Category: Stories of Hope

Stories of Hope are personal testimonials from clients about their cancer journey. These posts will show on the Share Your Story page and the Stories of Hope homepage slider.

Pastor Soto’s Story

Pastor Soto’s Story of Hope Transcript:

The way I learned that I had cancer was because on Christmas day, we had supper, and after that, I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t go to the restroom.

On the 27th, I felt really bad. I told my wife, take me to the hospital. And when I got admitted there, I thought it was my stomach.

The doctor comes out, and my wife is there with me, and he came out and said, “Mr. Soto, the masses we found are malignant. You’re stage four cancer. It’s metastasized. It went from your colon to your liver and now it’s in your lungs, and you got six months to live.” He just bluntly said it like that.

Not being able to drive, not having that independence, it’s very difficult. Through everything I’ve been through, I actually have valued my wife. When I first got diagnosed, people told her, quit your job. You know, give him a hundred percent of your time.

She’s like, I can’t. Maybe family members or friends can come help me, but I need to maintain my income – this income that helps us.

Also, the hardest part for me, I think looking back, was when she’d go – when she’d go buy groceries I was always the one that took the bags. I was the one that went with her and never let her carry anything. Not because she couldn’t, but that was me.

This was why to see her struggling with the bags, and I couldn’t even help her; that was hard for me. To see her clean the house, and I couldn’t even get up to help her. To see her cook, and I couldn’t even get up that I was shaking so much. I was so cold. And to see them look at me like, ah, he might be gone. I was fighting inside going, this is not it. I’m not leaving like this.

It changes everything. Your perspective, your ego, you become more humble. You become more sensitive to other people.

Before I got cancer, I never knew who Cancer Care was. It was not just paying for my medications, but it was more about embracing you and saying,” Hey, you’re not alone. I’m not just here to provide services. We’re here to tell you if you need anything, we’re here for you.” I can actually say that when I most needed it, that’s when you all were there.

But it got to the point where I started feeling much better where I could now cook for myself. The neuropathy became less. The church people would come and bring us food. When I started feeling that instead of taking advantage of the services, somebody else might need it more than I do.

And when I would go to oncology, and I knew these people didn’t even have to pay for their colostomy bags, and they didn’t have the resources. They didn’t have any family; they didn’t have a church family or anything. I thought, nah, I can’t be selfish. I gotta let go of what has been good for me, but now somebody else might benefit more, so I would tell them about Cancer Care.

That made me feel bad, but now I was giving back somehow. That is my goal before I leave, and I could be here six months, I could be here a year, I could be here 10 years, but till my last breath, I will always be there to help somebody.

You all were the ones that made me realize you can’t be prideful. You cannot just be a giver. You sometimes gotta receive because the Bible says it’s better to give than to receive, but there’s times you’re gonna have to. And that humbled me. It really did.

Once I’m okay, maybe I could pay it back. That’s why I’m doing this video. This is my way of payback because I want everybody to know that they’re not alone.

Crystal and Carvel’s Story

Crystal and Carvel’s Story of Hope Transcript

Crystal (00:13)

I was having mammograms every six months, and I say, about a year and a half later they told me that it had changed, and I got a biopsy done. And that’s when I found out I had cancer.

Carvel (00:27)

What’s gonna happen to my mother? My mom is my whole world. It was a hard conversation. And right then and there is when I decided I needed to take on more responsibility.

Crystal (01:06)

Going through cancer treatment. It, it negatively affected Carvel the most because he’s the oldest, and he understood what was going on.

You know, when you’re going through cancer, you’re not going through it alone. The people who are there and care for you, they’re going through it with you.

He had to learn how to do hair for his little sister. It looked crazy, but it was done. And he had to help take his autistic brother to therapy. He had to step in and shoot basically grow up.

Carvel (01:08)

It never felt like a job to me.

Crystal (01:12)

He’s just a – he’s an amazing human being

Carvel (01:35)

Going through this before Cancer Care and not knowing anyone who dealt with cancer care or treatments. So I was depressed. My mom was depressed. We were – we felt very alone and isolated from everyone else. We felt like we weren’t normal. We felt like we were dealing with something that only we were dealing with.

