This past December, I was officially diagnosed with pleomorphic sarcoma in the form of a large tumor and a couple of smaller tumors presenting near the top right side of my back. This was shocking since I had recently completed treatment for advanced stage breast cancer and was hoping to celebrate being cancer-free. Initially my doctors were concerned about a nodule forming on my thyroid, and it's still there, but not doing anything funky. While we were all closely monitoring my thyroid, this sarcoma popped up out of the blue.

My particular sarcoma is scary because it's origins are unknown and it likes to pop up time and time again in new and unusual places. I have been seeing the best of the best sarcoma surgeons and specialists and though they have theories, none of them actually know why this sarcoma popped up on a non-white woman under 50 who had already gone through the wringer with breast cancer. I became a bit of an interesting case to my medical team and my treatment plan is still ongoing.

What I do know about sarcomas is that they are rare in the cancer world, and disparately different from one another under this umbrella category. Research is also outrageously underfunded. Unlike breast cancer which has an incredible PR team (everyone wears pink!), sarcomas are the lesser known and lesser understood cancers. I've now had both and I'm really not going for a third. Instead, I'd like to focus my support and contributions towards sarcomas. 

I'm absolutely honored to have a team participate in this event with me, and even more honored to have the love and support of these incredible people in my life. If you are called to donate, please do. Thank you for your support.

Neena