E45: Radical Acceptance in an OM Diagnosis with Allie, age 26

A Cure in Sight is joined by Allie, diagnosed June 1, 2022 at the age of 26 with a small choroidal melanoma. Tune in to hear her story and some of her coping skills she has leaned into as a psychologist by profession. 

I don’t really know how to say this, but I was diagnosed with an incredibly rare eye cancer, choroidal melanoma, last week. Thankfully, we caught it early. There’s a lot of uncertainty and of course shock, grief, sadness, etc. Just last month, I graduated and made a post where I said, “For me, radically accepting pain is what allows me to enjoy my life in spite of the challenging experiences I’ve had and will continue to have.” Little did I know that just three weeks later, I would receive a devastating, confusing, and surreal diagnosis. As per usual, I am leaning into my dialectics (my favorite) and am finding pockets of joy and appreciating the little and big things in my life. I’m letting the tears flow and using all the dark humor and sarcasm to get me through this nightmare. I’m still trying to process it all and make sense of something that truly can never make sense. Thank you to everyone in my life who has been so incredibly supportive this last week. I feel so grateful for all of the love.

 

 

Headed into surgery for plaque radiation to hopefully start radiating and killing this stupid tumor! I feel so lucky that I had eye pain, which isn’t typically a symptom of this cancer and may have been due to my dry eye, which brought me to the doctor in the first place. From my doctor, I was referred to a retina specialist whose colleague was convinced I didn’t have cancer but rather had a different diagnosis. I remember the colleague putting his hand on my shoulder and saying, “The good news is it’s not cancer.” Again, feeling so lucky that at the end of the day, the retina specialist decided not to listen to his colleague but rather referred me to a top ocular oncologist “just to be safe and rule out cancer.” Didn’t think I would be diagnosed with cancer but alas, I was. And lastly, feeling grateful that I was able to get the surgery scheduled so quickly, just four weeks after my initial diagnosis.

Happiness Trap (comic or book form)

 

Connect with Allie here on social media:

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/allison1215123 

 

Instagram handle: allie_dashow37

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Lookin’ For a Cure TEXAS 5K Walk for Ocular Melanoma 

NOVEMBER 5, 2022; 8 AM 

Register here and be sure to bring friends and family to walk with us! (Virtual option available)

Lookin’ For a Cure LA 5K Walk for Ocular Melanoma in memory of Laurie Walters

 

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

REGISTER here and feel free to bring friends and family along! (virtual options available) 

 

Email contact@acureinsight.org for questions regarding any upcoming events!

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The Eye Believe Podcast is brought to you by Castle Biosciences. Castle Biosciences is a leading diagnostics company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care. The Company aims to transform disease management by keeping people first: patients, clinicians, employees and investors. 

This podcast was hosted by Danet Peterson and produced by Page Fronczek.