Q: When was your diagnosis
A: I received my diagnosis in Sept. 2022 and underwent surgery in October to remove the tumors. Thankfully, the margins were clear, which means the surgeon removed all of the tumors. I started five months of chemo in December, which lasted until the end of April 2023, and that was followed by radiation in May 2023 and continued until early July 2023.
Q: What was the most challenging part of your treatment—physically, mentally, or emotionally?
A: Chemo sucked! At my first chemo infusion the nurse had to put on a hazmat suit to give me chemo. I mean, this stuff (it’s called the Red Devil) is going directly into my veins and she was wearing a hazmat suit. My treatment plan called for four of those infusions.
I also did not like when water tasted terrible. Among other things, chemo destroys your taste buds so food was very bland. I really didn’t like losing my hair; I especially didn’t like losing my eyebrows. In the beginning, not having hair was a tough experience. Thankfully it got easier to live with.
I ended up wearing hats because it was wintertime. I tried a wig but ended up not liking it at all. Over the last few years, it’s been growing back and is finally pretty close to how I looked pre-cancer.
Q: How has your perspective on life, your goals, or your priorities changed since completing your treatment and becoming a survivor?
A: I don’t sweat as much of the small stuff anymore. Before the diagnosis, I would complain about certain things a lot more. Now they seem trivial. Who cares – let it go.
