Thymoma survivor grateful for a second opinion
After she’d been sick with flu-like symptoms for several weeks, Kirsti Hoopingarner decided to see her doctor. She’d been having trouble breathing, so her doctor ordered a chest X-ray and a CT scan.
The results showed a mass on Kirsti’s thymus gland. The 29-year-old was shocked. Her mother had been diagnosed with thymoma when she was 46.
Kirsti had a biopsy of the mass done near her home in Illinois. While her local...
Best of MD Anderson 2019: Why patients came here for treatment
Cancer patients come to MD Anderson for many reasons. Some want the expertise of the nation’s top hospital for cancer care for cancer care...
My thymoma treatment: Why I chose MD Anderson
When I found out I had thymoma — a rare tumor of the thymus gland — I knew I couldn’t stay in South Texas for my treatment.
I’d been...
Choosing to be thankful during thymoma treatment
My husband and I recently made the familiar journey to MD Anderson again. It was time for another check-up. Since I was diagnosed with stage IV thymoma in 2013, this has become a normal part of our life. We do labs and scans, and then prayerfully meet with doctors, hoping for good news.
These trips always remind me of the frightening reality of cancer. On days like these, I reflect on the lessons I have learned from cancer. There...
Facing uncertainty after thymoma treatment
I have found a lot of new normals after my thymoma diagnosis. There is the new normal of a few aches and pains, reminders of surgeries past...
Questions people ask about my thymoma
Finding out you have cancer brings so many questions to mind. Finding out you have a very rare cancer, like thymoma, brings even more -- and...
Thymoma patient on having a rare cancer
You see it all around you: pink ribbons, pink hats, pink T-shirts. You can buy pink bracelets, pink bookmarks and pink watches. When I was...
Thymoma patient: Advice for cancer patients who feel discouraged
Discouragement is one of those common experiences that we have all faced at some time or another. But when you're fighting cancer, discouragement...
Hair today, gone tomorrow: Losing my hair during thymoma treatment
Possibly one of the most concerning parts of cancer treatment is the idea of losing your hair. Talk about adding insult to injury. When I...
Thymoma patient: How the power of words helped me take back control
In January 2013, I was diagnosed with stage IV invasive thymoma. Never heard of it? Don't feel bad, no one else I know has either. In fact...