During a routine physical in February 2012, my doctor decided I should have a chest x-ray for a slight cough. The x-ray showed a mass in my chest. It appeared that my thymus gland did not shrink as it should have when I was young and a tumor had developed on part of the gland. The thymus gland is located below the sternum and a biopsy of the mass cannot be accurately performed without removal.

So in March 2012 I had surgery - a sternotomy (opening my chest). A biopsy showed I had thymic carcinoma. The fear is that this cancer can turn into lung cancer. The good news is that it appears things were caught early and the tumor was isolated in the thymus gland. I began radiation treatment in June 2012 with concurrent chemotherapy that went through August. My last scan was in April 2014 and so far all’s well.

I have an incredibly supportive family. However it was hard to talk to them about my fears specifically related to treatments, long term prognosis and thoughts of dying.

I contacted the LIVESTRONG Foundation and they provided me with much needed resources when I faced my cancer diagnosis. They provided me with emotional support during my cancer journey. LIVESTRONG helped me cope emotionally with my cancer diagnosis by giving me straight, open talk about cancer, with one-on-one support. They helped guide me through my cancer experience and made resources available that helped me understand my diagnosis, treatments and recovery concerns. I feel I got straight talk, without pity and what really helped was being called a “survivor” right off the bat. This helped me keep a positive attitude during my radiation and chemotherapy treatments.