeezed him, I pulled him to me, and I was looking behind him, so he’s facing over my shoulder, and I’m facing over his, and I said, I can’t look at you when I say these words, but I have cancer. And he lost it, he was just like, Chrystal, I don’t know what I’ll do without you. And so we hugged and cried and hugged and cried for about two days, not even wanting to leave each other to go to work or to go to this or that. We stayed together for about two days there. And then we started to pray, and I actually got anointed at church not too long after that by one of the church elders. And I’m not here to tell you that it did or didn’t work, but I certainly felt support from the community. My friends started to come out of the woodwork, old colleagues that I had not talked to in years, and routinely check on me today.

How I found my care team

I asked my doctor what her recommendation was. She was part of a network, and I went to a university hospital, which turned out to be a great thing for me, the patient, because they inundated me with resources. They have somebody to help you with everything, and then they have lots of educational materials, which I really found helpful. They made me a whole binder of phone numbers and different materials that I would need during my treatment, so that’s kind of what led me to where I ended up going. It just seemed like every time I talked to another doctor, I would mention it to somebody, and they’d say, “Oh, he’s great.”

“Doctor so-and-so is wonderful, you’ve got the best doctor.” I just felt really comfortable. I’ve worked in healthcare, so you kind of know, this doctor is very personable, their bedside manner is wonderful, they’ve answered all of my questions, and they’ve treated me well. And so I have zero complaints about any of the people who provided my care.

My treatment plan

I had a complication, and the doctor who had to see me for the complication was new to me. I was new to her, and she had a heart-to-heart conversation with me. One evening, late one night, she stayed late to take my case, and she said, “If it comes back that the cancer is in more than one place, we’re not going to do a hysterectomy because I don’t want to get in there.” Because my first question is, how soon can we get it out? Can we go in there and just remove all of it? I’m done with my uterus anyway, just go ahead and do a hysterectomy, I’m fine with that. And she said, “Actually, if we get in there, the tumor can be adhered to your bladder, it could be adhered to your kidneys, you could come out of there with a new appliance, like a colostomy or something like that. She said, I don’t want to go in there and stir it up. So what we’re going to do is 28 days of external radiation, 6 to 7 chemotherapy appointments, and then, for brachytherapy or high-dose radiation treatments at the end of therapy.

When the reality of my diagnosis hit me

I was in the office with another nurse, and he was going over my patient’s instructions for external radiation. And that’s when I started to realize how serious this was. He mentioned the side effects, and he was talking about the team and the fact that the team included so many people. But the one that got me was the nuclear physicist, that’s when I realized I had cancer, that’s when it hit me. Because I’m such a strong personality, I’m so used to controlling the outcome of as many things in my life as possible. I try really hard to steer things in the direction that I want them to go. This was something that I could not do with this; I could not will it out of my body, I could not go take a medication, and it would immediately be gone. There’s not like this definitive, okay, you have it today and you don’t tomorrow kind of line, which is what I was trying to get to. I think that’s what I really needed.

My husband was able to relate to what I was going through

My husband is also a cancer survivor. He had testicular cancer when we first met, so he had a lot of advice as far as chemo because he did chemotherapy. And so we were talking about things. One of the concerns that I had and maybe someone else too, was that chemo immediately makes you feel like a horrible person, like it immediately just makes you feel so sick. And he said he pictured it in his mind, something like lethal injection or something with an immediate, horrible, terrifying response. And he said, “But it’s not like that. You won’t feel bad for several days, and then you just kind of treat the symptoms.” And so that really helped me understand at least that part of it. My biggest chore was trying to educate myself more on the external radiation, so the nurses gave me as much information as they could. But then I went to the internet to try to see functionally out here, in the world, what are we doing? What kind of groceries are we buying? What kind of activities are we doing? Do I need to sleep extra or is it really not that bad?

I had side effects from my treatment

Initially it wasn’t terrible. I was a little tired, but again, that was one of my primary symptoms going in, so I wasn’t new to doing things in life exhausted, I was used to that. But the nausea did not set in after my first chemo for about 3 or 4 days. They had given me a drug that covers you for nausea for about 72 hours. She said, “You normally won’t feel nauseous for 3 to 4 days.” And about day 4 to 5 routinely, I would start to feel bad. The cumulative effect of all of the treatments together, though, you start with the external radiation, you’re doing that every day, that makes you tired. It’s pretty stressful to make sure that your bladder is the same amount full at the same time every single day, and that means you can’t go tinkle. That means you’re a cough or sneeze away from disaster, to be honest. They make you drink tons of water whenever you’re nauseous, and sometimes that didn’t go well. But as far as the fatigue, I would say at about two weeks, that’s when I had to quit my job, two weeks after I started radiation and one week after I started chemotherapy. Then with the chemo, we ended up just doing five treatments because when I was scheduled for the sixth chemotherapy, they actually put me in for the HDR, and he didn’t want me to do chemo and HDR at the same time, so I just did my high dose radiation on a Tuesday and Thursday of two different weeks.

