Â鶹ӳ»­

Over the past 10 years, I¡¯ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and colorectal cancer. I was treated at MD Anderson for the last two cancers.

Growing up, I learned never to change horses midstream. That¡¯s why I keep coming back to MD Anderson. I¡¯ve been working with its doctors now for seven years, and with at MD Anderson in Sugar Land for three. If you¡¯re already batting 1,000 with one team, why would you want to switch?

Cancer treatment close to home offer convenience and expertise

Another reason I love MD Anderson is that the Sugar Land location is so close to my home.

Having an MD Anderson location so close by really took the stress off of me. I was cared for by premier doctors and amazing nurses, and the staff all treat me like family. Everything runs like a well-oiled machine, too, from the time you check in until the time you walk back out. Even parking is easy. So, it¡¯s a seamless operation.

My first cancer diagnosis: prostate cancer

My first cancer diagnosis came about during a routine checkup in 2010. My doctor had been monitoring my rising PSA level for several years. Once it reached a certain threshold, she ordered a biopsy.

Of the 12 samples taken, only one came back positive for prostate cancer, so my doctor recommended radiation therapy to treat it. I took her advice, and the cancer never returned.

My non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis led me to MD Anderson for treatment

I found out I had non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013 after my stools turned dark and I had a little pain under my left shoulder blade. A colonoscopy showed blood, but no cancer. An endoscopy revealed a mass the size of a grapefruit in my stomach. Additional testing indicated the tumor was non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

My doctor recommended MD Anderson for my non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment, so I called and made an appointment. Initially, I thought I¡¯d need to have surgery, but after six months on a chemotherapy regimen called R-EPOCH, the lymphoma was gone. I get checked every year, but it¡¯s never come back.

My third diagnosis: colorectal cancer

Early last year, I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which I hope will be my last cancer diagnosis. I thought the pain in my lower right abdomen might be from my appendix, but then my stools got dark again. I had a mass the size of a small orange removed from my colon. After undergoing 12 cycles of a chemotherapy combination called FOLFOX at MD Anderson in Sugar Land, I¡¯ve been cancer-free since May 2019.

Looking ahead and practicing an attitude of gratitude

I realize it¡¯s pretty unusual to have had three different types of cancer. So I¡¯ll be getting genetic testing later this year to see if I have any inheritable conditions that might make my children or grandchildren more likely to develop the disease.

In the meantime, I just keep thanking God for what I have. Because I still have a little neuropathy in the tips of my fingers and toes as a side effect of the chemotherapy, but it¡¯s getting better. And any day I¡¯m above ground and in my right mind is a good one. There¡¯s always somebody worse off than me. So, I can¡¯t complain.

or by calling 1-877-632-6789.