Survivorship

Olivia Goff faced Hodgkin Lymphoma when she was 17 with hope and optimism. When she had a recurrence of the cancer again at 21, it was more difficult for her. Even so, her goal to one day be a nurse and help children and teens kept her moving forward. Today she is a nurse at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

Celina Pitt was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma -- a kind of head and neck cancer -- and had a lot of difficulty coping with the side effects from it. She lost much of her sense of smell and taste and it was hard to relax or feel comfortable. And then her husband, Ed, suggested they try dancing.

Jennifer Watson’s cancer journey illustrates the importance of advocating for your health and partnering with a care team you trust. By embracing her love of exercise, she used it to help her through colon cancer treatment and proved she was unstoppable.

Although Kelly Rossman-McKinney has stage 4 cancer, she doesn't let that get her down because it's only one aspect of a life filled with work, humor and love.

In the two years since she received a diagnosis of stage 4 leiomyosarcoma, the Rev. Dr. Stacey Simpson Duke has had time to reflect on some of the practical aspects of living with the uncertainty of her disease. She hopes to offer some practical advice for patients with advanced cancer, their family and friends

Mike Scaggs couldn't understand why he always had stomach pain. On top of that, he found he was unusually tired all the time. Thanks to a chance meeting with a friend-of-a-friend, Mike came to the Rogel Cancer Center where he learned he had pancreatic cancer.

Megan Heeringa, 24, and Natalie Cameron, also 24 are both survivors of acute myelogenous leukemia and bone marrow transplant recipients. In addition, they both live with chronic graft-vs.-host disease as a result of their transplants. They became friends after being diagnosed their senior year of high school and are a source of support for each other ever since their parents met at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center.

Andrea Passmore learned she had a brain tumor four days before her 51st birthday. Yet she has ultimately come to see the diagnosis as a kind of gift, an opportunity to share the outpouring of support that she has received during her cancer journey.

Sixteen months ago, Kathy Bellmore was diagnosed with high-grade glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain tumor with few good treatment options. Her tumor couldn't be operated on, so her doctors didn't think she would live beyond 6 months. She came to the U-M Rogel Cancer Center for a second opinion and is now beating the odds and continuing to make memories.

Logan Moore discovered a lump while nursing her 7-month-old son. It was a devastating shock to her and her family. Throughout her treatment, Moore and her husband, Brandon, focus on making her cancer and its treatment a part of their lives while keeping their family at the center.