Hello,

Just last year I had graduated from my doctorate program to be an occupational therapist; a job I've been working toward since high school. My boyfriend of 10 years had proposed to me. All I had to do was pass my board exam and I would have my dream job.

After failing my first attempt at the board exam, I went to see a doctor about this nagging pain in my lower abdomen. Ultrasound showed a 12 cm wide mass on my ovary. Likely a large cyst that needs to be removed.  While I'm waiting for medical insurance and referrals to go through, my fiance and I split up, I move into my dads, I pass my board exam. A huge heartbreak and a huge accomplishment. 

I later get a blood test done that indicates high levels for a cancer marker, but life needs to go on while they find a surgeon in network that will operate on me. I get my dream job and move into my very own apartment. My first "big girl" job and my first apartment. A few months into my career the pain gets worse and finally I have my surgery to remove a mass that was now 18 cm wide, my whole uterus, my appendix, and surrounding structures. My family and friends don't let me deal with anything alone and I recover with my mom and grandma in their home. I get my official diagnosis of uterine/endometrial cancer.

That brings me to now. My care team indicates that this is highly abnormal for someone my age. I'm going through 6 rounds of of chemotherapy to be followed by radiation to make sure the cancer doesn't return. As much as I miss work and as much as I try, working full time doesn't seem realistic during active treatment and I'm struggling with the idea of letting go of my apartment, my first home.  I won't give up that easily and I plan on living my life with the career I worked so hard toward. So the fight goes on.