Crystal (02:00)

I didn’t know basically what the Cancer Care services were. It’s nice because with everything going on, the appointments, the medications, the chemo, radiation, just everything you’re going through during the time of treatment, you’re constantly at doctor’s appointments. Then when you go home, you have work to do at home, you know?

Carvel (02:15)

Yeah. It caused a lot of stress for me. And when I was stressed, it caused stress for my mother. So, I had to seek help. And that’s when she told me about, um, Cancer Care and I was like, let’s do it. Let’s take that step.

Crystal (02:32)

If you need any help with any type of prescriptions or if you are behind on a bill, hey, we have emergency funds to assist with that and so it is very helpful when you have someone there to help you navigate through everything.

Carvel (03:20)

Well, my experience as a Camper, it was actually like a bright moment. I would say. It was like a breath of relief because when I was able to share my moments with other people who also went through it at CampCARE, I was like, I’m not alone in this.

Cancer Care is a great big family. That night away, that was like a night where I didn’t have any stress. I didn’t have to think about work. I didn’t have to think about prescriptions, and I didn’t have to think about treatment. I was just purely having fun for one night. And Cancer Care can take that load off my back.

You don’t have to deal with this alone. You can come over with us, me and my mom, and we can go over to Cancer Care together, and we can get the help that you need.

Cancer Care is gonna be there every single step of the way, and we will too ’cause we’re part of Cancer Care now.

Kayla’s Story

Kayla’s Story of Hope Transcript:

Being a cancer patient, it’s cancer 24/7 because even if you’re feeling good, you’re thinking about it. It’s in your head, you know; it’s in your spirit.

Before cancer, my life was like– pretty much busy. I had my three little kids and my husband. I did notice I was tired all the time, and I suffered a lot from fibromyalgia, so I thought– in this neck area. So, my life was really being impacted before, and I didn’t know it.

I was actually sick with COVID, and I was taking a little bit longer to recover. I was having breathing problems, so we ended up going to the Emergency. When they did the scan of my chest, they did notice a mass higher up in my throat.

And so the doctor was pretty sure that it was only going to be a two-hour surgery. My surgery ended up being 6.5 hours. He knew right away that it was for sure cancer.

When I woke up from surgery, them being like, “Okay, well, you had cancer, but now you don’t,” it was just a rush of emotions because I didn’t know whether to be sad or scared or okay, now relieved because, well, it’s out now! So, it was just a lot to take in.

I think I actually found Cancer Care online. I ended up calling and immediately got connected to a social worker. Usually, you call when you need help anywhere, and, you know, you’re on a waitlist, or you’ve got to wait a while, or apply and all this. Cancer Care was on it and was like, “Yes, we can help you with this, this, this, this, so it all just moved really quickly.

The overall best help was counseling! And then my husband was able to get counseling, which, first of all, was amazing because I think the whole “cancer” thing affected him more than it affected me. He was able to get that counseling after hours.

As a mother, I don’t want to be crying at home or angry at home, you know, where the kids could see, so Cancer Care really provides that safe space where you can just talk about whatever is going on.

Everybody has different cancers, and everybody’s affected in different ways, but at the same time, it’s really relatable, and you understand each other and what you’re going through. Almost exactly to the year, I had another CT scan, and they found a mass again.

They were pretty for sure it was cancerous since I had just had it the year before. To be honest, I got in my van, and I let it out. I bawled my eyes out, I cried, had a chat with God. And mainly because the first time, I didn’t do that. I had more time to process it.

Cancer Care is absolutely phenomenal. It’s been a real blessing to not only me but to my husband and my children. It’s been an absolute necessity for me to be able to go through this.

Transcribed by: Kirbi T.

Erica and Chris’s Story

Erica and Chris’s Story of Hope Transcript:

Erica (1:34)

Before our son’s cancer diagnosis, we were just a regular young family. Two kids – our daughter was one and a half, almost two, something like that. I was a teacher, he was a lawyer, so we were just average people.

