This Christmas, I'm thanking my cancer care team
The holiday season feels different this year.
For most American families, the holidays are often a time of gratitude and reflection on the things that really matter. In the past, my answer to the question of “What are you thankful for?” consisted of something like family, friends and a successful career. These are all still true – but my cancer fight over the past year has impacted my answer in more ways than one.
When I discovered a lump on my breast during a self-examination last August, I didn’t know what the future would hold. As other people with cancer know, things move quickly after the initial discovery. After a series of medical investigations, I received a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), Stage 3B. This led to a mastectomy and five weeks of radiation. But it wasn’t enough.
This cancer is aggressive and can spread quickly, so my Mission doctors recommended a clinical trial, and I am currently undergoing a second phase of chemotherapy as a part of this trial.
So, this year as I reflect on all I’ve gone through, I am deeply thankful for my dedicated cancer care team who have been by my side every step of the way.
Having Dr. Seema Harichand and the Mission oncologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and staff of Mission Cancer + Blood (which is now a part of UI Health Care) caring for me close to home has helped me continue to live fully and embrace each moment throughout this process. And I am grateful that Mission’s connection to UI Health Care means that I, too, have access to the expertise and cutting-edge treatment that comes with a National Cancer Institute designation.
