Patient Testimonials
Patient Testimonials
Turning Knowledge Into Action & Power
Jane* had always followed the medical guidelines, so at age 40, she started her annual mammogram screenings. In March of 2009, right before her 57th birthday, Jane went in for what she…
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Connecting a Family History of Cancer with Personal Health
Jenn Roark was only 33 when she was first diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer. She felt a hard spot on her breast, short of a lump, but decided to be safe…
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How Genetic Testing Helped Karen Navigate Her Cancer Treatment
When pathology reports from her lung cancer biopsy showed that 56-year-old Karen Peterson was positive for the KRAS oncogene, she had never heard of the KRAS protein before. Karen and her family…
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How Hazel Helped Scientists Learn More About Hormone Replacement Therapy
For women approaching or experiencing menopause, the question of whether or not to utilize hormone replacement therapy is a common one. After her hysterectomy at age 45, Hazel, now 87 years old…
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Why “Self Care” is not “Selfish”
Cancer survivors and their loved ones are no strangers to the adverse effects chemotherapy can have on one’s body, mind, and spirit. Despite these setbacks, Mirakind community member and blogger, Heather Trojan,…
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16-Year Breast Cancer Survivor, Cathy Ledvina
The holiday season is a time of remembrance. We relive our favorite memories around the dinner table, exchange gifts with those who helped make them, and mourn those no longer with us….
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Doctor resistance to get KRAS-variant tested
Devon and her Obstetrician/Gynecologist always had a good rapport. During their decade-long relationship as patient and physician, Devon credited her doctor with maintaining her health, saving her daughter’s life despite delivery complications,…
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My “best friend and idol,” my mother, Joanne Perriens
This is Laura’s keynote address from the 2017 ACS Relay for Life, her testament to her mother, her “best friend and idol.” Her mother, Joanne Perriens’ story can be read here. Courage is defined as…
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“I’ve outlived three oncologists”
This article draws upon an interview Joanne Perriens had with our MiraGuide Amanda in June 2016. We were deeply saddened to learn that Joanne lost her battle to breast cancer shortly after…
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“Making Something out of Nothing”
Waiting for her flight at the airport, Michelle Zacharia found herself walking in a direction she did not intend: toward the wall of magazines. Michelle, a person totally disinterested in celebrity gossip…
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“Nobody plans to get cancer–I certainly didn’t.”
During the summer of 2009, Tina Kelly noticed two pea-sized lumps in her right breast. Feeling strong and having plenty of energy, she thought for sure they were benign fibroids, which she…
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Using My Illness to Change the Future
A Guest Post by Nancy Bower Kantola Chavez: “It’s definitely cancer” is what I heard on the second day of my summer vacation in July 1995. I was 34 years old and…
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