In a matter of half a day, everything about your life is different. Aiden’s diagnosis came the week that he turned five, so it was five days before his fifth birthday. We noticed some small bruises on him, and the thing that I really noticed, that I thought was strange, was this rash.

So we went to our local hospital, and by that evening, by dinnertime, we were flown to Cook Children’s and had a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL. It’s one of the most common childhood cancers, and then about a week later, we found out he got the “extra” version, which is called Philadelphia Positive ALL.

What we had been told about how easy leukemia was to treat was all out the window after that. So we went from living in San Angelo, and by the end of the day, it was a Monday, by the end of that day, we were separated. And that lasted for ten and a half months, we were separated the first time.

And since then, Aiden has just– we’ve learned that his disease is very aggressive and very hard to treat, and it’s been treatment to relapse, to treatment to relapse.

Chris (1:49)

I believe it was the hospital that gave us the booklet of “You have no idea what’s going on or what you’re doing, and life is crazy”, so here is some resources to help you, and Cancer Care’s services was one of those.

Erica (2:07)

I think, generally, when you reach out to any of these foundations that help with cancer, it’s generally financial assistance, so I think that was our initial expectation. But what we have learned about Cancer Care since we’ve relocated to this area is they actually provide a lot more services than just financial assistance.

Chris (2:27)

Like with our family, Ella’s been receiving therapy there, Aiden’s sister. And just recently, Cancer Care was able to hire a new therapist, which has been a way that Erica’s been able to go and get services there, too. So as Cancer Care grows, then they’re just able to do more and more.

Erica (2:36)

Our kids just got to go to camp this summer, and it was their first time to do anything like that. So they got to go fishing and swimming, and they absolutely loved that.

Chris (2:44)

But to have him away from us all day, you know, he takes a lot of work and a lot of medicines, and, you know, a lot of upkeep.

Erica (3:10)

Dropping him off for all-day camp was a milestone for sure.

I think it would definitely be detrimental to the community to lose access to Cancer Care Services because it is so comprehensive and well-rounded, and it’s access to the whole family, not just the patient, which is so important with a diagnosis like this because it’s just not the patient who’s sick; it’s the whole family.

Chris (3:18)

Hopefully, one day, this is all just a memory that’s in our past and behind us.

Transcribed by: Kirbi T.

From Caregiver to Cancer Patient…

Erica and Chris hoped this would be the extent of their family’s cancer journey. But unfortunately, it wasn’t. Erica was later diagnosed with breast cancer – throwing her family back into the chaos, and loneliness, of cancer.“As a mom, we have other women we can ask about diaper cream, sleep training, and rashes. That amount of support evaporates overnight with a child’s cancer diagnosis… and even my own. There is no park bench full of other moms who understand the strain of caring for a child with cancer. Cancer Care provides that support.” – Erica, Cancer Patient & CaregiverWhile a cancer diagnosis is typically isolating, Erica did not have to face the challenges of cancer alone. Cancer Care’s social work team became Erica’s steadfast “park bench” of support as she navigated cancer as a caregiver and patient.

How the Cancer Care Team Brings Help & Hope

How the Cancer Care Team Brings Help & Hope Transcript:

The Cancer Care team was asked how they have provided help and hope to our clients. Here is what they said…

Carlene:

I was able to assist by making sure that our client was able to reach all of his treatment and doctor’s appointments through transportation assistance. And after six weeks he was able to ring that bell for the last time.

Christi:

I had a cancer patient who canceled all his appointments after finding out what his total cost was going to be. And so I was able to help find a lot of resources to cover those medical expenses so that he was comfortable rescheduling his cancer treatment and without accumulating as much debt as he would have had.

Megan H:

Last week when I got to sit with a father who had just lost his wife and he got to honor her memory by really conveying to the team how important she was.

Shawn:

This week I helped a caregiver who lives out of state get their elderly father to Multiple Myeloma treatments at a dialysis center here in Fort Worth.

Kelly:

It’s a pleasure to help Hispanic families affected with cancer with our services.

Megan C:

Getting to be the Camp Director and share these special memories with these kids and help them reduce their fear and anxiety of cancer is very impactful and very special.

