Five-time cancer survivor: Don’t put off checkups during COVID-19
I’ve been coming to MD Anderson for almost 11 years now, because I have a rare genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome. It puts me at much greater risk of developing many different types of cancer over my lifetime. I’m only 36 now, and I’ve already had five cancers: adrenal, breast, thyroid, melanoma and sarcoma.
Normally, I get my checkups at MD Anderson every three months, just to make sure nothing new has cropped up. My...
Li-Fraumeni syndrome led me to my life’s work
Genetic disorders can be really scary, but learning that I have one probably saved my life. It also led me to my current career. As a fundraiser...
Li-Fraumeni syndrome survivor: 'Don’t let cancer define you'
I had adrenal cancer as an infant in 1985, so the word ‘survivor’ has been part of my vocabulary my whole life. Even though I was too...
Wedding planning with cancer: A cancer-fighting bride's perspective
Many girls picture their wedding all the way down to the shoes.
I was never that girl. Yes, I wanted to marry the man of my dreams, but I never envisioned my wedding.
And I definitely didn't imagine I'd be planning a wedding while undergoing chemo.
"Challenges young adults should never have to face"
My husband, Joseph (JJ), and I met while working at a popular retail store when we were 21. (He was that...
Surprising strength: Insight from a five-time cancer survivor
On December 12, 2011, two weeks prior to my 25th birthday, I got a present I never wished for: "You have breast cancer."