albany – THRIVR

Brielle Mastroianni

I always told people if they felt uncomfortable with a joke I made, sometime my humor is pretty dark, I would rather laugh than cry and not let intrusive thoughts and/or feelings damper my spirits. The days you wake up feeling good or strong; make those last by any means necessary. Laugh, create, find reasons to smile. Remember, it’s life and you’ve been gifted with a reprieve from the clouds and rain.

January 12th, 2021

January 6th 2021 was not just an “off” day for myself but it seemed like the world was on fire. COVID fatigue, an insurrection at the Capitol, and getting told that my cancer has come back with high progression…

January 6th 2021

day started off with waking up in damp night sweat, from a combination of anxiety and flux. Today was my appointment with my oncologist to review my routine CT scan monitoring my NED status. Little did my doctor know that my results were already sent and read to me the day before…

FOLFIRI – My Second Line of Chemotherapy

Sometimes your scans come back with less than good results; “progression” is occurring, which means your cancer is growing or has spread elsewhere. In the case of my own journey, I was quickly flunking out of chemo regimens! My response from the first regimen of chemo – FOLFOX – was fantastic after the first six infusions. I remember feeling on top of the world when my oncologist walked into the room with a huge grin telling me “Good response!”; my eyes were wide open and dilated in ecstasy! At the time both myself and the oncologist agreed to continue with the same treatment plan with no breaks or reductions in strength. However, an additional six treatments later my scans showed a result that chilled my body to the bond.

Katy Smith

Hello Thrivrs! I’m Katy. I live in Albany, NY. I’m a chemo nurse and a chemo patient. I love being outdoors, hiking and kayaking, reading, and baking fancy pastries. I’d really like a dog and some sheep someday, but for now I live in an apartment in the city.

Stephanie O’Rourke

My name is Stephanie, I am 35 and I work as a bookstore manager at a local college. Before I was diagnosed, I was just your typical adult who had no idea what they wanted to be when they grew up. Pre-cancer and pre-pandemic (COVID-19) I would often just spend my days working and chilling at home. Seeing friends and family when I could, nothing too awfully exciting.