How my story begins: I started having pain in August 2022, and I chalked it up to injuring myself while on vacation. Initially, I brushed it off.

By September 2022, the pain had become so severe that I wasn't sleeping, and I couldn't sit or stand for long periods of time. I ended up in the ER with severe abdominal and pelvic pain, but nothing was found, and I was referred to my gynecologist. Again, nothing was "found."

From there, I spent the next eight months begging and searching for answers to my pain, fatigue, and weight loss. I was written off by countless doctors and treated as a drug-seeking patient in the ER, even though no medication was helping. There is so much more I could write about how I was treated.

I saw my gynecologist five separate times during that period, and every time I was told nothing was wrong. Thankfully, I had worked in the medical field long enough to know something was wrong, and I was able to advocate for myself.

Finally, my primary care doctor ordered an MRI, and sure enough, a 9 cm tumor was found. That's when my fight began. It was also discovered that I was in kidney failure because the tumor had blocked my ureters, which explained my urinary retention and back pain.

How I felt after diagnosis: In many ways, I felt relieved because it validated my pain. The majority of my trauma came from the medical professionals who kept writing me off and not listening to me.

I was also scared, but I knew I would get through this and fight with everything I had. As a single mom, there was no other choice.

My treatment: I had 8 rounds of chemo and 35 external radiation. I was not eligible for brachy due to my tumor location.

How I felt after treatment: I was tired, but thankful to be alive. The healing that comes after treatment is not for the weak, and even three years after my diagnosis, I am still working on healing.

What was most difficult for me: The way I was treated before my diagnosis. My cancer team was top-notch, but not being taken seriously and not being heard as a woman was, hands down, the hardest thing to go through.

Living in pain, being told that I was fine, and being labeled as drug-seeking was so traumatizing.

My life after cancer: Just living my life outside of a diagnosis and trying to be someone other than the girl who had cancer.

Where I am today: I am still having my follow-ups and PET scans until I reach the five-year mark. I am living and enjoying life one day at a time and slowly working through my feelings and trauma. Most of all, I am so thankful to still be here, living and thriving!

What I want other women to know: Advocate for yourself. You know your body better than anyone.

DO NOT STOP FIGHTING UNTIL YOU GET ANSWERS.

Your feelings, your pain, and your symptoms are not something to be ignored.

How I will try to help others: Making sure that women are heard and taken seriously. We shouldn't have to fight to get answers or be taken seriously!