Growing up in Texas, living in Houston and having several family members who’d battled cancer, I was very aware of MD Anderson and its reputation. So when I found out I had breast cancer in 2013, I was relieved to learn it could be treated near my home, at MD Anderson in The Woodlands.

As people often do with big events, I can still remember the details vividly. It was around midnight, and my husband and kids were asleep. I’d just...