Two months after turning 22, in November 2021, I went to the hospital for severe stomach pains, never expecting that I’d leave with a life-altering diagnosis. Imaging for my stomach pain revealed masses on my kidneys and pancreas. I went home that day diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer) suspected to be caused by Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, a rare genetic condition. The holidays that year were a blur of doctor’s appointments and tough conversations as I tried to wrap my head around this new reality. By January 2022, testing confirmed the VHL diagnosis, and I began preparing for the first of many surgeries. Since then, I’ve undergone a few procedures: one to remove tumors from my left kidney, another to treat my right kidney, and most recently, a laser procedure on a tumor in my right eye.
 
Currently, I’m living with 3 brain tumors, 1 cervical spine tumor, innumerable cysts throughout my pancreas, numerous cysts and malignant tumors across both kidneys, and the everlasting uncertainty of what they may find in my next scans.
 
That said, there are a lot of scary moments. Waiting on imaging results that may find new masses, the unknown of what the future holds, and the fears of ‘what could it be this time’ every time I feel unwell. But through the hardships and scariness I’ve grown immensely. I’ve learned how strong I am, how vital support from loved ones is, and what it means to fight with resilience. I’ve also gained a second family in other patients within my VHL community.
 
VHL patients are known as warriors, warriors with scars that tell the stories of battles won. I carry mine with pride.