A Season that Turned into Victory

Yaneiry Francisco describes the feeling after being diagnosed with cancer.

When I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma. My life and health took a 180 degree turn. I honestly never imagined I would experience cancer so young. I had so many plans, goals, and dreams that I wanted to pursue in my future.

In June 2016, my oncologist called and asked my mom and me if we wanted to meet in the hospital to talk about everything—my symptoms, biopsy, and PET scan—to be clear about what was going on. So, my mom and I planned to meet them on June 3, 2016.

I was anxious with a lot of thoughts going through my head when the oncologist came into the room to discuss everything. We were told I had cancer. It was hard to process the C word in the room. It was an emotional experience and I cried so much. I was so worried about my life because honestly, this change was something I was not prepared to accept.

God helped give me the strength and faith to have the peace to face this illness. Having my mom and friend with me helped too. They supported me and encircled me with positivity, creating memories that I will look back on to see that I had the best attitude to fight this illness.

September 7, 2016, was a happy day that I will never forget: a day of completing chemotherapy, being cleared of all tests, and celebrating being cancer-free. On October 11, 2016, I finished my radiation treatment. It was a season that turned into a victory. I fought this battle and was so proud of myself for seeing how strong I was. I recently celebrated my ninth cancer-free anniversary this past September.

Whether you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, or loved one touched by cancer, your story can have an enormous impact. You can provide hope and inspiration to someone recently diagnosed with cancer or a patient undergoing therapy.