((PKG)) CANCER SURVIVOR
((TRT: 4:10))
((Topic Banner: Overcoming Cancer))
((Reporter: Angelina Bagadasaryan))
((Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: San Diego, California))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub character: 1 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
((Marissa Sacco-Massara
Cancer Survivor))
I was 24 years old
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back in October of 2019.
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
I was taking a shower and I felt a strange lump in one of my breasts that didn’t seem normal. So, I went to my
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OB-GYN [obstetrician-gynecologist] and I brought it to her attention
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
to get it checked out.
((Marissa Sacco-Massara
Cancer Survivor))
I am Marissa Sacco-Massara. I am 26 years old. I live in San Diego, California.
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I just kept waiting by the phone. And finally, the phone rang and my heart started racing because I knew it was from the doctor.
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
She told me it was cancer, breast cancer
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that was very fast growing
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and it did spread to one of my lymph nodes. And I just started crying out of fear. I didn’t know what was next for me.
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Anthony just gave me the biggest hug and said, “I love you and we’re here for you and
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
I will be here for you every step of the way.”
Never thought about cancer ever.
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I didn’t really have a fear of it. I didn’t think that, you know, back then at that age of 24, that I would ever have cancer.
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
I was sick. I couldn’t get out of bed.
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And then when I felt fine,
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
I had to go right back for another, you know, chemo [therapy session].
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Anthony proposed to me back in 2018. So, it’s actually been a few years.
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
It was up at the Colorado River. And I said yes.
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And it was the easiest yes I’ve ever had to say. And unfortunately, we’ve had to push our wedding back a few times because of COVID and because I was going through treatment.
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
((Anthony Massara
Marissa’s Husband))
I was so positive and so faithful, I didn’t even think about it. I thought, “There’s no way.”
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Like I know that the doctor says there’s a chance that it is
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but there’s no way. Like that’s not real. That’s not going to happen. She just graduated college. We’re just starting our lives together.
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((Marissa Sacco-Massara
Cancer Survivor))
Looking forward to my wedding was really, helped me push through because I had something to look forward to after my journey.
((Anthony Massara
Marissa’s Husband))
The wedding was the best day of my life. I will never forget it. Marissa deserved that wedding more than anything,
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
especially with everything that she went through.
((Marissa Sacco-Massara
Cancer Survivor))
Going through chemo was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
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In the beginning, I was scared. I didn’t know. I didn’t want to do it at first. Losing all my eyelashes, my eyebrows, gaining a lot of weight, and going on social media and seeing
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
old photos of myself before, and of friends, made me really self-conscious.
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And I didn’t want to be seen.
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((Anthony Massara
Marissa’s Husband))
It definitely brought us even closer.
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I didn’t think that we even could be closer. But it just, being there for her through all of that,
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
I, you know, I’m just so glad that we were able to meet before all of this happened because for me to be able to be there for her
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and support her and comfort her through, you know, times of crying and stress and anger and all of that,
((Courtesy: Marissa Sacco-Massara))
just being able to be there for her, meant more than anything.
((Marissa Sacco-Massara
Cancer Survivor))
It changed my perspective on a lot of things.
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Not being mad at people.
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Loving my family even more and expressing how much I loved them every single day.
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And really enjoying every single day with them that I have.
((MUSIC))