I had to do high-dose rate brachytherapy

With the HDR, I showed up at the hospital at about six in the morning. I had not had anything to eat since 6 p.m. the day before, nothing to drink since noon the day before. They take me in, put an IV. They go over a ton of consents, you meet with anesthesia, the doctor, the O.R. nurses, they take you back into surgery, they put you to sleep, and then they place this device with a little tube coming out of it. You are lying flat when you wake up in recovery. The nurses are quick to manage your pain. They gave me something, and then they attached me to a PCA, which is a patient-controlled analgesic, so that I didn’t have to ask for pain medication. I just had a little button to give myself medication whenever I needed it. That was very, very helpful not to have the anxiety of like, is this going to hurt? After you come out of surgery, you go into recovery. My family met me in the recovery room, and I waited for about an hour while they planned my scans and all that good stuff. Then they took me into the radiation therapy room, where they placed radioactive seeds on my cervix to be circulated in and out for about ten minutes.

They played some music while I did this; it was not painful at all. I would say the most uncomfortable part, it’s not even super painful, but it was just pressure and uncomfortable, was whenever they removed it, but the doctor was very good. He warned me before he touched me. He warned me before he did anything and what it was going to cause. This is going to cause pressure; you’re going to feel a little bit of pain here, hit your pain pump, those kinds of things. All I had to do after that, and they would literally wheel me down the hall back to my room. I would use the restroom, and as soon as I could void my bladder, they would let me go, and I just did that four times. The biggest thing with that was just making sure that I followed the diet regulations or recommendations. They wanted me to stay clear of liquids only after 6 p.m. the day before, which is a nightmare because I eat late, so I felt like I was starving by the next day when I got out.

I had more testing done

The doctor did the initial cold knife cone biopsy. It was positive at 19 out of 20 margins. So the cancer had spread beyond just this little sample that they took. So then she took me in. I had some hemorrhaging going on, and they had to take me into the O.R. to stop it. She also did another biopsy then because she wanted to get the rest of it. So she went in and took out another big chunk, and there was less of the cassettes. I don’t remember how many, but there was less cancer in that tumor, thankfully. They scheduled me for my Pet scan, and while I was waiting for the Pet scan.

My cancer spread

The pathology came back on the tumor, which said it was PALB2 positive, which is hereditary. My mother, who passed away from breast cancer, and her mother, who passed away from breast cancer, were also PALB2 positive.

They did the genetic testing, and then they also found that there was extensive lymphoma with lymphovascular invasion in my tissue, on my cervix. We go to a PET scan, and they shoot you with a radioactive tracer in an IV. Other than that, it’s painless. And then they scan your body, and you get results a few days later.

I went to this appointment by myself, and the doctor read my results with the radiologist, and she said, “It spread to your pelvic lymph nodes, you have stage three cancer.” And my brain just said no, I’m too young for that. My brain said, No, no, no, you got something wrong, there’s no way it could be stage three.

It felt like I need my mom. It was an immediate. And I don’t have many of those moments because I’ve been grown with kids for a long time, and I’ve not had my mother for 17 years, but that was a moment where I just needed a woman older than me who knew more than me. Who knew that it was going to be okay to just wrap me up and hold me, that’s what I needed. There was a nurse there that day, and I don’t know how she knew, she didn’t say anything, she just walked up to me in her cute periwinkle colored scrubs, and she squeezed me as hard as she could, so much so that I left makeup on shirt, and I needed that. And I told her, I said, you have no idea how much that was needed, I needed that so much. But it was just like a gut punch, like, this is wrong, something’s wrong. Where’s my mom? She’ll know, like, tell mom to figure this out because this is all wrong.

What have been the most challenging parts of my diagnosis

My biggest concern was how am I going to be able to function? My husband has to work, I’m supposed to be working. We have a young child in the house, and then I found out that I had a grandson on the way, and I was just like, I don’t have time for this. And then I thought, okay, we’ll just chip away at it, and then by the end of the summer, you’ll be done with it.

Because I found a lump under my arm first, I went into my mammogram hyperventilating because I thought that my cervical cancer was a metastasis of breast cancer. I thought that it started up here, and so I went in for a diagnostic mammogram, and that just happened to be the day that I was hemorrhaging, so I was having a complication. I was bleeding down my legs and I mean with a full diaper pad on. It was so much like I said, they took me into the O.R. and that was a whole thing. But yeah, I nearly bled to death, and I thought, I have breast cancer, and this is the end. And then my brain started thinking of all the things that if I were going to die, that I would do or not do, and I started to do those things. I said, if you want to own a library, go buy those books, and I started hoarding books. And then I decided that if I wanted to go watch baseball, I was going to go watch baseball because I didn’t know when I’d be able to.

I thought I was really, truly not going to make it. I thought, well, you better make the most of the time you have, sweetheart, because it’s almost the end. And so whenever I found out that my mammogram was negative, I was in shock. I thought, well, as much as I was in denial about the cancer itself, I can’t believe how hard it is for me to accept a negative mammogram. But it really was. I was very worried at first. The doctor actually ended up doing an ultrasound of the lump under my arm, and she said it’s nothing, it was because I had recently lost some weight.

