'I have cancer. Cancer does not have me.'
West Des Moines resident Amy Randall reflects on her breast cancer journey with Mission Cancer + Blood, part of University of Iowa Health Care.
When I first received my cancer diagnosis of metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma in March 2025, I was in shock. I remember thinking, what do I do now? I googled my results and thought I was going to die. But I made a decision quickly — I was not going to look at my chart anymore. No more googling. I had too much going on and needed to put a brave face on for my daughter.
No one tells you that in the beginning, you’re just sitting and waiting. You don’t know what your life is going to look like next year. It’s the hardest part.
When I met Dr. Harichand at Mission Cancer + Blood, everything shifted. I trusted her immediately. She made me feel protected and like I didn’t need to have all the answers. I trusted her through the whole process.
My care team at Mission made everything work around my life as a busy, full-time working mom. Once things got rolling, it wasn’t bad; I knew I wasn’t going to let my life live without me. The infusion clinic was amazing. It sounds weird to say because you’re there for chemotherapy, but it was a really comfortable environment. Even though I was only there every few weeks, they would come around the corner with a welcoming hello. I trusted everyone there.
Early on, I had considered going to Iowa City for care but really didn’t want to travel almost two hours away. When Mission became a part of UI Health Care, I felt like it was the best of both worlds because we had all of the research and specialists at UI Health Care available if we needed them, but I got to stay home for my care.
Being able to get treatment close to home was so important to me, especially on the hard days.
If I needed something, my family could be there in 10 minutes.
I think so many people think about cancer as being sad and alone. It doesn’t have to be like that.
It wasn’t that way for me. I wasn’t going to let cancer win anything in my life. My daily motto became: I have cancer. Cancer does not have me.
Amy Randall
Breast cancer survivor
West Des Moines, Iowa
