Courage Through Adversity

Cancer. It’s the most feared word that a doctor could ever utter. It is one thing most people believe will never happen to them or their families. Unfortunately, this disease does not discriminate and can affect anyone despite their age, sex, or ethnicity. For anyone that receives this heart-stopping diagnosis numerous life changes will be required for proper treatment and care.  This disease has devastating effects on more than just those who are diagnosed; loved ones are also profoundly impacted.

I was fortunate to get to speak with someone who was hard hit by this disease and has stood by her mother during her diagnosis and treatment.
Her mother worked for years as a nurse even though she had a pre-existing condition of Fibromyalgia; a disease that causes severe and debilitating pain, she still continued to sustain a job and attempted to maintain a normal life.  She began to complain of odd pains but as any woman in her late 60’s and also a person living with fibromyalgia, pain is a part of every day life. However, when she began to forget segments of her day that affected her work, she promptly resigned and made an appointment with an oncologist.

The doctor used an ultrasound to examine the site of her pain and the results came back problematic.   The doctor had noticed several dark spots as well as an infection in her lymph nodes. A further biopsy and endoscopy were administered diagnosing her with stomach cancer and started her on gastric chemotherapy. During this treatment she suffered a severe allergic reaction and the doctors were forced to stop treatment. With this close call with death and an obvious misdiagnosis she sought out advice from a different physician.

This new doctor conducted a third biopsy revealing the correct diagnosis. The patient was suffering from stage IV terminal cancer, a melanoma in the stomach and lymph nodes. The prognosis for this is a 47% survival rate for two years. However, the fact that the treatment is so new is showing a good chance for years to come and gives hope to the family about years to come instead of the uncertainty of the future.

She is currently going under immunotherapy and responding to treatment well.

What has happened to this family and many others is tragic, however this story and many alike have a lot to offer to others. Don’t ignore symptoms, err on the side of caution, and go to the doctor to seek advice and care. The earlier cancer is detected the better chance a person has at responding to treatment and being sent into remission.

Tragic events unfold around us every day. The future is unpredictable and inevitable; no one knows what tomorrow is going to be.  I had the opportunity to speak with a family member who was experiencing this tragedy first hand, but despite the adversity she had witnessed and gone through she has been to show the courage to be able to maintain a job and teach. She has been able to inspire me to persevere through the most difficult of times by her example.