Tag: AYA

Ashley’s Story

Ashley's story tells of her experience with cancer.

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.

Ashley and Cory with their dogs.
Ashley and Cory with their dogs.

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.

Camp Gold 2022: Healing and Girl Power!

Camp Gold 2022 participants pose by the lake.

Young adult cancer patients and survivors had so much fun in the sun at Camp Gold 2022! This year was magical and full of girl power!

What is Camp Gold?

Camp Gold is an AYA (Young Adult & Adolescent) retreat hosted by Rutledge Cancer Foundation and Cancer Care Services at YMCA Camp Carter. Camp Gold promotes healing through camp activities like the challenge course, meditation, and games. The campers often forge new and lasting friendships so that no one has to cope with cancer alone.

Meet our Camp Gold 2022 participants:

Toni in the lake at Camp Gold 2022.
Toni in the lake at Camp Gold 2022.

Toni soaked in everything Camp Gold! She did it all and saw it all. Toni candidly shared her cancer journey with her peers and bonded with the soon-to-be tight-knit group. Toni made it about halfway through the challenge course during her first attempt, but she wasn’t ready to stop there. On just her second attempt, Toni climbed to the top of the tower! Toni had chemo treatment the week before and surgery to remove a very large tumor in February, so this feat was a tremendous victory celebrated by all!

Tiara and Vanessa posing with their canoe paddles at Camp Gold 2022.
Tiara and Vanessa posing with their canoe paddles.

Tiara, a cancer patient, and her friend Vanessa were the dynamic duo at Camp Gold! Vanessa accompanies Tiara to her appointments, so she cherished the opportunity to learn more about her friend and ways to support her. The honest conversations from the campers helped Tiara feel comfortable opening up during group time. Everyone had the chance to support and be supported by others who had been touched by cancer. Vanessa and Tiara also tried their first s’more at camp! How tasty!

That’s a Wrap!

We are so proud of the girls for embracing the fun and challenges of Camp Gold, but more importantly, each other. Thank you to all the donors, volunteers, and staff for making this retreat possible! Because of your generous hearts, young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers now have incredible friendships and memories.

Donate today to keep the care coming for those impacted by cancer.
Get help today if you or a loved one has been impacted by cancer.

AYA Cancer Patients Create Connections and Friendships!

Four Camp Gold 2021 participants stand together in a group.

Camp Gold 2021 Recap

On April 24th, 2021 Cancer Care Services hosted our annual AYA Retreat: Camp Gold 2021, at Camp El Tesoro in Granbury, Texas. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the day was, what I like to call simply MAGICAL!

We had 20 participants in attendance, and that included their guests. We had two campers, plus their guests, who had to pull out last minute due to not feeling well because of chemo they had that week. Plus 9 volunteers from Cancer Care Services and Rutledge Cancer Foundation.

Staff members who joined us were Tori, Tamika, and Kayla, who did an EXCELLENT job leading our group discussion. Everyone enjoyed hiking, canoeing, kayaking, archery, the ropes course, group time, and meditation.

All day, every participant kept thanking us for making this event happen. Throughout the day, participants would express how glad they were to finally connect with fellow AYA’s (Adolescent and Young Adults) because like several of our clients, they spent most of 2020 in isolation and didn’t have the opportunity to meet others going through the same thing.

Several participants this year had either just wrapped up treatment, or are still on treatment, currently. They all connected with each other INSTANTLY and absolutely made friendships that will go on past this weekend (at dinner they were passing around a pen and paper to get everyone’s name and number like they were 10 at summer camp! So cute!).

If I could describe this weekend in one word, it would be THANKFUL! Thankful for the opportunities that 2021 is bringing us, and for being able to have in-person events again.

It was beyond evident that they are needed for our clients to feel a connection with others, now more than ever. Specifically, our AYA’s who crave connection with their peers. This is already a population that gets overlooked, and they definitely felt known, seen, heard, and loved this weekend!

For future Camps and Connect Events, please check out our events calendar!

Bailey’s Story

Bailey's Story - Bailey is with her husband.

