At the age of 14, I was diagnosed with a rare form of GI tract cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).
Living with a rare disease is incredibly complicated, and you must learn how to be your own best advocate. Someone else may have the same disease, but everyone’s experience is going to be drastically different.
Initially, there… Read More
I have been a healthy person my whole life. I never drank alcohol or smoked, and I had a good diet. In 2004, I began to have some questionable numbers on blood work, but my primary doctor could never really tell what was going on. My knees shook when I was referred to a hematologist and oncologist in 2010. I was given a diagnosis of Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). I was… Read More
In 2001, I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma. What makes ocular melanoma rare is that only 2,500 people are diagnosed with it each year. Following my diagnosis in October of 2001, I went through numerous tests at Sylvester Cancer Center. In November, I was admitted into the hospital where they implanted a metal plate into my left eye with 20 seeds of radiation, which was removed after a week.
2018 is a big year for the rare disease community – NORD is celebrating its 35th anniversary. For the past 35 years, NORD has taken pride in being the rare disease community’s biggest advocate. Our policy, research and other efforts have played a significant role over the years, advocating for… Read More
Washington, D.C., March 21, 2017—The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and Friends of Cancer Research, two leading organizations that collectively represent millions of Americans with cancer and rare diseases, issued the following statement in advance of this week’s… Read More
