Surgery: 1,095 Real Stories
1,095 stories match surgery. 777 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage II Breast Cancer: Elsa’s Patient Story
Elsa regularly examined her breasts and sought care after finding a small lump in her left breast and noticing changes in its size and shape. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. The news left her frightened, nervous, isolated, and powerless. Her…
Read this storyStage 0 Breast Cancer: Jacqueline’s Survivor Story
Jacqueline, 52, is from Ireland and was diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer after taking part in a sleep apnea study. A PET scan from the study picked up an abnormality. At first, she was told it was a papilloma cyst, but it turned out to be Stage 0 breast…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Martha’s Patient Story
Martha noticed bleeding from her nipple and sought medical attention. After obtaining a second opinion because she wanted clearer information, she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis left her fearful, helpless, and worried, even after…
Read this storyStage II Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Gordon’s Survivor Story
Gordon was diagnosed with Stage II colorectal adenocarcinoma in January 2022 after constipation and blood in his stool led to a home screening test and further evaluation. He underwent a partial colectomy. After surgery he was readmitted to hospital twice…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Anna’s Survivor Story
Anna, 51, noticed a lump and a change in the shape of one breast before being diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. The diagnosis brought fear, grief, isolation, and financial stress. Her first oncologist recommended lumpectomy, lymphadenectomy, chemotherapy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Cristina’s Patient Story
Cristina, 45, is a mother from Colombia who was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer after noticing subtle dimpling in the areola of her left breast. She initially paid little attention to the change because it was small and painless. A painful, swollen…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Sarah’s Survivor Story
Sarah was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2022 after a radiologist noticed a dark lump during a routine mammogram. The diagnosis brought anger, fear, helplessness and grief, and she responded by making changes to her diet and exercise routine. Her…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Diana’s Survivor Story
Diana was 40 when persistent pain in her right breast led her to feel a small lump. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and initially felt powerless, vulnerable and sad. Her doctors explained that treatment offered a chance of survival if the cancer…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Martha’s Patient Story
Martha noticed a highly visible mass in her right breast and was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. She sought a second opinion from a more experienced doctor and also researched her options before deciding on treatment. Following medical recommendations…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Valiente’s Patient Story
Valiente, a mother from Colombia, found a painless lump in her right breast. Evaluation by oncology and breast specialists, including MRI, confirmed Stage III breast cancer. The diagnosis led her to make major lifestyle changes, including exercising twice as…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Siti’s Patient Story
Siti was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and completed that treatment course by the end of 2018. She then continued regular follow-up from 2019. Later, she…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Eve’s Patient Story
Eve, 43, is a mother from Ireland who was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump in her breast. At first, she felt neutral about the diagnosis and did not seek a second opinion. She focused on changing her diet, aiming for healthier eating 3 to 5…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Ada’s Survivor Story
Ada was 50 when she faced stage 3 breast cancer after noticing breast lumps and pain in her armpits. The diagnosis brought feelings of helplessness, insecurity, grief and fear, but she chose to follow a broad treatment plan. Her care included a mastectomy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Liliana’s Patient Story
Liliana noticed a change in her nipple and a strong stabbing pain in her left breast. A preventive examination led to further evaluation, and a second opinion confirmed stage 2 breast cancer. Her doctor discussed a 90% five-year survival estimate. Liliana…
Read this storyStage 0 Breast Cancer: Moira’s Survivor Story
Moira, from New Zealand, had stage 0 breast cancer found through routine mammography in 2022. She had no symptoms, and the diagnosis surprised her because it was her second breast-cancer diagnosis, about 10 years after the first. Despite the shock, she felt…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Katie’s Survivor Story
Katie Robb Sewall was 27 when a double mastectomy in 2014 changed what she thought was stage 0 breast cancer into a Stage III diagnosis. Pathology showed the cancer had spread from the breast ducts into lymph nodes. Katie and her husband, Craig, had to move…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jacque’s Patient Story
Jacque, an academic advisor and mother of 2 grown children, found a hard, gritty, annoying lump under her left arm and breast in 2019. Her OB-GYN agreed it should be checked, but a mammogram and ultrasound were initially reassuring, and the radiologist told…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Daniel’s Patient Story
Daniel ‘Joe’ Einspahr noticed a persistent sensation of hunger in 2018 that did not improve after eating. An endoscopy showed stomach cancer, interrupting a multi-year cross-country bicycle trip he had been completing with his son. Joe received 3 rounds of…
Read this storyBRCA Breast Cancer: Christie’s Patient Story
Christie Siebel learned through genetic testing that she carried a BRCA mutation after breast cancer had affected other members of her family. At age 30, shortly after the birth of her daughter, she noticed a breast lump while breastfeeding. A biopsy showed…
Read this storyBRCA Ovarian Cancer: Christie’s Patient Story
Christie Siebel already knew she carried a BRCA mutation and had previously been treated for triple-negative breast cancer. She had been considering preventive gynecologic surgery when her care team found a complex ovarian cyst. In early March 2020, Christie…
Read this storyStage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Abby’s Survivor Story
Abby Kanarek was 60 when a backache led to an X-ray that showed a lung mass. Soon after, temporary leg numbness and loss of movement on the left side of her body sent her to emergency care, where scans found the lung mass plus a large brain tumor and 5…
Read this storyStage I Lung Cancer: Dave’s Survivor Story
Dave Bjork’s lung cancer was found in the late 1990s, when his doctor called and told him a tumor had been found. Even though the cancer was Stage I and localized, the diagnosis immediately made him think about dying, life insurance, his wife, and his…
Read this storyGastric Cancer Patient Story
Dan Kane’s sister was affected by gastric cancer within a family carrying hereditary stomach-cancer risk. She initially received advice to undergo only partial gastrectomy. The cancer later returned. She then underwent total gastrectomy, when the family…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Chad’s Patient Story
Chad White learned that he had hereditary stomach cancer and was strongly advised to have his stomach removed. He underwent total gastrectomy on January 25, 2010. Examination showed that cancer had already begun in the stomach wall. Adjusting to life without…
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