Maris Schiess, a Ball State University (of
Indiana) student, discovered she had germ cell ovarian cancer in August when
she was 21 years old. As a senior in college, she would have rather been
considering dream careers, weekend plans and school projects and papers.
Instead, she was told she had cancer.
She thought she only had a bit of weight gain
and didn’t think it was a symptom of anything serious. But after an MRI, CT
scan, ultrasounds and blood work, she learned she had a 10-inch, 4 pound
cancerous mass on both of her ovaries.
Germ cell ovarian cancer is rare and accounts
for 3-5 percent of all ovarian cancer cases. It’s something that patients are
born with instead of developing, and symptoms appear at a young age. A young
adult is diagnosed with cancer every 8 minutes, totaling 72,000 that will face
cancer each year, according to the I’m Too Young For This! Cancer
Foundation. Young adults with cancer are often an overlooked
statistic.
Despite feeling that her outlook is good,
Schiess must still undergo 12 weeks of chemotherapy and had to quit her job,
take a semester off from school, and leave internships and organizations.
“I went from feeling completely fine to taking
medication that makes me feel completely miserable,” she said. “It only took a
week to go from a healthy, young woman to a cancer patient. I never thought I’d
be spending 40 hours a week in the hospital. I never thought that at 21 I would
be told I could never have my own children naturally… I can’t help but care how
noticeable the eight-inch scar is on my stomach, and everyone else can’t help
but notice I have no hair.”
Schiess said she is proud when she recognizes
how strong she has become throughout her ordeal. She wants to raise awareness
of ovarian cancer and “encourage young adults to realize how easily the last
things we could ever worry about can become the forefront of our battles.”
“As much as I try to look forward, I cannot help
but wonder, ‘What did I miss? What if I had gone to the doctor earlier? What
could I have done?’” she said. “I want these to be questions anyone with risk
can answer now. Knowing your risks, chances and your body can make you
proactive in any health challenge. Taking the time to take care of yourself can
make all the difference.”
Read her full story here: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/campuslife/fighting-cancer-at-21-one-students-journey
