Battling Cancer
Reading Time: 3 minutesNo chance I was expecting the words, “Nitya, these lesions in your abdomen seem like cancer masses,” when I went to the doctor for a stomach ache. Though I was
Tag: 20s
Surviving Cancer During the Time of Corona
Reading Time: 3 minutes2020 was by far the worst and scariest year of my life. We were all affected by it in some shape or form. While I understand that COVID put our
Cancer Takes A Village
Reading Time: 3 minutesMy name is Elena Del Carmen and I am a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma survivor. At the age of 25, in October 2020, between my son’s fourth birthday party and my daughter’s
Now I Know My IBC
Reading Time: 6 minutesTrigger warning: Suicidal Ideation “I’m sorry but this looks like stage III, Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).” Those were the words that sprung out of my doctor’s lips that ordinary November
Am I Struggling Enough?
Reading Time: 2 minutesI’m scared to share, because I don’t struggle enough…but maybe there are others who feel like an imposter as well. Back in 2019, I was finishing up college, waiting tables,
From Survivor to Inspiration: My Journey to Infinite Motiv
Reading Time: 3 minutesI never thought that one day I would be sharing a story like this, a story of resilience, survival, and transformation. Only a few years ago, I was living a
No Coincidences
Reading Time: 6 minutesMy journey with cancer began in 1993 at the age of 23 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. My first words after the initial diagnosis were : “Am I
From White Coat to Hospital Gown
Reading Time: 4 minutesThere was a little over a year left until I was to graduate as a doctor. I had made it this far, and any ill feelings were brushed off to
Cancer Survivorship and Disparities Among AYAs
Reading Time: 4 minutesI am an early-stage investigator in the Department of Health Disparities Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. I have been trained in the fields of psychology
The Chapter is Only Part of the Story
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf someone used a book as a metaphor to describe living with cancer and cancer survivorship, I think many adolescents and young adults (AYAs) would suspect the book is full