Where I’m at now with my diagnosis

I am trying to fill my plate again, so I have started working with some cervical cancer warriors, survivors. I message several girls routinely, one of the people that I’ve met on the internet has volunteered to co-host a cervical cancer retreat of sorts in her state of Oregon next year, and she’s actively in treatment right now, she’s still finishing that up. Whenever she’s done with that, we’re going to hit the gas and move forward on getting together with other ladies, just because it’s a lonely disease, it’s lonely to be treated for this disease. We want to have some camaraderie and meet with other girls and just discuss and vent and cry and hug and have lifelong friendships from it, so we’ve got that coming up. And then I have become much more vocal on social media as of late, and I’m working with several organizations to try to change some things in long term care. That field is a passion of mine, and those residents mean more to me than life itself, so I am serving that community actively, and I have some job opportunities that have come along the way or come up as a result of that. I’m very excited about the future. focusing on my family, making it the healthiest it can be. Cancer is hard on your family. Trying to catch up with my husband and compare notes after the fact. He was very worried. It affected him in subconscious ways and more obvious ways, and speaking with him afterward, I did not realize how unwell he was. He just would not bother me at the time, or he thought that it would be a burden to me to discuss it. And generally speaking, most of the men in my life were pretty quiet about things like that, so we don’t discuss feelings.

It’s weird whenever you’re worried about how your disease is going to affect someone else. And then whenever you see it happen, you feel responsible in a way, but then you also realize that’s what life is, that’s what my husband signed up for, that’s what I signed up for, so we just got through it. I’m so happy to be on the mend. I’m so happy to feel well. I feel better than I have in years.

What my monitoring is like

I do have a negative MRI, which is why I say no evidence of disease. Every six months, I have a follow-up with someone. It will either be with the high-risk breast clinic that I see, so they picked me up, and they want me to be. I have an MRI every six months and then the mammogram, the traditional mammogram. And then the doctor wants me to come in about every six months, the gynecologist, to have a pap smear, be seen, and do some labs. I’m doing something every six months.

I wanted to be open with my daughter

I felt compelled to tell somebody. My mother was very private about her struggle with breast cancer, and there was a lot that I did not know, that I still don’t know, even with my nurse brain trying to fill in the blanks of what she must have been going through. I shared every intricate detail with my daughter so that if, heaven forbid, she ever were to find herself in a situation where she needed that information, she would know that it’s survivable. She would know that the treatment is so advanced. I tried to include my daughter in that as best I could so that she could understand without scaring her. So I tried to put it into 16-17-year-old girl terms. And that opened a dialogue for her and me to discuss women’s health differently. Which is hard for parents, you know, the reproductive system. And you don’t want to talk to your daughter about her reproductive system, necessarily, but in this case, I felt like knowledge was power.

And so that’s how you turn something into a benefit. That’s how you make it better. I can tell you that external radiation really wasn’t that bad; I didn’t get any burns. I can tell you my story, and you can hear my voice and see that I’m okay, so that you have hope that you can get through it, too. The nature of 80% of the messages that I read and respond to are ladies who are saying, “Hey, I just got diagnosed,” or, “I saw your video about external radiation.” And it helps so much, and I don’t say that to compliment myself, I’m just sharing what happened to me. And in no special way or format, I’m just telling people that I have it, too. And that by itself, I think, has helped so many people, like, hey, this is not a gross, ugly thing. Not just horrible people have it, and it’s not taboo. Several of us are struggling with this, and this is how we took care of it. So I’ve met some lifelong friends from this, and even people who are not in this country. I have made friends who live in Canada and the UK and different places all around the world, just because we have this thing in common.

What I want others to know

Put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. There will be days when, if you think about it, you will talk yourself out of it, or you will make yourself believe that you cannot do it. But just put a foot in front of the other, and you will eventually be finished with the treatment. That was my biggest thing. I just thought, oh my gosh, that seems like a terribly long time, if you will just put a foot in front of the other.

Check on your caregivers whenever you have the bandwidth, whenever you can, check on your caregivers. It’s important. Those people are stressed out, too. They’re not actively being treated, necessarily, but they’re right there with you in the trenches. And they sometimes need to decompress, too.

Thank you for sharing your story, Chrystal!

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Robin’s Zest for Life Helped Him Overcome Stage 4 Melanoma

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date August 22, 2025
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August 22, 2025

Robin’s Zest for Life Helped Him Overcome Stage 4 Melanoma

Robin, an architect born and raised in France and now based in the USA, shares his experience with stage 4 melanoma. In 2023, he discovered a tiny bump on his chest. He showed it to his dermatologist, who thought it was just a cyst. After closer inspection, the doctors discovered that the bump was actually melanoma and it had already metastasised to Robin’s liver.