James:

I was in a grocery store recently and overheard a conversation with someone that was recently impacted by cancer and I was able to provide the referral form and get them signed up and get them connected with Cancer Care.

Tamika:

A client reached out to me because he was having a hard time navigating his insurance. I stood in as a Financial Navigator and made sure that he was able to maintain his insurance so he could continue his cancer treatments.

Caryn:

I strive to calm our patients’ fears about eating and nutrition which empowers that patient to look at food as a way to deal with symptoms from cancer treatment or even as a way to reduce the risk of future disease.

Joy:

I’m grateful to offer a different perspective to clients who may otherwise not see a different alternative to their situation such as offering car payment assistance resources or rent assistance resources when they may not know where else to turn to.

Transcribed by: Marilyn Kepner

Darion’s Story

Darion’s Story of Hope Transcript:

My diagnosis with cancer was a big shock cause actually I was preparing to go on a cruise. So, I went on and went to this health club and they did a lab work on me. And they took three samples, and the first two came out really good. Then that third one, my doctor just said, “Your white blood cells are going off the chart here. We need to go and look at this further.” And that was pretty much when that happened with the cancer.

The young lady that I took to my 1978 prom, we were at Texas Oncology and we kept staring at each other, but not staring at each other cause we kinda knew who we were, but we didn’t know. And come find out, that was my friend, Ms. Eunice Baker. She introduced me to the Cancer Care, and it was so many other areas of that–that– that really just reached out with me.

Cancer Care has a Perry Mason, it’s in the body of Ms. Tamika. And she would sit back there and just dissect everything. She’d say, “Mr. Fields let me see your bills and this right here.” And it comes up that she navigated this whole system to where they actually found faults, the insurance. And I was actually almost like paying three policies.

She said, “Well this needs to be taken care of immediately. He’s not being able to get his insurance. He’s not being able to get prescriptions. And he has a daughter that is not covered because of the, you know, the neglect of what’s going on here.” But she was really great and looking at what I was going through personally with finances, something that I could get and have that would be affordable.

Everybody is friendly, and the first thing they say is, “How are you doing Mr. Fields? How was that weekend, or how was the holiday?” There was a couple of times I had to say I was pretty much homeless, and they went to bat. I mean, they came up and got me shelter and lots of things like that. I mean, things that you don’t even think about asking, they seemed like well, we need to check because if he–does he have food? Is he okay? What’s going on with his doctors? Are you staying in contact?

I really think it’s more than medicine when you’re on the road to recovering from cancer, and Cancer Care is a big part of that.

Hope, in my opinion, is when you have a great family, and I call Cancer Care my family.

Transcribed by: Christina R.

Mariel and Joey’s Story

Mariel and Joey’s Story of Hope Transcript:

Mariel (00:02:31)

So, on October the 12th, we went into the ER with Lucy, had a high fever for three days. She had been in– we had seen her pediatrician the day before and actually got a blood test. She was complaining about not being able to stand very long or walk very far. And within an hour of being at the Cook ER, they had the results from the blood test the day before.

Joey (03:03)

The attending physician comes in and tells us that the oncologist is coming to see us because our three-year-old daughter has cancer, has leukemia. And he wanted to let us know before the oncologist came, to give us a little heads up. That was very nice of him to do. When cancer came into our lives, everything shifted. I had just started a brand-new job, but Mariel’s role was to be caretaker, and it was very difficult, and she had to completely stop her business. That was very hard too, just saying the words that we couldn’t take new business because our daughter had cancer. It was scary.

So, while we’re in the hospital, a few days after diagnosis and treatment has already started, we get a packet. Probably about halfway through that packet was a service through Cancer Care for prescription medicine reimbursement program. And from there, it started our relationship with Cancer Care.

Mariel (04:21)

We were met with just so much warmth. We knew it was a great fit for us and for our family. We just immediately felt connected with everybody there at Cancer Care.

Joey (04:32)

And also, they were very interested in Leo, Lucy’s at the time five-year-old brother, to help him in the process as well. And that was very important to us because we were spending so much time with Lucy in the hospital that we were starting– we were very worried about our five-year-old and how he was processing the events. So, that was a big, big plus for us.

