My road to MD Anderson for breast implant-associated large cell anaplastic lymphoma treatment (BIA-ALCL) had lots of ups and downs. And, honestly, there were mostly downs before I arrived at MD Anderson: a misdiagnosis, an ICU stay for septic shock, a few periods of watching and waiting in which the cancer grew.

Eventually, I decided to seek care at MD Anderson and spoke to plastic surgeon Mark Clemens, M.D., one of the world’s...