My name is Denise. When I was 53 years old, I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer of the right lung. It was November 7, 2014. I had a malignant pleural effusion (MPE) that was found after months of symptoms and doctors appointments. The fluid contained malignant cells—non-small cell …
Read More »Kim’s Story (Breast Cancer)
Hi, I am the mother of 2 young boys. When I was 46, I found a lump under my arm. After having it checked and about a million tests, I was diagnosed with IDC. I did 6 months of chemotherapy every week for about 4 hours. I lost my hair, …
Read More »Kimberly’s Story (Diabetes)
April, 2012. I became extremely sick. I thought it was a bad flu. I couldn’t keep anything down, not even small sips of water. I was taken to the ER. My blood glucose level was 440+. I had a stroke because I wasn’t able to keep anything down including my …
Read More »Shelli’s Story (Colon Cancer)
My FLAG story begins innocently enough, as I had no clue that anything was wrong. I knew I was losing some weight but attributed that to the fact that I was finally off the hormones that I’d been taking for over 10 years. Also, I didn’t have any other of …
Read More »Kelly’s Story (Fibromyalgia, Cornea transplant)
Hi My name is Kelly Bragg, and I’m 43 years old, but most days I feel 90. I’m a single mom to one son, Mikey, age 12. My illness started 12 years ago. I was tired all the time had pain throughout my body. It hurt to touch my hands …
Read More »Tyffanie’s Story (Chiari Malformation)
I am actually telling my daughter’s story. Even though I myself don’t have Chiari, I fight right along with her. She started getting really bad headaches about 6 years ago, not wanting to go to school, etc. I thought it was just because she didn’t want to get up. Then …
Read More »Charlene’s Story (Rheumatoid Arthritis)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been tired and achy. As a child I was told that eating better would give me more energy (I was a picky eater) or that the aches were simply growing pains. I would outgrow it, so they said. Flash forward to 2008. …
Read More »Sarah’s Story (Breast Cancer)
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 34 in 2007. I was declared cancer free in 2010. In 2016, I was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer. The cancer has traveled to my bones. I’ll do treatment for the rest of my life… but I’ll fight for the …
Read More »Patricia’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)
I was diagnosed a year ago on Nov. 8,2016. The day my life officially changed. I went through a single mastectomy and chemo with my 19-year-old playing nurse. I had radiation and am now on tamoxifen for ten years. I am a single mom with two young ones still with …
Read More »Kayla’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis)
My name is Kayla, and I am 25-years-old. Around age 14, I was hospitalized for about a week with Meningitis. Ever since then, the fight with my body has been on. I constantly had all-over body pain and discomfort. I would have horrible headaches and be so tired that I …
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