Routine medical check-ups often feel like formalities, reassuring us of our well-being. For Yllamira Perez Vasquez, 55, in Tampa, Florida, a routine gynecological exam in 2007 became an unexpected revelation.
At 39, with her world revolving around her young family and her faith, Yllamira received news that would change her life. Despite a perfect bill of health from her recent well-being exams, a hunch hinted at challenges ahead. A few months later, she discovered a lump in her right breast. A cancer diagnosis followed, sending her into a decades-long journey of cancer care.
Yet, Yllamira found strength and comfort in her faith. She felt a calming divine presence embracing her one day and knew it was the Holy Spirit. This encounter became her proof of the power of faith.
Yllamira sought treatment at a hospital in Manhattan. It turned out she had three lumps in her right breast. She underwent a mastectomy to remove her right breast, followed by eight rounds of intensive chemotherapy and a successful regimen of tamoxifen, a hormone therapy used to treat breast cancer.
A decade later, in 2016, while traveling in Europe, Yllamira awoke feeling a sharp, burning pain in her abdomen. She assumed it was an upset stomach, but after an exam by a doctor, she understood this was more than a bellyache. When she returned to the U.S., Yllamira went to see a gastroenterologist. Tests revealed that her pains were gynecologic.
Yllamira went to a specialist in Chicago and then to a hospital in Indiana, where she received treatment for ovarian cancer. She underwent a hysterectomy and oophorectomy to remove her uterus and ovaries, and partial removal of her intestine. And, again, she underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy.
Two years later, a routine PET scan revealed a small tumor in her pelvis. As she listened to the doctor describe the intensive surgery he was going to perform, she heard a voice warning her not to go through with it. Again, the Holy Spirit. Yllamira went home and began looking for other doctors. Her pastor, who had received treatment for cancer, referred her to Dr. Sharyn Lewin, Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Holy Name Medical Center. Yllamira, who was living in Michigan at the time, traveled to Holy Name to be seen by Dr. Lewin.
In the care of Dr. Lewin, “a beacon of empathy amidst the clinical haze,” as Yllamira described her, she discovered renewed hope. “Dr. Lewin’s approach went beyond mere medical expertise; it embraced the essence of humanity, offering solace and support,” Yllamira said.
Yllamira underwent a specialized treatment known as Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). This two-step targeted surgical technique treats certain cancers in the abdomen with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. Surgeons remove cancerous tumors and then pump heated chemotherapy drugs directly into the abdomen to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells.
This procedure marked a turning point in Yllamira’s cancer journey. Both the surgery and the compassionate care she received made a difference. “Dr. Lewin is a professional and beyond that also saw me as a person,” Yllamira said. “She has a deep sense of humanity that not all doctors have. And she is not quick to operate. I was used to other doctors who were always aggressive in their treatment. Dr. Lewin is different. The nurses and personnel at Holy Name are also so good. You can tell they are there serving a vocation and that they truly care.”
Today, as Yllamira looks back on her journey with ovarian cancer, she does so with a heart filled with gratitude. Yllamira is now cancer-free. She travels from her home in Florida every six months for check-ups at Holy Name and to see Dr. Lewin. “A patient is seeking understanding and emotional support,” said Yllamira. “Dr. Lewin is conscientious and attentive to the whole person, and that helps a patient so much. I know God put her in my path.”