Interviewed by: Taylor Scheib
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

Robin was overwhelmed, confused, and numb all at once, but he refused to cave in. He didn’t isolate himself; instead, he looked for the right support. He understood that facing such a situation would be easier with a strong community behind him.

Robin found that the hardest things for him to face weren’t the treatments for stage 4 melanoma (which is a type of skin cancer), but the weeks of uncertainty before he was fully diagnosed and could receive proper treatment. This uncertainty left him struggling to maintain his footing. However, the moment that his oncologist introduced the option of a clinical trial, his fear, anxiety, and numbness faded, and his perspective shifted for the better.

Robin passionately advocated for himself. He emphasized the power of making informed decisions. He dove headfirst into understanding the trial and kept asking questions so he could regain control over his health.

Under the clinical trial, Robin’s treatment included three months of chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, followed by 18 months of immunotherapy maintenance. He’d read about all the potential side effects in the clinical trial booklets and braced himself for a rough experience. Happily, the side effects he ended up experiencing turned out to be minimal.

His positive mindset bolstered his psychological well-being. Instead of viewing his treatment days with fear and dread, Robin approached them like regular activities, for instance, like going to the office or visiting friends. This made a significant difference in his healthcare.

Throughout his stage 4 melanoma experience, Robin kept up his active lifestyle. He continued working, traveling, and spending quality time with his loved ones. His zest for life and people gave him strength, and he stayed true to himself even in the thick of his health challenges.

Today, Robin is thriving. His recent scans show no signs of tumors or metastasis. He looks forward to having regular check-ups every six months for the next five years, then annually.

Watch Robin’s video and:

Discover how his love for life helped him through stage 4 melanoma.
Learn how a little bump changed his life, but couldn’t dampen his spirit.
Discover the moment Robin’s fear turned into fearless patient advocacy.
Find out the unexpected reason he found joy in hospital visits.
Learn why Robin views clinical trials with gratitude, not fear.

Name:
- Robin A.
Diagnosis:
- Melanoma
Staging:
- Stage 4
Symptom:
- Appearance of a small bump on the chest
Treatments:
- Chemotherapy and immunotherapy (under a clinical trial)

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make informed treatment decisions.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Patient Story.

Thank you for sharing your story, Robin!

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Sam Chooses Hope in the Face of Grade 2 Brain Cancer (Astrocytoma with IDH1 Mutation)

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date August 17, 2025
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August 17, 2025

Sam Chooses Hope in the Face of Grade 2 Brain Cancer

Sam is a passionate photographer and a proud mom to a six-year-old boy named Felix. Her life took a terrifying turn when a series of seemingly minor symptoms led to a diagnosis of grade 2 brain cancer (astrocytoma with IDH1 mutation).

Interviewed by: Nikki Murphy
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

Sam’s experience began subtly, with feelings of being “off.” She attributed this feeling to holiday stress and the hustle of running her business. She also experienced occasional fatigue and what she thought was food poisoning. But little did she know that things would soon escalate.

One night, Sam collapsed in her bathroom and suffered what would be the first of many seizures. Her husband acted swiftly, calling 911. She woke up in the ER to the shocking news that they had found a mass in her brain that was causing her seizures. An MRI confirmed the diagnosis, and Sam had to undergo emergency brain surgery.

Grade 2 brain cancer (astrocytoma with IDH1 mutation) had more than just physical effects; it also deeply impacted Sam and her family’s mental well-being. (Editor’s Note: An astrocytoma is a tumor that develops in the brain or spinal cord and grows from star-shaped or astrocyte cells. An IDH1 mutation is a mutation in the enzyme-making IDH1 gene, which can result in cancer.) Sam spoke with her son Felix honestly, aiming to teach him about what was happening to her instead of making him afraid. Her husband was overwhelmed by the sudden shift in their family dynamics. Sam realized the importance of open and honest dialogue, emotional check-ins, and seeking professional support in helping her family maintain its mental health.

After her surgery, Sam had to have radiation treatments and chemotherapy. She found the treatments grueling, given the lifestyle adjustments, dietary restrictions, and emotional hurdles she had to deal with as a result. But through it all, she was still able to find light in the darkest moments, whether through joking with medical staff or cherishing time with her son and husband.

Sam’s message is clear: seek medical advice when something feels off, prioritize self-care, and embrace support from those around you. Watch her video and find out more about:

How a seizure led to a completely unexpected diagnosis.
The subtle symptoms Sam thought were due to holiday and work stress.
How she prepared her young son Felix for really tough news.
The surprising realities of being awake during brain surgery.
Why mental health is so vital in cancer care.

Scroll below to read the full transcript from Sam’s interview!

Name: Sam D.
Age at Diagnosis:
- 37
Diagnosis:
- Brain Cancer (Astrocytoma with IDH1 Mutation)
Grade:
- Grade 2
Symptoms:
- Consistently feeling overwhelmed
- Seizures
Treatments:
- Surgery: awake craniotomy
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make informed treatment decisions.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Patient Story.

