Surgery: 1,095 Real Stories
1,095 stories match surgery. 777 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage III Colorectal Cancer: Jessenia’s Patient Story
Jessenia was diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer at age 35 after years of symptoms she had linked to hemorrhoids after pregnancy. She had constipation, bloating, rectal bleeding, and severe pressure that eventually became so painful she could not sit. In…
Read this storyInvasive Lobular Carcinoma: Lori’s Survivor Story
Lori was 64 and living in Fairbanks, Alaska, when her lobular breast cancer was found through routine screening. A yearly mammogram in 2021 showed architectural distortion, and follow-up ultrasound in January 2022 found jagged edges on imaging. A February…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dee’s Patient Story
Dee Doherty was first diagnosed at age 31 with Stage III invasive ductal carcinoma and extensive DCIS in her left breast. Her early signs included trouble producing milk on the left side while breastfeeding, then breast pain and a growing lumpy area. Because…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Florence’s Patient Story
Florence was 40 and living in Nîmes when unusual fatigue, stomach pain, and shortness of breath led her to medical care. She was first diagnosed with pericarditis and treated in the hospital, but deeper testing found the cause: lung cancer. Telling her…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Lourdes’s Patient Story
Lourdes Monje was 25 when they noticed a new mass in their chest in October 2020. After an ultrasound, biopsy, and several scans, they were diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in January 2021. The diagnosis disrupted plans for a new career and brought…
Read this storyStage IV KRAS Breast Cancer: Lauren’s Patient Story
Lauren, from Houston, first found a breast lump in 2014 after breastfeeding her second child. It was initially dismissed as a fibroadenoma, but 2 years later she developed breast pain and noticed that her left nipple looked unusual. She was diagnosed with…
Read this storyStage IV KRAS Colorectal Cancer: Lauren’s Patient Story
Lauren Bimage was 29 when she first noticed a breast lump after breastfeeding. It was initially thought to be a fibroadenoma, but years later pain and nipple changes led to mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Alicia’s Patient Story
Alicia Blakey was being evaluated for a large fibroid when CT imaging unexpectedly showed a colon polyp. A follow-up colonoscopy found a tumor that could not be removed during the procedure. The next day, Alicia underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove part…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Stephanie’s Survivor Story
Stephanie was 32 when an emergency CT scan found a mass after about 2 years of stomach pain, bloating, fatigue and low iron. Her symptoms had repeatedly been attributed to diet, birth control or her age. By the time she reached hospital, the tumor was…
Read this storyStage 0 Colorectal Cancer: Tracy’s Survivor Story
Tracy Robert was diagnosed with low rectal/colorectal cancer after years of bowel changes, bloating, painful gas, and intermittent bright red blood that had been treated as hemorrhoids, IBS, or other benign problems. A colonoscopy finally found what was…
Read this storyStage III Lung Adenocarcinoma: Payton’s Survivor Story
Payton Gibbs was 26 and pregnant when symptoms that seemed like reflux, sleep apnea, or infection eventually led to a lung cancer diagnosis. For months, she had thick mucus and phlegm after meals and on waking, acid reflux, wheezing, and episodes of waking up…
Read this storyInvasive Lobular Carcinoma: Kristie’s Survivor Story
Kristie had worked in healthcare quality improvement and had always emphasized early screening. In June 2021, during a routine physical, she scheduled her annual mammogram for the next day. She expected another uneventful result, but a few days later she was…
Read this storyInflammatory Breast Cancer: Shirley’s Patient Story
Shirley Joseph was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in January 2024 after breast discomfort and swelling persisted despite antibiotics. The diagnosis arrived just as she and her partner, Mike, were preparing to open a salon, bringing work and music…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Paula’s Survivor Story
Paula Chambers Raney developed years of worsening colorectal symptoms before her cancer was found. She had painful gas, stomach irritation, changes in bowel habits, fatigue, weight loss, anemia, blood, constipation, diarrhea, and repeated visits where she was…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Krista’s Patient Story
Krista Brown’s breast cancer story began with her mother’s diagnosis. Her mother had Stage III breast cancer, initially tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2, and later learned she carried a pathogenic ATM mutation. After her mother shared that result, Krista…
Read this storyStage IV BRAF Colorectal Cancer: Sophie’s Survivor Story
Sophie was diagnosed with Stage IV bowel cancer in 2018 after nearly a year of unexplained symptoms. Vomiting, anemia, pain, diarrhea, and inability to keep food down were first investigated as possible Crohn’s disease. Colonoscopy, MRI, and CT then showed a…
Read this storyStage 0 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Erica’s Survivor Story
Erica was diagnosed with Stage 0 ductal carcinoma in situ in 2018 after about 10 years of close breast monitoring. Her mother had died of breast cancer more than 20 years earlier, and although Erica’s BRCA testing was negative, repeated mammograms…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Nick’s Patient Story
Nick Sprague, a firefighter and critical care paramedic, was diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma at age 48 after 1 to 2 years of bowel changes, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, reflux-like symptoms, and fatigue. An emergency visit first led to a…
Read this storyStage II Lung Cancer: Att’s Patient Story
Att Callahan was 70 when months of coughing, followed by coughing up blood, led to testing and a Stage IIB lung cancer diagnosis. She did not smoke, was not overweight, and considered herself healthy, so the diagnosis was confusing and frightening. At MD…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jessica’s Patient Story
Jessica, a pediatrician in Houston, was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma at 43. In early 2024, she had menstrual changes and left nipple pain, and her primary care doctor ordered blood work, a mammogram, and diagnostic ultrasound. A March 25…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Samantha’s Patient Story
Samantha was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer at 22 in March 2019 after pain in her left breast led her to feel a lump. Initial reassurance and antibiotics did not help. A biopsy confirmed breast cancer, and her surgeon also biopsied a suspicious lymph…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Jay’s Patient Story
Jay Reese was 36 in 1987 when abdominal pain, bloody stool, and edema led to a colon cancer diagnosis. He underwent surgery, followed by 6 weeks of radiation and 1 year of chemotherapy. After treatment, he had annual colonoscopies and went nearly 25 years…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Elizabeth’s Survivor Story
Elizabeth Wachsberg was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer on March 14, 2019, after years of stomach issues that had been labeled IBS or bacterial overgrowth. In early March 2019, she developed worsening left-sided pain, nausea, and very high inflammation…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Kelsey’s Patient Story
Kelsey Harrison was diagnosed with Stage II estrogen-positive breast cancer at age 27 after noticing a tender lump during a yoga session. Imaging showed a large tumor, about 5 cm, and abnormal lymph nodes. She had no known family history or genetic…
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