It’s the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
I felt the circle of life direct from The Lion King last night. I got a chance to reflect with one of the doctors on my cancer journey, Dr. Paul Chapman from MSK. When I first met him in 2009 at MSK he did not have a viable treatment option for me. He told me as a metastatic melanoma patient I didn’t have much time, the standard treatment options were not good. I should wait to start treatment until I could enroll in a study called PLX4032. Knowing that my window of opportunity for life was brief I could not believe I was being told to WAIT. I was upset, hurt and angry. Why me! Later I learned it is not how fast you get treated but how you get treated. Not having a viable treatment option is something you never want to hear in your life. This began my journey through the maze of the clinical trial network, understanding how they work and how to get excepted for a Phase 1 study. I found out the system is not connected, navigating trails as a cancer illiterate who wanted to extend their life was complicated and overwhelming. I ended up landing a spot on that trial at UCLA with Dr Antonio Ribas. Ultimately becoming a super responder on the trail. Getting a chance to talk to Dr. Chapman after 16 years was a thrill, telling him I did it, I won! This moment was closing my circle. It instantly filled the pain that lived in the pit of my stomach from being diagnosed with no options. I know now I did something extraordinary in life. I helped move research forward, opened opportunities for other patients and their families to grab an extra bit out of life. I discovered firsthand the importance of clinical trials. I bet my life on one.
