For Mellissa D., life didn’t slow down — until it had to.
A busy mom, professional, and natural caretaker, Mellissa was used to putting others first. So, when she began experiencing abdominal pain, she brushed it off, self-diagnosed, and reached for over-the-counter remedies. But after several days without relief, a family member urged her to see a doctor. She promised she would.
That promise may have saved her life.
On April 26, Mellissa was diagnosed with large B‑cell lymphoma. Two seven-centimeter masses were discovered between her spleen and pancreas. What she initially thought was something minor turned out to be the beginning of a life-changing journey.
“It knocked me off my feet,” she said. “I didn’t see it coming.”
This wasn’t Mellissa’s first encounter with cancer. In 2021, she was diagnosed with colon cancer, but surgery was the only treatment required. This time was different. The lymphoma diagnosis meant chemotherapy, time off work, and uncertainty — not just for her, but for her entire family.
When it came time to choose an oncologist, Mellissa found Quincy Medical Group (QMG) Oncologist Raymond Smith, MD.
“I said, ‘Send me to the best — whoever you’d send your wife or daughter to, that’s where I want to go,’” Mellissa shared. “From the first moment I met Dr. Smith, coming in with so many questions, I left with hope. I thought, ‘This is going to be OK. This is treatable. Let’s get a plan and attack it.’”
That plan included six chemotherapy treatments over several months. Mellissa began treatment in May and completed her final round in late August. Each session lasted several hours, spent in a chair at the QMG Cancer Institute, surrounded by nurses who guided her through it.
“I can’t say enough wonderful things about all of the nurses and the staff and the care they give you — making sure you’re comfortable.”
While the treatment plan had a clear beginning and end, Mellissa says the recovery period that followed was more difficult than she expected.
“I have had a harder time post-cancer than I did during cancer,” she said. “When you’re in treatment, you have a plan and you’re getting through, but once it’s over, you’re left wondering, ‘How do I go back to who I was before all of this?’”
There were physical challenges — lingering fatigue and hair loss. And there were mental and emotional hurdles — coping with survivor’s guilt, adjusting to a new normal, and feeling pressure to appear strong even on the hardest days.
“I’ve had counseling, and it helped me realize it’s OK to not be OK,” Mellissa shared.
What kept her going? Faith. Family. And the love of her 14-year-old son, who walked the journey beside her.
“It wasn’t just about me. It was about him, too,” Mellissa said. “Helping him deal with what I was going through and seeing me at my worst.”
Now, Mellissa hopes to use her story to inspire others — especially those just beginning their own fight against cancer.
“Listen to your body. Don’t try to be Superwoman,” she said. “I would say no matter what you believe in or who you pray to, pray to it. Because faith and hope are the things that gave me the strength to get through chemo. There will be hard days, but there is sunshine on the other side.”
Now a two-time cancer survivor, Mellissa sees National Cancer Survivors Day as a powerful reminder — not just of what she’s overcome, but of how far cancer care has come.
“Cancer has such a negative connotation, but there’s so much medically groundbreaking things that can help people overcome it,” she said.
Through it all, Mellissa has found purpose in her pain — and strength in sharing her story.
“There’s so much to be grateful for,” she said. “This experience has changed the way I look at everything. I know I was chosen to go through this journey for a reason, and I’m still learning how I can use this to help others.”
Health Topics:
