Recurrence and Resilience: Priscilla W.’s Mesothelioma Story
Priscilla W. was working as a paralegal while experiencing persistent stomach problems, including ascites, a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. By March 2024, her symptoms had become serious enough that she spoke to her employer about leaving and officially left in August.
Doctors ordered a series of tests as they tried to determine what was causing her symptoms. Because her mother had liver issues, a specialist evaluated her but confirmed she didn’t have liver cancer. Her history of breast cancer in 2017 also raised concerns that her symptoms could signal a recurrence.
Throughout that time, her ascites remained a concern. “I had ascites, which never went down and that was concerning because I knew that that was a sign of cancer,” she tells us. “I didn’t get the actual diagnosis until October 2024.” A biopsy confirmed peritoneal mesothelioma.
Tumor-Removing Surgery and an Unexpected Setback
A month after Priscilla’s diagnosis was confirmed, she had cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Also known as HIPEC, she underwent the procedure at a hospital in Phoenix.
Priscilla had no evidence of cancer across 3 or 4 follow-up scans, but about 6 months later, she developed hernias near her surgical site. “It was like 1 and then 2 and then 3. It was pretty large,” she shares. “I felt like I had 4 different areas.”
In October 2025, the hernias started to feel different and her primary care doctor sent her back to her oncologist for a CT scan. The next day, Priscilla woke up in severe pain and rushed to the emergency room. Doctors found an abscess and took her into emergency surgery to drain it.
The fluid from the abscess tested negative for cancer. But Priscilla says,”The skin that they cut open, the little piece of skin, was positive for peritoneal mesothelioma.”
Chemotherapy, a Second Opinion and Another Surgery
Priscilla’s surgeon in Phoenix didn’t think she was ready for a second surgery so soon after her first. So she started chemo with a medical oncologist and completed 4 rounds. But she decided to seek a second opinion.
She went to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for her second opinion where she was referred to a surgeon for further evaluation. After reviewing Priscilla’s CT scan, she assessed Priscilla was a good candidate for a second cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC. But before having the procedure, a scan revealed 2 additional tumors in her belly. She then did 2 more rounds of chemo.
“They told me to go ahead and finish because I was responding very well to chemo, but they wanted to finish it out,” she recounts. “The chemo pretty much wiped those [tumors] out. I responded really well to that.”
Priscilla experienced side effects from her chemo treatments, which she managed with steroids and other medications. She says, “Days 1, 2 and 3 would be okay. And then as soon as it kind of kicked in, then I’d be in bed for days 4 and 5. Then fatigue would set in.”
She says she never felt nauseous, but she continued to experience stomach discomfort, and certain foods became difficult to tolerate again. Seafood, spicy dishes and anything especially cheesy ended up on what she calls her “yucky list,” foods she associated with chemo days, even though they tasted fine when she ate them. She met with a nutritionist at MD Anderson, who offered tips for getting enough protein while helping her navigate the foods she wanted to avoid.
The Road to Recovery
After 6 total rounds of chemo, Priscilla waited 6 weeks to undergo a second tumor-removing and HIPEC procedure in May 2026 in Houston. She recently returned from Houston with no evidence of disease. Her care team now plans to monitor her with scans every 4 months, rather than every 3 months.
Physically, Priscilla tells us she was still recovering, but she started noticing real improvement around the 3-month mark. “I feel like I can move a little bit better,” she shares. Though she adds, “You know, it’s still restricted.”
Her first HIPEC procedure required doctors to cut back part of her diaphragm. She couldn’t lie flat on her back for 6 to 8 weeks afterward because she couldn’t catch her breath.
Priscilla now describes herself as a shallow breather and has to concentrate on diaphragmatic breathing. “You don’t realize how much you use your abs until you can’t,” she notes, describing how something as simple as opening a jar became a challenge after surgery.
Family, Support Groups and Looking Ahead
Priscilla says her husband attended every appointment, traveled with her for treatment and stayed in an Airbnb near Houston during her recovery. “He’s been there to support me the whole way,” she reflects.
Her son, his fiancée and her daughter offered emotional support throughout her treatment. Her husband and daughter also took over many of the household chores she had handled herself, including vacuuming, which they still share today.
She also says spending time with her grandchildren brought her joy during recovery. “Those were huge things,” she says. “Being able to be around the babies, they were a big distraction and lots of fun.”
Priscilla also found comfort and connection in support groups for people living with mesothelioma. She attends the Mesothelioma Center’s online support group. “They know what it feels like and they know the experiences,” she explains. “Even though they have different types of mesothelioma, we all have this rare thing. It connects us.”
Board Certified Patient Advocate Danielle DiPietro has stayed closely involved in Priscilla’s care, checking in regularly and following up after major appointments. Registered Nurse and Board Certified Patient Advocate Karen Selby has also made a lasting impression, especially after helping Priscilla track down information about a specific blood test through a clinical trial.
“I contacted Karen, and I said, is it a clinical trial or is it already a thing?” Priscilla recounts. “She contacted the doctor who ran the clinical trial and she got back to me. I was amazed.”
Priscilla is considering returning to her job as a paralegal or possibly entering another field. She and her husband also plan to travel again, something they used to do often before her diagnosis. They recently booked their first non-medical trip since she got sick: a 58th birthday weekend in Chicago for October 2026.
Priscilla says when she was learning about her diagnosis, “I told my kids not to Google it after I Googled it and saw the lifespan statistics.” She says she started searching for other survivors and found hope in their stories.
“So what people did for me, I want to be able to do for others,” she tells us. Her advice to other mesothelioma survivors is: “You’re stronger than you think you are. Concentrate on hope. Don’t focus on statistics. And find joy every day.”