Transcript of Sam’s Interview

Hi, I'm Sam
When I first noticed something was wrong
What happened next
The moment everything changed
How I prepared for surgery
I was awake during my brain surgery
I got my results five weeks later
What my treatment options were
My treatment plan
The plan moving forward
The challenges of my diagnosis
My message of hope

Hi, I’m Sam

I am a mom to an amazing six-year-old boy. He is the light of my life. I own a photography business that brings me so much joy.

I remember going into the bathroom and brushing my teeth afterward. And I remember setting my toothbrush down, and I very vaguely remember falling backwards. But I don’t remember anything beyond that.

I was so stunned at the entire event. And I think, knowing that when you hear you have a mass in your brain, I don’t think I registered immediately that that meant I have a brain tumor.

When I first noticed something was wrong

I started feeling a bit off. The weekend before I was admitted to the hospital, I started just feeling off, and I thought it was compounding stress. We were in the closing window to Christmas, and we hosted Christmas. My initial thought was that I was just stressed to get to the end of the year. And I had said something to my husband, we were snowboarding that day, and I said, I just don’t feel 100%. I don’t feel like myself. I feel like I’m just too stressed to make commitments. And I think he brushed it off like, yeah, we’ve got a lot going on. And as did I. And then we went back to Denver and stayed. We’re getting ready for the week, the weekend to end into the beginning of the week.

And on Sunday night into Monday we I ended up experiencing what I thought was food poisoning. And I was experiencing that every once in a while for the last few years, and I just assumed that I was maybe developing an allergy to something or developing a food intolerance. But what led me to be sick for a solid four hours? The last time I got up, I fell in my bathroom and fell into a seizure. Thankfully, my husband was home and caught it immediately and called 911 when he realized I was seizing. And that it was a very short time, I think, in the grand scheme of things. And I don’t know if I would have ever assumed that food poisoning like symptoms, and maybe not being able to bear the weight of stress was causing me to, or showing me that I had something going on internally.

What happened next

I got admitted to the hospital. The newest and greatest one, actually, which was really lucky timing for me. I had my seizures around 4:30 in the morning, and I came to between 730 and eight in the morning. And by that time, I was in an emergency room. I was admitted into an emergency room, an actual room. And my husband and son were sitting on the waiting room chair there. And when I woke up, my husband said, Sam, you had several seizures this morning. They did a CT scan when you got here. They found a mass in your brain. They’re prepping you for an MRI, and a neurosurgeon is coming to talk to you.

So that was the first thing I heard when I woke up. And I believe, or I feel like I asked him to repeat that because I was so not only out of it, but extraordinarily confused that I was in an emergency room and had zero recollection of how I got there and the events that led up to it. I went in for my MRI. Very shortly after, the neurosurgeon was in the office or in the emergency room with me. And he said, You have a mass in your frontal right lobe. It is putting pressure on your brain, which is now causing these seizures. You need to have surgery immediately in order to survive.

The moment everything changed

I was so stunned at the entire event. And I think knowing that when you hear you have a mass in your brain, I don’t think I registered immediately that that meant I have a brain tumor. It did take me a little bit of time to become more cognitively aware later that day, and just really sit with the fact that I have a brain tumor and they’re just going to remove it and everything’s going to be fine. And that’s really where my head and positivity came from. And that’s far from the reality of what having a brain tumor really is. And it was a little bit disheartening knowing that reality later.

And as things went on, I think it took me a while to really process what it meant to have a brain tumor and to hear that you have a brain tumor. I had just turned 37 the month prior, so I was just recently I was hitting my late, late 30s and making jokes about getting older. But I believe that getting older is a blessing, and I wasn’t quite prepared to be the youngest person in a treatment center for the condition that I have.

How I prepared for surgery

It was an emergency call to my lawyer to make sure my will and my living will were up to date. And that was really where my stress was. I was making sure that my son Felix was just taken care of if something were to happen to me. His dad’s passing when he was two is incredibly tough. And just him having to go through all that, and him and I together, and then now getting married again last year, just a few months before I found out I had a brain tumor.

I wanted to protect Felix. Even while being in the hospital and being tended to by the nurses and doctors, Felix was there too. I really wanted to make it positive and that being in the hospital wasn’t always scary, and that they are there to help fix the problem, and that that’s what they went to school for. So I’m trying to use that with him to be positive. But I was terrified for him. And later, we had those conversations too. He’s pretty in touch with his emotions and seemed pretty scared. My husband also did. And I think just the burden and weight.

I hate to say burden, but the burden of taking on our entire household and our life all of a sudden at four in the morning, I was suddenly not in the home. I wasn’t able to drive for months and everything, and we had no idea going into it that that was it. But I felt the fear in his voice when he told me, and I can just tell I had felt it over the last few months as we’ve digested and talked about the initial moments and being in the hospital and how much stress that and a burden that he took on himself to go ahead. Just taking it in stride together has been the most positive part.

