Young Adult With Rare Tumor Finds Comfort in Treatment
“From the very first day, I knew that these were people who I could entrust with my health and my body.”
Kelli Miles
Desmoid Tumor Survivor
I’m Kelli Miles. I’m from Dallas, Texas. And I was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor when I was seventeen.
My diagnostic process was pretty complex and I’m actually going on my eighth year now with this condition. And I’ve experienced all kinds of different treatment options throughout those years and most recently here at the Texas Center for Proton Therapy. My oncologists were kind of like, you know, we’ve pretty much tried it all, so there’s this new, great, super-precise, state-of-the-art therapy treatment going on just right down the street from you. It was important to me to think about things like fertility and things that might happen later in my life and so the precision that the Texas Center for Proton Therapy offered me was almost like a no-brainer for me.
The Texas Center for Proton Therapy has always treated me like a patient first and diagnosis second. The very first day that I walked in here for the consultation with Dr. Mangona was extremely comfortable. He took, I think, two and a half hours with me and my family to talk about what this center was all about. From the very first day, I knew that these were people who I could entrust with my health and my body. Everybody here from the receptionist, to the radiation therapist, to the nurses knows what you’re going through. I felt like them knowing me by name and calling me by name every morning made me feel like I wasn’t going to treatment. It made me feel like I was just coming here to see people who I know and love. They think that treating the whole person is more important than just treating the condition. When we come here we’re in a trying time and that we’re seeking comfort, answers, and support and that’s what I found here.
After battling a rare type of tumor for years, Kelli discusses why being treated with proton therapy at Texas Center for Proton Therapy gave her a sense of peace and comfort.
The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.