Cancer

I completed treatment for Stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer in June 2022. During my treatment, I developed tachycardia, a condition that caused my resting heart rate to be around 100 and could spike up 140.   In August 2022, my oncologist suggested we do a heart study. Two days later, I had a resting heart rate…

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2017. I had a complete hysterectomy followed by the standard six rounds of chemotherapy, after which I had no evidence of disease until February 2021 when I had a recurrence.   I had to undergo six more rounds of chemo, and I also participated in a trial, but…

I was receiving chemotherapy treatment for early-stage breast cancer in 2009 when I started having persistent chest pain. After several weeks of increasing pain, I called the oncology nurse practitioner, and she instructed me to get to the nearest emergency room.  I underwent a chest CT scan, which identified multiple blood clots in one of…

It all started when I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. I had an adverse reaction to the chemotherapy treatment, which caused bleeding ulcers to develop from my throat down my esophagus to the site where the cancer had been removed.   This landed me in the hospital for over five days. Because I had lost so…

In January 2020, seven days after getting married, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at 29. After six brutal months of chemotherapy, my cancer was in remission, and I was ready to return to “normal” life. Unfortunately, my health continued to worsen.   In December 2021, I had pain, swelling, and bulging veins in my right…

“I have shortness of breath.” This was the oft-repeated comment to each of my doctors. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2020. By August 2020, I had major surgery that included three surgeons: breast cancer surgeon, thoracic surgeon, and plastic surgeon. This was followed up by 30 rounds of radiation. I also complained…

I am writing this story in memory of my husband, Jon Charles Shain, who passed away due to blood clots on January 26, 2019. Jon’s risk for getting a blood clot was high, but unfortunately, he did not realize it. Jon was being treated for prostate cancer for several years. Cancer is a risk factor…

  This is my Dad’s story. His name was David Smith. My Dad died of a pulmonary embolism (lung clot) on October 24, 2012. He was only 63 years old. His sudden death has devastated our family and left us wishing we had been aware of the signs of pulmonary embolism (PE) and able to…

I had just completed the greatest of my 12 marathons, the NYC Marathon! What an experience! I had never had so much fun at a race and I was determined to return the following year! In addition to this huge achievement, I had just been promoted at work. I was now one of the few…