From Misdiagnoses to Making Demands: Stomach Cancer Patients Speak

Two stomach cancer patients share their stories from beginning to end, including stomach removal and having to strongly advocate for themselves when their initial doctors brushed off their concerns.

00:07 Tom Smith, Co-Founder of HOPE for Stomach Cancer and Board Member, introduces patient, Jason Diaz.

01:30 Stomach cancer survivor, Jason Diaz, shares his journey, from the symptoms he experienced, to his misdiagnosis and eventual correct diagnosis, to his choice of treatments, to the removal of his stomach, to finally being deemed recovered. Mr. Diaz stresses the importance of advocating for oneself and securing a gastric specialist, which are two actions he took that saved his life, as well as taking part in clinical trials.

17:40 Tom Smith thanks Mr. Diaz and introduces Branny Carrasco

20:07 Navy veteran, Branny Carrasco, shares her stomach cancer story, from her very different symptoms and initial diagnosis to her testing positive for the known stomach cancer-causing bacteria, H. Pylori, which is prevalent in Japan and which is where she had been stationed for four years. Ms. Carrasco shares her similar experience to Mr. Diaz in regards to having to aggressively advocate for herself in the face of doctors who assured her that stomach cancer couldn't be the cause of her issues due to her being so young. Ms. Carrasco shares her recurrences of her cancer, including having Krukenberg tumors on her ovaries and being given a prognosis of having six months left to live.