Lee Pearson Tells Her Bladder Cancer Story

I am a 74-year-old bladder cancer survivor, and I'm alive and sharing my story with you because of the Tate Cancer Center at UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland. I lost two of my five brothers to cancer, so I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that I also had the "Big C." What did surprise me was how quietly the cancer progressed.

Up until age 70, I was a healthy senior. I'm always on the go, volunteering or spending time with my grand­children and great-grandchildren. But one day, I discovered that what I thought was a mild infection was actually stage 4 bladder cancer.

With no time to spare, I immediately started treatment at the Tate Cancer Center. For three months, my husband and I drove from our Baltimore County home to the center, where devoted doctors and nurses treated me like gold.

I'm happy to say the chemotherapy worked, and when surgeons removed what was left of my cancer, I officially became cancer-free! I'm thankful every day for the exceptional care I received at the Tate Cancer Center.

This story was originally published in the Fall 2019 issue of Maryland’s Health Matters.