Stories of Hope: Bailey’s Story

My name is Bailey McLeod, and I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer called Triple Negative during my senior year of college at 21-years-old. Although I have no family history of breast cancer, when I felt it, I knew. It was a very tiny lump, only 7mm in diameter, but I knew in my gut that it didn’t belong in my body.

I didn’t have an OBGYN at the time, so I spent the next day desperately trying to find a physician who would see me and investigate it further. I was turned down by 5 offices before someone agreed to see me for my symptom. A doctor’s visit turned into an ultrasound, which turned into a mammogram, and finally turned into a biopsy. On February 12, 2016, one week after finding my lump, I was diagnosed. Naturally, my entire family was in shock. I asked to be referred to UT Southwestern in Dallas, and from there we got the ball rolling.

First things first, we wanted to get genetic testing done to find out if I had a genetic mutation that made me more likely to develop breast cancer, such as with the BRCA gene. As it turns out, I was negative for any mutations, which was a bittersweet discovery because although I really wanted an answer as to why I got breast cancer so young, if I had been positive that meant I could pass it on to my children. It would also make me more likely to develop ovarian cancer, which would ultimately lead to a full hysterectomy.

A couple of weeks later, it was time for surgery. I decided to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy with reconstruction. Two weeks after that, I started the egg preservation process. Although I found my cancer in its early stages, it was very aggressive, and therefore I was advised to do eight rounds of bi-weekly chemotherapy. Chemo is known to damage your reproductive system, and my being in child-bearing years, it was pertinent that I have a backup plan for my desire to one day be a mother. The entire process took about two weeks and we retrieved 36 eggs, 21 of which were mature enough to freeze and store. A few days later, I started chemotherapy.

I want to mention, throughout all this, I was still attending my classes as much as I could. I was grateful to have professors and a wonderful advisor who worked with me to ensure I was able to graduate that May, which I’m proud to say I did. On July 21, 2016, I completed my eighth round of chemo AND got engaged to my boyfriend at the time. We had been dating for two years when I was diagnosed, and he was my rock throughout the whole thing. A few weeks later, I had my final reconstruction surgery. I was done! Or so I thought…

After finishing treatment, I thought I would be able to close that chapter and move on. Unfortunately, that’s not the case when you go through something as traumatic as cancer. Throughout my entire experience, I felt very isolated. Although I had an amazing support team, I didn’t personally know anyone my age who had been through what I had been through. I felt like I had so many emotions bottled up inside me that I desperately wanted to share with someone who truly understood.

Through Cancer Care Services, I learned of two organizations that changed my life: The Young Survival Coalition and The Fort Worth Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Coalition. YSC has been an amazing outlet for me to connect with other young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40. FWAYA has allowed me to meet different groups of young people diagnosed with ANY type of cancer.

If it weren’t for Cancer Care Services I would have never been introduced to these two amazing establishments. Meeting so many people to who I can relate has truly helped me to digress from my negative feelings towards cancer and has helped me to move on and live a happier life.

Marisol’s Story

Marisol's Story - Marisol Nunez and John Mosman are smilling at the camera.

Stories of Hope: Marisol’s Story

I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma as a toddler. I was tested with chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, and photon radiation. From the treatments, I got secondary leukemia, heart damage, ITP, anemia, kidney damage, bone and joint damage, a lazy eye, hearing damage, and many other complications. In my early 20’s I relapsed with leukemia. I never wanted to participate in any events and chose not to disclose my previous medical history.

After 5 years of marriage, my husband and I decided to seek a fertility specialist without success. A year later I became pregnant and went against medical advice and kept the pregnancy. It was extremely difficult and the delivery was worst. My child and I almost lost our lives. I was also told that I had a concerning MRI and continuous bleeding post-delivery. I returned to medical treatment where I was informed I had low-grade cancer in my center nervous system. It was a hard diagnosis, but being more actively involved in Cancer Care Services and a part of social groups has made the diagnosis easier.

I participated in the Camp Gold Retreat. It was my first time participating in an AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) event. I was beyond excited and amazed at the close-knit group of young adults that had overcome so much. I also participated in the Chroma Services Ladies Night Out makeover. I loved the pampering! In June of 2018, my family and I attended the National Cancer Survivors Day event. It was an emotional celebration. I thank Cancer Care Services for the services and events I and my family have been able to participate in!