Drea’s authenticity shines as she reflects on the isolation of waiting for answers, the trauma of not feeling heard by medical professionals, and the emotional toll of watching her friends graduate while she remained hospitalized. Therapy and support from loved ones became lifelines. Her experience underscores the critical importance of self-advocacy, a voice she had to amplify even when others told her nothing was wrong.

The diagnosis wasn’t the aggressive gastric cancer doctors feared, but a well-differentiated grade 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumor. Still, it meant a life-changing surgery: a total gastrectomy with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. (Editor’s Note: A total gastrectomy involves removing the whole stomach. A Roux-en-Y reconstruction involves rejoining the esophagus and the small intestine.)

Drea, a self-described foodie, mourned the loss of her ability to eat freely. The physical recovery was brutal, but the emotional healing ran even deeper. Eating remains a balancing act. Social events require planning, but she’s learned to embrace a new kind of normal — one that’s grounded in self-awareness, patience, and gratitude. She surrounds herself with people who love her exactly as she is and is slowly reclaiming parts of herself that were buried under fear and uncertainty.

Drea’s story is a powerful reminder that young people can get serious diagnoses and that symptoms, like unexplained fatigue, fainting, or persistent anemia, shouldn’t be ignored. Her honesty is refreshing, her strength palpable, and her advocacy deeply empowering.

Watch Drea’s full interview to find out more about her story:

• What it’s like to be young, sick, and told, “You’re too healthy for cancer”
• How fainting during a yoga class became the first clue that something serious was happening
• How a missed diagnosis almost cost Drea everything, including her life
• The moment she realized no one was going to advocate for her, except herself
• What losing Drea’s entire stomach meant for her daily life and mental health