Coping with Two Cancers, Geneva Woman Benefits from Care Close to Home

It's been 18 years.

Within those years, she's had plenty of joyful family time, including adventures like a trip to Disney World. She prayed at every opportunity, doing the rosary each morning and sharing a favorite prayer with others she’s met along her journey.

But those 18 years have also brought major challenges: Two bone marrow transplants, a second cancer diagnosis, multiple complex surgeries, and adapting to several new cancer medications.

Through it all, Maria’s UR Medicine and Wilmot Cancer Institute teams in Geneva and Rochester have kept her going with many new options.

In particular, Maria says she’s grateful to have such knowledgeable cancer providers close to home in Geneva.

"If something happens to me, I can call their office and they'll tell me what my next step is,” she says. “I feel safe here.”

She also appreciates their kindness. They remember that she likes her ginger ale without ice, for example, and that she prefers BBQ chips while she’s in the office getting infusions.

"I'm here," she says. "I thank God every day for giving me another day."

Maria's Story

Maria's treatment started with two bone marrow transplants in 2008. Those, combined with chemotherapy, kept her cancer at bay for a while, but since then, she has tried many different treatments prescribed by her oncologist, Dirk Bernold, MD. He collaborates with Frank Passero, MD, a multiple myeloma specialist Wilmot in Rochester, regarding Maria’s care. She is currently receiving immunotherapy called teclistamab and is in remission.

"When the medicine wasn't working, Dr. Bernold went to the next one. I'll be in remission and, boom, he was right there with the next medication," she says. "He did not wait. He just did what he had to do."

After being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021, Maria began chemotherapy, but complications ensued, and she needed to go to Rochester for an emergency surgery to remove the tumor with Fergal Fleming, MD.

Because her cancer had spread to her liver, she also had a second surgery with liver surgeon Roberto Hernandez Alejandro, MD. In that procedure, Hernandez Alejandro removed a tumor on her liver and three of the eight segments in her liver.

Four years after her surgery, she continues to do well. Her liver is functioning perfectly and has regenerated back to its normal size.

Despite being in remission now, coping with her dual diagnoses was not easy, but she connected with the Thrive to Survive group in Geneva to help her cope throughout treatment. The group meets the first Saturday morning of each month, and the friendships she has developed have proven invaluable.

“We share our problems with each other. We cry and laugh,” Maria says. “We’ve become like a family.”

Her own family and friends have also helped her cope – and they continue to be by her side. She even brings her stuffed bear, Cheer, with her to most infusion appointments. It was a gift from her co-workers when she was first diagnosed in 2007.

Every two weeks, she comes to WCI Geneva for her myeloma immunotherapy treatment. It’s not easy. Some days, she doesn't feel like eating, and other days, she feels tired. But when she visits WCI Geneva, it's never a bad day. She is known for walking in with a smile and greeting her team with gratitude, despite having gone through so much.

“Many thanks from the bottom of my heart to all the doctors, nurses, and staff at Wilmot in Rochester and in Geneva,” Maria says. “They were caring and wonderful. They kept me safe and gave me hugs and support. They are all special to me.”