I want to start off by saying thank you to those who have been keeping up with my chronic pain journey. It has been a long journey, and it’s about to be even longer. To say the least, it was not on my 2026 Bingo Card.
Back when this journey started, I never thought that my self-advocacy would get me anywhere. I had seen several doctors, gotten several X-Rays, and even gone to physical therapy. After seeing my third doctor and getting a second round of X-rays, he suggested getting an MRI since physical therapy hadn’t helped and the images hadn’t shown anything. The first MRI of my lumbar area was not as successful as we had hoped, but there was something at the bottom of the image that was cut off. That meant getting a second MRI, this time of the pelvic area. With that second MRI, a mass was found in my sacrum.
My doctor could have just left it there and said it was nothing to be concerned about, but instead, he wanted to pursue it, and I was referred to the University of Iowa for more testing. Before even getting there, the doctors at UofI decided to refer me to Mayo Clinic. After 6 months of chronic back pain and numerous tests at Mayo, I was finally given answers.
I have stated one Condrosarcoma… bone cancer.
My world flipped upside down as soon as I got the news.
I never thought in a million years that I would have cancer. Me, a 23-year-old recent college graduate, am planning a future with my fiancée and creating a life and career for myself, only for a cancer diagnosis to come up out of the blue.
It’s a lot to take in, and I am still processing everything, and so is my entire family, my friends, and especially my fiancĂ©e.
Cancer is scary for anyone, but I am determined to get through it.
Mayo Clinic is the best place to be for treatment. Their Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer support group as well as their cancer center is beyond helpful and the support I’ve gotten from the staff their is amazing!
While things are tough now, I am determined to get through it with the support I have.