Shari

Shari IATMs photo.jpg

“I am nervous, apprehensive, and scared. I am also strong and determined.”

I had colorectal cancer last year. I had surgery that failed and ended up with a permanent colostomy, peritonitis, MRSA, and sepsis. It was a tough year and a long recovery. I recently had hernia repair and abdominal reconstruction. The doctor saw something by my sacrum, so I had a PET scan, which led to biopsies. The cancer had returned in the soft tissue next to my sacrum and there is a small tumor in the liver. Being told you have metastatic cancer is devastating.

I start chemo and antibody therapy on Tuesday. I am nervous, apprehensive, and scared. I am also strong and determined.

 
 
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Mamie
Metathriver
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Mamie
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I have been in treatment since 2013. In 2012, I had cervical cancer and had a total Hysterectomy. I was misdiagnosed and told the lump in my breast was calcium and the size of a pea. In 2013, it was taken out. It was the size of a baseball - stage 3.

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Elka
Metathriver
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Elka
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I was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic transitional cell collecting duct cancer (renal) in 2013. I have been forced to continue working for employers with adverse cultures and aspirations to my own as a result of the fear of being left without continued choice of treatment which comes with insurance only offered by group plans, and being able to seek treatment at the facilities of my choosing.

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Danielle
Metathriver
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Danielle
Metathriver
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Life isn't easy by any means. I used to be a girl that would run constantly, have so much energy, but that has changed!

Metathriver
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Maura .jpg
Metathriver
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Maura
Metathriver
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It's so strange how time can go so slowly and fly by at the same time. I got my metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in December of 2009, almost 12 years ago. I have had no evidence of disease for ten years.

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Rebecca
Metathriver, Cancer Survivor
California
Rebecca
Metathriver, Cancer Survivor
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The word metastatic first came into my vernacular June 18, 2013. Well actually, I was told at that moment I would be lucky if it wasn't at least stage two. A month later I found out after scans it was stage 4 from the very beginning.

Metathriver, Cancer Survivor
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Noelia
Loved One
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Noelia
Loved One
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My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer initially in 2019, had surgery in January 2020, went through chemo and was in remission. Then, when he had a routine CAT scan, they told us he had a spot in his liver. He had the PET scan and it showed stage 4 liver cancer.

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Frank
Metathriver
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Frank
Metathriver
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For me, it has taken a team of amazing doctors, each with different specialties. Primary Physician (Internal Medicine) who detected my elevated PSA at 141.

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Jerry
Metathriver, Loved One
Washington
Jerry
Metathriver, Loved One
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In 2020, my warrior husband, Jerry Kester, was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer.

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Rachel
Metathriver
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Rachel
Metathriver
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At the age of 28 in 2018, I was given the unthinkable news.

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MetathriverGuest UserMaryland