Mariel (04:58)

I don’t know that there’s anything out there that is as inclusive from both a standpoint of the range of offerings that they have. Those one-hour windows where the kids were at play therapy were definitely the only hour that I had away, literally, from Lucy. I would try to cram as much as I could, or I would chat with Rhea about life and just have an outlet and just a little bit of a boost. So, as much as those play therapy times were great for the kids, it was a good little breath of fresh air for me as well.

Joey (05:41)

So, hope to us is belief that tomorrow is gonna be better. And that’s easier said than done most days. We’ve had some really hard days, and finding hope was hard.

Transcribed by: Christina R.

Jess and Mike’s Story

Jess and Mike’s Story of Hope Transcript:

Mike

Life before Jessica’s diagnosis was very free for us in that we enjoyed traveling and planning where we’re going next. We had just come back from a trip from Ireland.

Jessica

I thought I hurt my back. My back pain continued to get worse. I went and saw a physical therapist. So, he did the scan, and it was showing a tumor was crushing my vertebrae. During those scans, I was trying to get up off of the scan bed to get repositioned, and I didn’t know at the time, but something snapped, and my vertebrae broke, and I couldn’t walk.

Mike

You know, as a husband, watching your wife go through this is very difficult. You know, you see her go from a full-time active nurse, rambunctious, and ready to go on trips to just very physically unable. And, you know, it’s hard.

Jessica

We lost a lot of our, at the time, close friends because they didn’t know what to say, they didn’t understand it. So, it was easier to kinda step back than be involved in the tough, hard discussions. But I remember someone, she was a nurse navigator, and she reached out to me, and she ended up letting me know about a young adult support group. And that’s where that I started finding out more programs and about Cancer Care Services and what they were doing for cancer patients and survivors.

The main experience I think of is when we went to the retreat in April of 2021. We just got so much enjoyment out of it and it kinda made you forget about a lot of the doctor’s appointments and things at that time. You just kinda go to experience new things and enjoy yourself.

Mike

Jessica was just finally starting to get to where, you know, we were going on walks again and stuff. We go to this retreat, and they split ya into different groups. And it’s okay, you know, we’re gonna go ahead and climb this 30-foot pole first. Let’s just get this day going. In my mind–well both of our minds, we were like this will be good to at least get, at minimum, a few steps in and kinda figure out like hey, see where my limits are, you know.

So, I go up first. I am waiting on the platform for her, and she starts. I’m watching, and I’m like, oh that’s cool she’s starting to go up, and then, then, she gets to the top of the pole. And I lost it. It’s just– from going from a person I’ve had to place in the shower to being able to climb this thing and go across and do all this. I mean, it was one the greatest moments of my life that I got to experience was watching her do it.

Jessica

Cancer Care Services represents exactly what their name says. I’ve met some very wonderful people. It’s not even just a working relationship, I mean, there’s a friendship that’s came out of it. They truly do care about their client.

Mike

That’s more of a blessing than I think some people could even ever realize. It’s just being there and caring. So, keep doing what you’re doing. Thank you.

Transcribed by: Christina R.

Ashley’s Story

Stories of Hope: Ashley’s Story

I guess I will start the story of my cancer journey at the beginning. It was about a year ago, in September. I was the healthiest I have ever been – going to the gym every day, eating right, doing all the good stuff. One night while I was cooking dinner, I noticed a knot about the size of a ping pong ball by my collar bone and mentioned it to my fiancé. He could see it too. I made a telehealth doctor appointment and was told it was most likely allergies and to take Zyrtec.

It didn’t go away, so I went to urgent care and then my primary care doctor, who both also told me it was allergies. I had a regular OB/Gyn checkup appointment, and since three doctors had already told me it was just allergies, I had to work up the courage to mention the knot to the doctor. She sent off blood work that came back ‘funky’ and connected me to a surgeon. This led to a biopsy and referral to an oncologist, who diagnosed and staged my cancer as Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, bulky.

