Nov 14 2024 23 mins
Cynthia Mitchell has been diagnosed with intraheptic cholangiocarcinoma, a type of bile duct cancer. Her story is about how she, like many with such a diagnosis, never attained complete survivorship, but is living a rich, fruitful live. In 2021, she experienced severe heartburn. When it persisted, she underwent an ultrasound, which revealed a large mass on her liver. Further tests determined Cynthia had cholangiocarcinoma just before Christmas Day, and she had a liver resection scheduled for January 2022. The procedure was a success, but had a recurrence the following summer and it was Stage IV. Cynthia then went on a regimen of oral chemotherapy. She took capecitabine, also known as xelota. The regimen was very difficult. Cynthia was told she will never achieve full-on survivorship, but she is able to do exercise on a limited basis and leads a happy life with her husband and two children.