Candace was diagnosed in December of 2017 with idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease. When the diagnosis came down, it left her with feelings of fear, anger, nervousness, and asking the obvious questions of “Why me? What is going to happen to me?” The doctor who initially diagnosed Candace was thankfully fluent in this disease, which helped her, not feel so in the dark.
She searched Facebook for any other people who had this and came across a support group on Facebook, which ultimately lead her to the discovery of the CDCN. Unfortunately Candace has had quite a tough battle with this disease and has had to stop working. Her decision to stop working came because the treatments she has to be on drain her and has made her immunosuppressed. Her daily life has changed drastically and her social life now revolves around her treatment weeks. An upside to this difficult battle was found when Candace joined the CDCN. She has since learned a great deal about her disease, gained a level of confidence in understanding what this means for her life, and also gave her a new group of friends who understand what she is going through; fellow patients and their loved ones.
She has joined the fight to find a cure, but is also able to spread awareness to other people who are battling this and encourage them. Some words of encouragement from Candace, “Stay Strong! There is help and we are all in this together. Join a CD group online, in person, or anywhere there is one. We are one big family!”