“In early 2022, I found a lump on my neck. I went to get it checked. At first, they thought it was an infection and gave me antibiotics. But it kept growing. I went back to my primary provider, who was very concerned. He immediately ordered labs and a biopsy — and that’s when I was diagnosed with lymphoma.
“I started chemotherapy just six days before my 52nd birthday. I have a great family. They sent me fun videos and messages that my daughter turned into a book. Having such a big, loving family made all the difference. I always knew I wasn’t going through it by myself. The nurses during chemo were also great. I wasn’t worried when I was in their care.
“I really appreciated the whole team. I also got support and shared healing activities with others dealing with cancer. My friend, who was like my big brother, was dealing with cancer treatment as well. We communicated every day via phone calls and encouraged each other to be positive. He reminded me often that I was going to be OK. Another friend who was dealing with cancer would walk with me in upper Bidwell Park.
“We had real conversations, and I remember something he said about fear. He said, ‘We get into our car every day, and we are at risk of dying in an accident, but we don’t spend all day thinking about it.’ That helped shift the way I looked at it. My faith and prayer also gave me strength. To stay well, I made some changes. I started eating better, going for walks and listening to podcasts that helped me stay positive. I also stopped drinking alcohol.
“If there’s one thing I want others to understand, it’s this: Pay attention to your symptoms and go to the doctor. You need to catch it early. Sometimes people avoid checkups because they don’t want to miss work or think it’s nothing. But it’s just one day. Ignoring symptoms could cost you your life.
As for how cancer has changed me, I don’t know if I’ve changed, but I do value my time differently now. My parents and siblings are in Mexico, so I visit more often and make a point to show up for family events — because you never know. Life is fragile. My wife and I have learned not to take things for granted. We are more grateful for the day, more loving, more thankful for each other and the things we have in life. Soon I’ll only need to be seen for an annual follow-up. It’s all a blessing.”
— Luis O.
“I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the end of 2024 and started treatment in February 2025. I went through eight rounds of chemo, had surgery and then completed four more chemo sessions.
“I finished treatment in October 2025. It has been quite a journey. Before this, the only time I’d ever been in the hospital was to give birth to my son. I’ve always had fears around needles and doctors, and I had to learn how to manage all of that very quickly.
“I decided to put my trust in my medical team. I chose not to research online or take in stories about other people’s experiences. There were too many decisions to make in a short time. Trusting the team was both necessary and life changing.
“The thing that helped me most was learning to stay in the moment. I trained myself to look for whatever good I could find in front of me and not jump ahead to all the ‘what ifs.’ That shift allowed me to meet each step with far less fear. Meeting with a social worker helped me manage how overwhelmed I felt by everyone worrying about me — my husband, sisters, son, granddaughters and friends. There were things I didn’t want to burden them with, and talking to Tila about those things was incredibly helpful. I had never needed this kind of support before, so I didn’t realize how much it could help. She came into infusion during my first treatment and we clicked immediately.
“Another boundary I set for myself: I never look at my scans without my doctor. I don’t understand all the medical language, and I don’t want to go down unnecessary rabbit holes. My focus became doing my best each day — getting through treatment, then surgery, then recovery. I thought of it as my job. Being in the infusion clinic opened my eyes. I wasn’t the only one going through this, and many people had it worse. I also learned to be grateful for the good days. I stopped checking out of life just because I was in treatment.
“We even went to Hawaii for a week. I felt sick for two days, but for five days I felt good enough to enjoy myself. It turned out to be a beautiful trip. I still have moments when I grieve the life I had before cancer. We’re not taught how to do that. It’s sad what has happened to me. I’ll go through a day or two of feeling that sadness, then something, or someone — like my husband — lifts me out of it. I try to fill my days doing the things that matter to me like hiking, birding and volunteering in the garden at Patrick Ranch. And through every step of this, I learned to be brave. There was a whole list of things that terrified me — procedures, treatments and unexpected ‘bombs’ that kept dropping. Each one gave me another chance to practice courage. I learned far more about my own strength than I ever imagined.”
— Melissa L.
