Survivor Voices: Chandler G., a spinal cord tumor survivor

We are BEYOND honored and excited to get to share today’s “Survivor Voices” feature with Oncovery Team Member and spinal cord tumor survivor Chandler!
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^{As a part of our “Survivor Voices” feature, we are so grateful to hear from Chandler about his journey and get to share just a little bit about what he experienced.}
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Q: Can you tell me how you were diagnosed? What prompted your doctor's visit?

I’m a survivor of spinal cord tumors. I’ve had back issues since I was in high school, including a few stress fractures in my lower back. I started having pain in my lower back that was just bad enough that I couldn’t do some of the things I love (e.g., running, cycling). I did physical therapy, but that didn’t fix it. Finally, I asked my PCP at my campus health center  (I was a grad student at the time) if I could get an MRI.

A couple days after the MRI, I got a call from my PCP saying there was something blurry in the imaging. And, she scheduled another MRI for that same evening. A day later, my PCP called again with the results: at least two masses in my spinal cord.

Q: Can you tell me what it means to be a cancer survivor? 

‍Honestly, I’m still not sure. I recently posted on LinkedIn about my journey, and it felt like I was writing about someone else when I used the words “I survived cancer.” It doesn’t always feel real. But then, I feel a pain in my back or see my scars from surgery and I’m reminded of what I went through. 

I think the times I feel it the most are when someone in my life is also diagnosed with cancer. Or, when I talk to a fellow survivor navigating their own survivorship.

Q: Can you tell me about something you wish you had access to or had been better prepared for when completing your cancer treatment and entering into survivorship? 

Access to mental health. There were ~2 months between when I was diagnosed and my surgery. I was in grad school, and I remember struggling to describe my diagnosis to friends and classmates. My heart would race when people asked harmless questions like “How was your summer?” I was having nightmares and couldn’t relax. I wish I had a peer or fellow survivor tell me this was completely normal,someone to validate what I was feeling. 

Q: Can you talk a little bit about what survivorship looks like to you? What does your life look like post-cancer treatment? 

‍I’m lucky and grateful – my neuro-oncologists considered my tumors cancer, but they weren’t aggressive enough to warrant chemotherapy or radiation. After a successful surgery, I just need periodic MRIs of my spine for the rest of my life. 

I find those MRIs both scary and grounding: I remember the first surveillance MRI was when I was a grad student. I drove ~1 hour to San Francisco, completed the MRI, got my results (all clear!), and then drove back to campus for class that afternoon. 

The surreal nature of the combination—a surveillance MRI and class just a few hours apart—really affected me. My life has changed, and I’m still realizing how different things are.

Thank you so much for sharing just a small part of your journey with our community, Chandler. We’re so happy you are here.