In September 2021, I was in the process of moving to San Antonio and finishing up some coursework for a teaching certification. Then, I got diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, and all of that had to wait.
I knew my diagnosis wasn’t the end of the world. I’d been a certified health care interpreter for years, and I’d heard about lots of serious medical conditions. But I didn’t know exactly where to start in terms of my own treatment...
At age 21, most people are still discovering who they are. But I was being treated at MD Anderson for osteochondroma-associated de-differentiated...
A hysterectomy is a common procedure used to treat gynecologic cancers, like ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer, and other...
For people who hope to have children of their own, a cancer diagnosis can derail those plans. However, thanks to oncofertility experts, who serve as a bridge between oncology and reproductive medicine, patients have several reproductive options to explore.
“While there are many paths to parenthood — such as foster care, adoption and embryo donation — my goal is to try to expand those options as much as possible to include having...
It wasn’t until I attended a relative’s socially distanced birthday party last spring that I really let myself consider the possibility of...
When I learned six years ago that I carry a genetic mutation called CDH1, my initial response was anger. I had just gotten married, and my...
Discovering I had bone cancer when I was only 12 forced me to mature very quickly. Doctors found a growth about the size of an orange in my...
In 2016, my husband and I were trying to expand our family. A swollen lymph node almost derailed our plans entirely.
I’d felt the lump...
I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I became an aunt at a very young age, and I loved taking care of my nieces and nephews. I worked at a child...
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, but when I was diagnosed with it in November 2016, it didn’t feel that way. I was...