When Cancer Came Calling: My Story of Survival and Support
Sonja Vajda's Story
Welcome to our "Surviving the Storm" Member Spotlight! Today, we're honored to share the powerful journey of Sonja Vajda, who has been cancer-free for 16 years. Her story is one of multiple diagnoses, unwavering resilience, and the strength she found in expert care and loving support. Join us as we celebrate Sonja’s remarkable path of courage, healing, and hope.
PERSONAL JOURNEY
LiveWell: Can you share your cancer diagnosis story and how it has impacted your life?
Sonja: Sometimes it doesn't seem very long ago that one of my greatest fears became reality. Yet, it has been seventeen years. In early 2008, my husband and I had a trip planned to California to visit our daughter and our three young grandchildren for our daughter's birthday. Our son had just announced his engagement, and my 91-year-old mother, living in Wisconsin, had me constantly worried due to frequent ER visits and hospitalizations. I had just turned 60 and felt great... other than the lump under my arm that I was trying to ignore. Probably not my smartest decision—because there's never a convenient time to get cancer.
The biopsy revealed that I had a melanoma tumor in the lymph nodes in my left armpit. The big question was whether it had metastasized, so within days I had a PET scan—and yes, there was a spot on my uterus. Although the doctor didn't say it, I could tell she was very concerned, and I began to think that I had signed my death warrant by putting off going to the doctor. In the meantime, I had surgery at Littleton Hospital for the melanoma, which went well, except for waking up in the recovery room with excruciating pain in my eye. I had scratched my cornea as I was waking up from the anesthesia. Ironically, that was by far the worst pain with that surgery.
A few days later, I had a biopsy for the spot found on the PET scan. I remember the doctor's words when she called with the result: "The good news is that the spot is not melanoma. The bad news is that you have uterine cancer." At the time, I thought my life had taken a really bizarre turn. I was still reeling from getting a cancer diagnosis—one of my greatest fears—and then a few weeks later, not only did I get a second cancer diagnosis, but now we were thinking it was actually good news.
So, eight days after the first surgery for melanoma, I had a second surgery at Swedish Hospital for a hysterectomy. To add to how unreal my life seemed at this point, when I awoke from the surgery, the surgeon informed me that she had discovered that I also had ovarian cancer. Fortunately, both the uterine and ovarian cancers were early stage.
Afterwards, I was examined from head to toe by a handful of doctors looking for where the melanoma had started. Several biopsies found no sign of melanoma, so it was concluded that I had an unknown primary for the melanoma. Another strange twist. A spot biopsied on my upper lip, however, revealed squamous cell cancer—although I couldn't even see anything there. The Mohs surgery turned out to be the most painful and uncomfortable ordeal of everything that I had been through in the previous month.
A year later, in April of 2009, a PET scan found a new melanoma tumor in my breast, which was surgically removed. Thankfully, I didn't need chemo or radiation. I continued PET scans every four months for another year, and then CT scans about once a year for the next seven years.
LiveWell: What were the biggest challenges you faced during your cancer journey?
Sonja: The mental and emotional aspect, trying to control fear and depression, was by far the greatest challenge for me. Chemotherapy was simply a pill I took at home, and once I had the anti-nausea medicine that worked, it was fairly easy. I also had no problems with the radiation treatments.
However, about two years after the cancer surgeries, I developed lymphedema in my left arm and in my right leg which presents a different type of challenge because managing it is never-ending and that is where Complete Cancer Rehab came in.
LiveWell: How has Complete Cancer Rehab helped in your recovery?
Sonja:
LYMPHEDEMA TREATMENT
I feel it was a stroke of luck to have found Erin Erickson. In 2021 I needed to find a new primary care doctor and one of my daughters doing an online search found a practice she thought I might like. I had one appointment, and decided that I didn't want to go back. However, the nurse practitioner that I met with referred me to Erin for lymphedema treatment. Previously, in 2010, I had met with a lymphedema therapist for a couple of appointments. She ordered a compression garment and sent me on my way. It was so difficult to get on that I never used it and so my lymphedema continued to progress untreated for 11 years until I met Erin in July of 2021. I remember feeling such a deep sense of relief at that first appointment when Erin assured me she wouldn't be leaving me.
In addition to lymphatic massage, I always look forward to having appointments with Erin for the time spent talking and laughing together. Regular visits also motivate me to do my part in between appointments which consists mainly in wearing uncomfortable compression garments everyday which is not so much fun.
