She now says she doesn’t take life for granted.
SAN ANTONIO — Thanksgiving is a holiday that is centered around gatherings, including food, family, and friends. Meet the San Antonio woman who is now living every day as if it were her last.
Navigating the treatment of a deadly form of cancer can be not just physically, but emotionally exhausting. Finding out the cancer has gone into remission can give a person so much to be thankful for, especially this time of the year.
“It’s a scary thing, but the quicker you get over that, the quicker you can live again,” said 25-year-old Rachel Collins who found out she had small cell carcinoma of the ovary one year ago. She had a rare form of ovarian cancer with a poor prognosis. In treatment, her body was put through the ringer. “I had a full hysterectomy. My appendix is gone. My omentum. And then part of my large intestine as well,” said Collins. Dr. Joseph de la Garza, an oncologist with Texas Oncology added, “Those patients are often diagnosed typically at stage three or even stage four, because at earlier stages the symptoms may be difficult to fully understand.”
In the U.S. more than 20,000 women are estimated to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2025. More than 12,700 people will die from the disease this year alone. The five-year relative survival rate for the disease is about 49%, but this increases to over 90% when the cancer is caught before it spreads. Dr. de la Garza added, “Once I provided surgery, she recovered and did remarkably well.”
Now, after six rounds of aggressive chemotherapy and a bone barrow transplant, Collins’ cancer is in remission. She says she no longer takes life for granted. Collins said, “It was just like, oh, another day, you know? I’m excited about everything now. Everything is so exciting all the time.”
With the support of doctors, friends, and family along with her spirituality, Collins knows she can conquer any challenge life throws her way. She told us, “Every day I chose to be brave, and that made all of the difference.”
Collins also says to listen to your body if you think something is wrong, and to see a doctor right away.