Life on the other side of a diagnosis
Breast cancer survivor Meghan McConville shares how she felt seen, heard, and understood by her care team at Mission Cancer + Blood, part of University of Iowa Health Care.
Being diagnosed with cancer fundamentally rocks you to your core. From the minute you hear the news, the only thing you want to hear is that it’s gone. I thought about my kids, my family, and what it would mean for all of us. I gave myself a moment, and then I said, “OK, now we just have to figure out how we’re going to solve this.”
When I met Dr. Hiatt and my care team at Mission Cancer + Blood, they immediately understood my life and my family. They walked me through everything in a way that was consumable, even when I didn’t know the right questions to ask.
I always felt like I had access to the care I needed. Everyone on my team was available to me. They even gave me their cell numbers to call at any time. They were empathetic, sincere, and incredibly responsive.
I worked through treatment, keeping life as normal as possible for my kids. My care team helped me navigate it in a way that allowed me to still show up where it mattered most. Having that level of care close to home, with the expertise and resources I needed, made everything feel more manageable. At the end of the day, my team helped me at every step of my breast cancer journey. They saved my life.
I’m excited to get back to the normal things, to plan vacations, and to watch my kids grow up. Cancer changes you, but there is life on the other side of a diagnosis.
Meghan McConville
Breast cancer survivor
Windsor Heights, Iowa