I was awake during my brain surgery

They admitted me to the ICU and monitored me. And he said that very kindly and humbled me in the thought that I was I could leave and come back. I spent the first part of the week in the ICU taking various medications to make sure I didn’t have any more seizures and doing all the bloodwork, etc. to make sure I had I was properly set up for the procedure. And one thing that came up, because it’s on my right side and I’m left-handed, was that I had to be awake for the craniotomy as well. So I spent he prepped myself that it was going to be two hours for the surgery, that I would be in and awake for the entire surgery for two hours, and then I would be done and on my way. The surgery ended up being about 5.5 hours, and I was awake for the entire surgery.

I was a bit surprised to have surgery awake, as I mentioned. But I also was a bit surprised that I was sitting up the whole time, too. They have your head in a vise, and they kept me sitting upright. And what I remember was the anesthesiologist. I was sedated on my right hand side, and the surgeon was on my left hand side. I’m assuming he was kind of coming this way directionally. If I remember correctly, barely. Thankfully, there was enough sedation that I was lucid in that way. So sitting up, and I could hear everybody talking and you know, reacting to things and their interactions as well in terms of the frustration that I could. I could hear the initial grabbing of the tumor. And that’s why it took a little bit longer. They were hoping to also have initial pathology results back during surgery, and make sure they got as much of the tumor as they could. Generally, you can’t, because it does. If they go too far into the brain matter, they can certainly hurt you more than they can help you at that point, too. And that’s where people end up having dysfunction. I do remember him getting frustrated, and maybe he said that I got a little anxious because I reminded him that the Broncos were still playing every hour.

And they did call my husband and told him. Sam’s still saying that the Broncos are on tonight, so she’s in good spirits and really looking forward to this game. But the surgery itself was a bit shocking to be in and awake and alert for the actual procedure. The most jarring part was actually getting the incision of the bone out, like you’re sawing the bone, because I was awake for that. And there’s no way you can really make that not painful. So that was the most painful part. And my incision goes all the way. I have hair now. All the way around. I have some great pictures of my incision. But it was much larger than I expected. And the picture I took the night before. They did little shaved spots around where they mapped, where the vise was going to hold my head together. Really lovely photos of that, too. I wish I could capture how sad I felt about losing little tiny bits of hair there, where I did lose a large chunk of hair. With it, they shaved this the during surgery, and I lost more with treatment later.

I got my results five weeks later

A little bit of relief came when the doctor came in and he said, You have a grade two astrocytoma and a few mutations with it, one of them being IDH1. And that can be hereditary or it can be environmental. I found out after thinking that I had the hereditary one, that I actually have the environmental one. It can be stress or exposure to toxins and things like that. And there’s no way of knowing when or what toxins or what you can do to avoid that exposure. And the other mutation I have is that it has a very slow-growing brain tumor. I’ve had the actual tumor for years, if not decades. And the astrocytoma, at one point, mutated into that grade of tumor. And that’s likely what the stress and the IDH1 mutation are.

I was in shock. Yeah. And I felt like at that point, especially along the way, and the months following and the weeks before that, I had zero alone time. I most frequently hear that nobody wanted me to be alone if I did fall into a seizure or something happened, or I needed something that I was not able to do yet because I wasn’t able to, like, lift anything heavy or, you know, do a lot of normal, functioning things within the day. So I think the shock was a bit of biggest part of it for me was that I just was like, okay, I do have cancer. Like what’s next? And that I was really more focused on what the path forward is. Like, am I going to die, or is this like what is going to happen? And that is a very hard thing to hear, regardless. I found myself. Later on, any moment that I would be alone, especially in those first few weeks of really processing, I would find my little times to just like, have a little cry, or just shed a few tears just to feel like just to feel. But I didn’t want to. I didn’t feel like I was the doom and gloom, and I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me in that way. I did try to hold it to be a little bit more of a private grieving on that side.

I told my son a few days after I found out that I wanted to make sure it was an educational opportunity for us. I don’t think that when I was six years old that I understood or knew what cancer was or understood the impacts on the close circle. I kind of prepped everybody, and I said, Please don’t cry like I have cancer and have brain cancer. And encapsulated what my treatment plan was going to look like. And the positive side of extending my life and the quality of life. But the hopes that this doesn’t come back. And my husband. That’s a good question. But we were together, and I think he just really held a lot of space for me and just really wanted me to kind of lead with what emotions we wanted. We’ve had some cries. It’s been a hard year. First year of marriage. That’s been compounded on that.

What my treatment options were

One option that I did not get in the hospital before the surgery was you do nothing. Because I believe that before the surgery. And they did believe, too, that if I did nothing, my chances of surviving within days were probably a little to nothing. So, thankfully, my oncologist did say you can do nothing. And live with post-surgery and the chances of recurrence for the brain tumor to grow back, and to be more aggressive, and to ultimately take over. My chances of survival for five years were under 20%. Statistically, and for astrocytoma specifically, they generally have two types of chemo treatments along with radiation. So they do one that’s one, a single pill, and a radiation combination. And the other one is a cocktail of three different types of chemo and a radiation combination. The one with the three different chemos that you take has been around a little bit longer, and they’ve seen a lot of people live into multiple decades. And that one has a lot of research and positive results because it’s been around longer. The other new chemo, like single chemo and radiation, has not been around as long. And that one doesn’t have as much in terms of longevity that they know about yet, because it hasn’t been around long enough that they’ve used it on brain cancer patients.