I was angry and scared after my diagnosis. I asked myself why I had wasted my time trying to be healthy and what good had I done by eating right instead of eating what I wanted. I thought I was a good person and wondered what I had done wrong to deserve cancer. I also was surprised at all the buildup before treatment actually started. I thought that treatment would start right after diagnosis, but I had a lot to learn. I had no idea what a ‘port’ was or how chemo might affect my fertility.

Finally, chemo started, and I waited to get really sick. I wasn’t – just really tired. It wasn’t all that bad but did get worse as it went on. I wish they had told me not to eat my favorite foods during treatment because now I don’t want to even see them anymore. There were bad side effects to the steroids, and I had radiation after the chemo. We were also house hunting during all this and had to decide whether to keep looking for a house. We decided to keep pushing forward and figure it out as we went rather than let cancer end my world.

“We decided to keep pushing forward and figure it out as we went rather than let cancer end my world.”

After treatment, my scans showed me to be cancer-free – no evidence of disease in my body. The doctors don’t say ‘cancer-free’ or ‘cured’ because it can come back, but I call myself ‘cancer-free.’ It seems like much longer than a year ago this all started, and I have felt out of control. I felt like a burden and was in a really dark place.

I can’t really say I am grateful for having cancer, but I am grateful for all I have learned and all the support I have received. I always had the same nurses for my treatments, and they were great. I have also had the support of Cancer Care Services. They were always warm and welcoming.

Even though most of the Cancer Care programs and activities had to be virtual due to Covid, I was able to participate in support groups and activities with people in my own age group (most of the people I met at treatment were 20, 30, 40 years older than me). Cancer Care made the Zoom meetings so much fun, and we were able to do outside yoga face-to-face and a painting class.

My fiancé did some of the things with me, and he appreciated being able to spend the time together. I know how much the support I received helped me, and now I want to use what I have learned to help others – especially people in my age group because there aren’t many of us.

I am grateful to be healthy again and to look at myself in the mirror and see me. I am the same person, but I do think more about what I think of myself instead of what others may think of me. I didn’t believe I would ever be in a place like this – where I would want to help others without feeling sorry for myself or angry, but I am! I want to give other people grace now that I can.

Transcribed by Jane Melms from Ashley’s video interview in September 2021.

You can support cancer survivors like Ashley through our monthly giving club- The Hope Collective – for just $25 a month! As a Hope Collective member, you ensure that everyone gets the help they deserve today.

Arvella’s Story

Arvella’s Story of Hope Transcript:

Casey Hill is the love of my life. We’ve been married for 31 years. Life was awesome. The last son was getting out of college. We thought we get to travel, we get to live, we get to do what we wanna do now. That semester he was to graduate, we found out Casey had cancer, and it totally flipped everything upside down in our lives.

I noticed him trying to get up he was gripping his chest and could barely move. So, we go to the emergency room, and the doctor comes out after they run the CT and says, “Well, the malignant tumor that is in your husband’s spine. We’re gonna go ahead and get him admitted and have oncology come down.” And I said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. We’re just in the emergency room for chest pain.” But it wasn’t a chest pain problem at all, it was the pain that was radiating from the malignant tumor that was in his spine. And we had no idea.

My struggle was trying to find someone to talk to and trying to find some help for my family. You feel desolate. You feel alone when you are having to deal with being a caregiver and everything that’s around it. So, when a person is diagnosed with cancer, their fight is with cancer. But the people who care for them, their fight is everything around the cancer. And it is difficult.

When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, about three months later, my sister was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. And she passed away in June of 2013. During that weekend, because she died on my granddaughter’s birthday, then I had to go into I gotta drive my husband to Little Rock for a stem cell transplant. As well as plan funeral services, as well as still try to celebrate my grandbaby and make her smile. It was tough.

There’s a lady, Carlene King, and I called her, and I said, “Carlene, I don’t wanna do this. It’s too much for one human being,” and she said, “You can do this.” She said, “I’ve seen you fight through some things in this life that this is nothing. You and God got this.” The strength of listening to someone say, ‘You can do this’ helped. And I know I can get that here at Cancer Care Services.

Transcribed by: Christina R.