Sherri Romanoski, breast cancer survivor
Life was great. I had a wonderful family, three terrific teenage boys and an adoring husband. I was just nominated as one of the top 10 teachers in Arizona. I had helped my school attain national recognition and had recently attended an award ceremony in Washington D.C. And then it happened.
Jasan Zimmerman, neuroblastoma and thyroid cancer survivor
My experience with survivorship starts in 1976. I was diagnosed at 6 months of age with neuroblastoma of the left neck. The tumor was excised and I was treated with radiation. I had regular checkups every 3 months until I was 5, and every 6 months thereafter.
Judy LeForce, breast and ovarian cancer survivor
If I have learned anything from being a cancer survivor, it is that after treatment ends, life has a new normal and finding that normal takes time. Living in remission presents its own series of challenges, and adjusting to changes in your life often takes just as much energy as being in treatment.
Elisa Shea, Ewing's sarcoma survivor
My name is Elisa Shea, and I am a 23-year cancer survivor. In 1985, I was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer. My treatment was typical of most childhood cancer patients. It included 18 months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation and three surgeries.
Debbie Cook, breast cancer survivor
I am a two-time breast cancer survivor. Thirteen years ago, my doctor found a mass on my breast during a routine mammogram. Fortunately it was encapsulated, allowing me to have a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation to eradicate the cancer and reduce the chances of recurrence.
Danielle Duran Baron, liver cancer survivor
It took me nearly two years and 20 doctors to learn that I had liver cancer at the age of 28. With no risk factors, nothing could have been further from my mind – or my doctor’s – when I went for a medical workup prior to having a liposuction procedure.
Colleen Hofmeister, breast cancer survivor
Since the day I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in February 2007, I have been wrestling alligators. Not literally, of course, but figuratively as I step away from my family and friends to receive difficult treatments and tests, face harsh news and look deep into my soul.
Cindy Weiler, colon cancer survivor
My life is a testament to the value of routine colonoscopies. When I turned 50, my physician urged me to have a baseline colonoscopy. I had spent my life taking good care of myself, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
Brooke Hamilton, three-time melanoma survivor
As a teenager and young adult, I always felt more comfortable with people who were older than me. When I was diagnosed with my first early-stage melanoma at 18, I realized I had even more in common with older people.
Anne Willis, Ewing’s sarcoma survivor
When I finished treatment for Ewing's sarcoma at the age of 16, I just wanted to be a normal teenager again. On my last day of treatment my oncologist told me to come back in three months for a checkup.
Survivor Stories
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