But the other one seemed a little bit more positive. And I’ve since joined a bunch of brain tumor support groups and specifically for astrocytoma. And several people have lived for multiple decades with astrocytoma and have had the same treatment. So it made me feel much more comfortable going with that route. The oncologist did recommend the chemo route, which I went over the other one, just due to research, but he said both he felt very comfortable saying and hearing your life expectancy going up to 70 percent for over ten years. I measure the time with my son. If I were to pass in under five years, he would lose both of his biological parents before he’s 11 years old. And how was that fair to him? And that’s really what was making me most emotional. Was that fight for him and not putting him in a place in his life that he deserves? Hearing that and just mentally preparing to go through radiation and chemo was a big lift. I did call and make that decision about a week after I found out. And it moved pretty quickly. I was a week later getting fitted with my mask that they put on your face for radiation. And I was in radiation very shortly after. And chemo followed.

My treatment plan

I did kick off my treatment plan with 27 rounds of radiation. It was supposed to be 30, but the doctor had said that that was the higher end of treatment for me. But the way my resection for the brain tumor went and the way my scan looked right before, they felt comfortable reducing the session. I went five days a week, Monday through Friday, into these sessions, which were relatively easy for what they sound like. I enjoyed the nurses and the staff there. We had a good time, and I was coming in with funny jokes instead of saying my birthday every day because we all knew it. We were all friends there. Now that I would say, oh, did you know on my birthday this happened or that this happened that year? Or what was the top song in America? It was a fun way to bring things together in that way.

And about four weeks post, I started chemo. They did break that up. And I do a mixture of three different medications. Day one, it’s four cycles, and each cycle is 42 days long. And within those 42 days, I take three different medications.

One is an IV into our oral pills that I’m able to take at home. Day one is a single medication that I take. And it makes you kind of sick for a few days after. And I experienced quite a bit of nausea. I do manage through nausea, medication, and things that make it a little bit easier. And then I go in and do an IV infusion, and I start another medication for two weeks. And that one’s the most aggressive. I am not allowed to eat cured meats, aged cheeses. Most sauces or soy sauces. Anything that has any alcohol or soy, like any source. In general, I can’t touch rubbing alcohol. So there are a lot of restrictions, and it’s very difficult to eat out. I’ve utilized AI to upload different menus at restaurants and asked, “What can I eat at this restaurant with this medication that I’m taking?”

The plan moving forward

I’ve not had any clinical trial discussions. And my plan moving forward after this, for my understanding, is just to monitor. I’ll be getting MRIs every three months. My last one was in May and had positive signs of progress from the radiation treatment. My next one in three months should be this month in August. And I’ll have one more at the end of the year. So every three months for the foreseeable future, I’ve heard anywhere from 5 to 10 years. So that’s going to be a big stretch of that. But I’m hopeful that is something, and being patient with going every three months, that if anything does happen or anything does recur, we’re able to find it quickly, and maybe mitigate it from being too invasive. I would love not to have brain surgery again. But another fun fact that I found out is that once you find out you have a brain tumor, the chances of recurrence are high. No matter what you do. So I’m hoping that if that does happen, I’m 105 years old and it will be okay. But my other hope is that it just doesn’t. And this is maybe a one-time blip in my earlier life than expected.

The challenges of my diagnosis

My biggest challenge has been being able to live with it comfortably. I have had a full head of hair my whole life, and I think it just changed my appearance so much, especially at the beginning when I was missing all my hair. And I had a very noticeable scar that I couldn’t cover. That I had to really become comfortable with that, or who I was. I found myself very often justifying, like I have brain cancer, or just telling that to somebody. My son even said it to people at school. They’re like, You look so different. Felix’s mom, what’s different about you? And he would even say it. She has brain cancer. Leave her alone. So, whether I want this to be a traumatic event for everybody, it kind of is. I think it’s been hard to come to terms with and hard to keep private, as it’s so physically obvious in my appearance. But I’ve gotten a little bit better, and I’m trying to own it now.

I feel like initially, maybe it’s going to take a little bit of time in this drastic change in my life. Is it just being treated a little bit differently? People started treating me differently or acting as if I were more delicate or needed extra padding around me. I’m very much independent, but I’m also going to push myself in every way I can, and I think the bubble around me, or people hoping to give me the ability or to protect me, has become a big change in my life. Improving that has been a little bit challenging as well. Just being like, I can do this. I’m good. I’m. They said I can do my normal activities. I’m not trying to be extreme by any means. I only got one day of snowboarding in last year, and I’m hopeful that that is not the end of it for me. They promise that I can do all that, but it’s a little bit hard to overcome that aspect as well. Just hearing that somebody had brain surgery. Even my mom, when I called her, said, Wow, I can’t believe how well you’re talking. I just assumed you wouldn’t be able to talk if you had your brain operated on, which I can see is a very valid deduction, but I don’t know if it’s something that we know enough about.

