Advocating for Myself
Reading Time: 2 minutes As a stage 3A melanoma skin cancer survivor, I’ve learned valuable lessons about self-advocacy during my journey. Looking back, there are two critical points that underscore the importance of advocating
Tag: Diagnosis
Battling Cancer
Reading Time: 3 minutes No 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
Cancer Takes A Village
Reading Time: 3 minutes My 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 minutes Trigger 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 minutes I’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,
When I Finally Felt Free
Reading Time: 3 minutes I can remember the chill that ran down my spine. The tingle of antiseptic in my nose, and the throbbing burn running down my leg from surgical wounds. They had
Not Every Victory is A Total Win
Reading Time: 2 minutes In September of 2013 I had begun noticing some concerning symptoms and during a trip seeking a 2nd opinion at Dana Farber in Boston, one of the nurses asked if
My CancerCon Experience
Reading Time: 2 minutes The thought of traveling across the country to meet a bunch of strangers just seemed so out of my capabilities. I have been tied to doctors appointments and machines for
A TRIP I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER!
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cancer Con 2022. Wow! What can I say?! A WHOLE LOT. This was such an amazing opportunity and truly an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.
Cancer Again?!?
Reading Time: 4 minutes When I was 26, on December 1st, 2017, I was first diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. To say that my body didn’t react to treatment well is