PERSONAL TRAINING
Since early 2024, I made a smart decision and added Eric Souser as my personal exercise coach. This not only ensures that I get in at least one hour of physical exercise every week, but he always makes it fun and we still get in a lot of talking and laughing. His friendship and encouragement always leave me feeling better than when I arrived.
PHYSICAL THERAPY
I'm very happy to have recently met with Becky Hegedus who has been a terrific help with physical therapy for tendinitis which prevented me from exercising for awhile.
Since first meeting Erin, she has assembled a very talented team at Complete Cancer Rehab who work together which is a great benefit to me as a patient, but they've become my friends as well. It's also a comfort to feel I have a support system in place since my situation has changed since I was first diagnosed with cancer. In September of 2017, after more than two and a half years, my husband lost his own battle with pancreatic cancer.
LiveWell: What did your support system look like while you were going through cancer?
Sonja: I had the love and support from my three children, family and friends, but it was my husband, George, who was with me every step of the way. Anything I needed or didn't feel up to doing, especially cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping, he did it. For nine years, he came with me to every doctor's appointment, every scan, and even every check-up appointment with both the melanoma oncologist and the gynecologic oncologist. I never felt I was struggling alone. Equally valuable was his wonderful sense of humor which was a tremendous help to keep my spirits up.
LiveWell: What coping strategies helped you the most during your cancer journey?
Sonja: When I first was diagnosed, my niece gave me a copy of The Serenity Prayer which still hangs in my bathroom where I can see it everyday. I find it helpful to pause and reflect on these words whatever my current struggle may be.
I try being more grateful and keeping a perspective on my problems. When I found myself feeling sorry for myself, I thought about how it could be so much worse if it were my children or grandchildren who had cancer. Watching a St. Jude Children's Hospital commercial always serves as a vivid reminder.
I also collect humorous remarks or inspirational quotes that I put in a 3 ring binder I've labeled Wit and Wisdom. One quote I find hard to forget is from Mattie Stepanek, a young boy who became an author and poet before he died of muscular dystrophy at age 13. He said, "If you have enough breath to complain about anything, you have enough reason to give thanks for something." One that still always amuses me is a want ad that reads: "WANTED: Someone to brush their teeth with me because 9 out of 10 dentists say brushing alone won't help tooth decay. No weirdos."
LiveWell: What advice would you give to someone just starting their cancer journey?
Sonja: After the inevitable panic subsides, I would say the first thing to do after receiving a cancer diagnosis is to find the most knowledgeable oncologist for the type of cancer you have. In hindsight, it seems like common sense to me, but at the time, my primary doctor had referred me to an excellent oncologist who I loved. I didn't even consider looking for another doctor, even after finding out it had been over a year since she had treated a patient with melanoma.
However, I believe fate stepped in. First, a friend casually mentioned an article she had just read in the UC Health newsletter about the head of the Melanoma Research Clinic. That prompted me to ask my doctor if she would consult with this melanoma specialist for my treatment. She did, and the chemotherapy I received was not the standard one for melanoma.
Next, a few months later, my doctor abruptly ended our relationship, saying this was our last appointment because she was going on leave. A few days later, I met with one of her colleagues who was taking over her patients, and that convinced me that I needed to quickly see if I could become a patient with the melanoma specialist.
I was surprised at the peace of mind that came over me at that first appointment. I was even more grateful I was under his direct care when a PET scan the following month showed a spot that was possibly a new melanoma tumor—and then confirmed by another PET scan two months later.
In the beginning, I didn't realize how unique each person's cancer can be, even when it's the same type. I learned how vital it is to have not only a brilliant oncologist but a brilliant oncologist with the most expertise and experience in the type of cancer you have. I feel blessed that I did—and that I've been cancer-free for 16 years.
LiveWell: Sonja's journey is a remarkable testament to perseverance, faith, and the power of compassionate care. From facing multiple cancer diagnoses to managing lymphedema and loss, her story reflects the strength that comes from staying hopeful, finding joy in small moments, and building lasting connections with those who walk alongside you. Sonja reminds us that healing isn’t just about surviving—it’s about growing, laughing, and living with intention. Her experience offers encouragement to anyone navigating uncertainty, showing that with support, courage, and community, a full and meaningful life is possible.
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