My message of hope

We all go through extraordinarily hard times in life, and if we want to live in or ruminate in the negative and live in that, and it can make us sick, we can go under and live in the stress and the the disheartening feeling of being like, I have a brain tumor, I’m going to die, and this is what’s going to kill me, and it’s the end of the world and living in that is so toxic and so bad for you that living within the positive side of things, or feeling positive and optimistic that you can overpower this and that it’s mind over matter everywhere. And I try to be as mindful of that for myself all the time, losing my husband and becoming an only parent, and then finding out I have brain cancer four years later. I cannot let the burdens and the hurdles in my life take over. What is more positive? And seeing the joy on my son’s face and giving him the best experience in life together, and making memories that last.

I would say if I had one piece of advice for anybody, it would be to take care of yourself. Know that if you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, or if something’s not right, it’s okay to just go and get a checkup and look. And maybe that stress can be something else. What most often do we hear? Don’t give yourself an ulcer. Don’t get so stressed. You get an ulcer. But in my world, I’m wondering if I got so stressed that I gave myself a brain tumor. I made my existing brain tumor worse. So. Self-care. Taking care of yourself in every way you can. And that would be my best advice. And finding out and being preventative.

Thank you for sharing your story, Samantha!

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Chemotherapy Colorectal Patient Stories Radiation Therapy Rectal Treatments

Heart and Humor: Jeanine’s Stage 3 Rectal Cancer Story

Post author By Chris Sanchez
Post date August 13, 2025
No Comments on Heart and Humor: Jeanine’s Stage 3 Rectal Cancer Story

August 13, 2025

Heart and Humor: Jeanine’s Stage 3 (T3bN0M0) Rectal Cancer Story

Jeanine found out she had stage 3 rectal cancer (stage T3bN0M0) in January 2025, but her health experiences goes much further back. She had been experiencing rectal bleeding in her mid-20s. She had a colonoscopy back then, but it found nothing more serious than hemorrhoids. This made it easy for her to attribute these recurring symptoms over the years. As time passed, there were new symptoms and they worsened, including urgency to use the restroom, mucus in her stool, and stool that was narrower than usual.

Interviewed by: Taylor Scheib
Edited by: Chris Sanchez

Her intuition told her that she was experiencing something far more serious than just hemorrhoids now. Jeanine looked up her symptoms online, and based on her research, began to suspect cancer even before she was properly diagnosed. She consulted doctors, and her research paid off when a new colonoscopy revealed that she had stage 3 rectal cancer (T3bN0M0). (Editor’s Note: A T3bN0M0 tumor has grown into the outermost layers of the rectum, but hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant sites.)

Jeanine didn’t feel overwhelmed by this diagnosis. She instead felt that it validated her concerns and knew that this was a big step forward in helping her get better. She tirelessly and fearlessly advocated for herself, pushing for answers, seeking second opinions, and switching medical teams to feel more understood by a team that also understood another medical condition she had. Her experience shows how important it is to feel comfortable with healthcare providers and communicate effectively with them.

Her treatment for stage 3 rectal cancer included chemotherapy (with adjustments to manage severe side effects) and radiation therapy. Although Jeanine may need to undergo the surgical procedure known as abdominal perineal resection or Barbie butt surgery, there’s a chance she won’t need it if the tumor responds well.

One of Jeanine’s biggest strengths is her positive outlook. It shines through her creative coping mechanisms, like naming her tumor “Chester McButt Sprout” and sharing funny updates on social media. These approaches not only help her process her experience but also help her loved ones stay informed, amused, and connected.

Jeanine’s identity has evolved through her diagnosis and treatments. It’s not defined by cancer, and is enriched by her perspectives regarding life, joy, and connection. She draws strength from her late mother’s resilience and tries to live authentically through all of the challenges she faces.

Watch Jeanine’s video for more on:

How she transformed her stage 3 rectal cancer diagnosis into a story of empowerment
Jeanine’s surprising (and funny) creative approaches to coping with cancer
Why self-advocacy can be life-saving — her bold healthcare decisions
From confusion to clarity: Jeanine’s 20-year health puzzle
How her resolve and resilience helped her take her cancer experience forward

Name:
- Jeanine B.
Age at Diagnosis:
- 46
Diagnosis:
- Rectal Cancer
Staging:
- Stage 3 (T3bN0M0)
Symptoms:
- Rectal bleeding
- Pain in the tailbone
- Urgent need to use the restroom
- Unusually narrow stools
- Presence of mucus in stools
- Fatigue
Treatments:
- Chemotherapy (FOLFOX)
- Radiation therapy (coming soon)

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider to make informed treatment decisions.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Patient Story.

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