Moving forward with an open mind and an open heart

When I first started feeling a little off in 2023, I didn’t really think it could be a health issue. I dismissed warning signs, believing as a busy working mom in her 40’s, my body was changing and this was just a “new normal.” When I finally decided to see a doctor, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. That diagnosis led to a colonoscopy, which led to a Stage 1 colon cancer diagnosis in April 2024.

Fast forward to August, when my gynecologist discovered two lumps in my breasts that I hadn’t noticed before. Then came my second diagnosis – bilateral ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

When I first got that call, I freaked out. I was so frustrated and so mad. I felt like my body had just betrayed me. Getting a second cancer diagnosis in the same year was devastating, and I was scared it had spread everywhere. Before I told my kids, I wanted to have a plan. I didn’t want to sit there and say, I don’t know. I needed to understand what we were dealing with and what came next.

When I met with Dr. Harichand and her team at Mission Cancer + Blood, we mapped out a plan I felt good about. Having that level of expertise close to home was huge. I didn’t have to travel hours to find the care I needed. I had access to advanced care, clinical insight, and the connection to University of Iowa Health Care right here.

In a time when everything felt hard, that made things feel manageable.