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My life changed forever on the morning of Nov. 6, 2016. I¡¯d felt some pain in my lower back, and decided to go to the emergency room at the hospital where I work as a nurse manager. I thought I would get some fluids for hydration and be sent back home to my husband and two babies. But God had different plans for me. 

Instead of fluids, I had CT and MRI scans of my spine. When the ER physician said, ¡°Ms. Mesa, you have a lesion at L2,¡± I knew immediately that tumor on my spine was cancer. I could see it all over his face.

Why I chose MD Anderson

In that moment, my husband, mom, dad and I shared a look. We knew we would go straight to MD Anderson. For us, there was no option other than the best cancer hospital.

MD Anderson has an exceptional reputation and outcomes, so I didn¡¯t mind making the five-hour drive from my home in Louisiana. I knew it was the right decision, because from the first time I walked through the doors, I was treated like the most important person in the world. In MD Anderson¡¯s Brain and Spine Center, I met my superheroes: neurosurgeon and Laurel Westcarth, his nurse practitioner. They treated me like my life mattered more than anything else. 

My chordoma

After additional testing at MD Anderson, I learned my spine tumor was a chordoma, a very rare type of bone cancer. Thankfully, Dr. Rhines and his team sat with me and answered every question I had. They didn¡¯t rush me, and they explained everything in exquisite detail. Shelly Kennedy, Dr. Rhines¡¯ research nurse, was also a great resource. 

Surgery is usually the first treatment recommended for chordoma, and that was true for me, too. Because my case was complex, I needed a 20-hour surgery that included multiple different procedures and a team of specialists. On Feb. 14, 2017, Dr. Rhines, along with plastic surgeon and thoracic surgeon , removed the entire tumor from my spine in one piece, without spilling any cancer cells. Then, they rebuilt my spine. I have rods, screws, a cage and a bone graft, plus three super-impressive, beautiful scars that I couldn¡¯t be more proud of.

My path to recovery

Dr. Rhines, Laurel and I had a plan for my successful recovery. I promised I would do everything they asked, if they promised me more time with my beautiful babies and husband. I went to physical therapy three days a week for six months, then got back in the gym. Now, a year and a half later, I¡¯m a regular in hot yoga classes and am getting certified to teach group weightlifting classes. 

Survivorship and emotional recovery

I don¡¯t think the magnitude of everything I¡¯d been through really hit me until I was almost fully recovered, about a year after my spine surgery. I was so focused on my physical recovery, I didn¡¯t spend time recovering emotionally. I felt absolutely alone, like no one could understand what I was going through. I¡¯m pain-free now, but I can still feel the effects of surgery, and it¡¯s a daily reminder that I had cancer. 

A different perspective

Everyone told me how proud they were of me and how awesome I¡¯d done in my recovery, but I felt so sad and alone. For them, it was over. But for me, it was just beginning: the constant fear that every twinge was the chordoma returning. That hasn¡¯t completely gone away, but through faith and family support, it¡¯s getting better. Cancer makes us feel like we¡¯re not in control, but we get to decide to make the most of every single day we have.

I still get scared and anxious sometimes, but I also view life differently. I soak up every single minute I have with my family. I relate to my patients completely differently, now that I¡¯ve been a patient, too. And I thank God for every minute I have, for giving me hope and a future, and for bringing me to my superheroes at MD Anderson.  

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