She’s a wife, mom and registered nurse, but Emerald never thought she’d be the one receiving care. But that’s how it turned out.
You see, Emerald was experiencing back pain and shortness of breath. Then, when her ankles began swelling, she looked for answers. After a visit to a doctor and several scans, that answer was found: a mass on one of her adrenal glands.
Emerald met with Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez here at Moffitt Cancer Center. “He said, ‘I’m so sorry this is happening to you. The scans show a big mass.’ My heart sank,” Emerald says.
Treatment started immediately. Emerald had six rounds of chemo to reduce the mass. Then, she had surgery. There was a chance that Emerald would lose both her kidneys. The surgery was a success, and the tumor was removed.
But Emerald’s battle isn’t over yet. She began radiation treatments, and she needs three years of oral chemo to reduce her risk of a recurrence. Today, Emerald feels grateful for the skill of her doctors and nurses as well as their caring nature. “Walking into Moffitt,” she says, “is like getting a warm hug.” We were there for Emerald because of you and your generous support. Thank you for all you do to fight cancer.