College student's mystery illness diagnosed as Stage IV cancer
#lymphoma #cancer #Stage IV #treatment #chemotherapy #bone marrow transplant #alectinib #remission #Cleveland Clinic #Eastern Michigan University #social work #patient advocacy
📌 Key Takeaways
- Operacz initially sought treatment for a suspected UTI but was ultimately diagnosed with Stage IV lymphoma.
- Initial treatments failed, leading to a transfer to the Cleveland Clinic.
- An experimental lung cancer medication (alectinib) significantly improved Operacz's condition.
- A bone marrow transplant, facilitated by her sister Sara, eradicated remaining lymphoma cells and is expected to provide long-term remission.
- Operacz completed her degree and is now pursuing a graduate program in social work to help other cancer patients.
- The experience profoundly impacted Operacz and her family, highlighting the challenges of battling advanced cancer and the importance of supportive care.
📖 Full Retelling
Emma Operacz, a 22-year-old college student in Cleveland, Ohio, was diagnosed with Stage IV T-cell lymphoma (ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma) in June 2024, after initially believing she had a urinary tract infection. The diagnosis came after experiencing persistent fevers, fatigue, and pain. Despite initial treatment attempts that proved ineffective, Operacz received a life-saving experimental lung cancer medication followed by a bone marrow transplant. She is now in remission, completed her degree, and is pursuing a career in social work to help other cancer patients.
🏷️ Themes
Cancer, Treatment, Resilience, Family Support, Hope, Recovery, Second Chance
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Original Source
HealthWatch A college student thought she had a UTI. Then came fevers, fatigue and pain: "Something's not right" By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen February 28, 2026 / 8:00 AM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Emma Operacz was enjoying her summer. She was a semester away from graduating from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in psychology. She had a thriving social life, two jobs that kept her busy, and was the life of every party. Then, in June 2024, Operacz noticed symptoms of what she thought was a urinary tract infection as she attended an old friend's college graduation in Milwaukee. She took an over-the-counter medication and tried to ignore the annoyance in her otherwise stellar weekend. A week later, she was still having symptoms. Prescribed antibiotics didn't help. Operacz began to feel pain in her side and run a fever. She became so fatigued that she couldn't work. For two weeks, she was "pretty much bedridden," she said. A CT scan showed no kidney stones or appendicitis. One night, Operacz "broke down crying" on the phone with her older sister Sara. "I was like, 'I'm not OK. Something's not right,'" Operacz said. Her sister immediately came and picked up Operacz from her sorority house. The next day, Operacz saw a urinary gynecologist. The doctor noticed the lymph nodes in Operacz's groin were swollen and sent her to the emergency room. "I finally got in to see a doctor, do an ultrasound, pee in a cup for like the 100th time," Operacz said. "Then they did a pelvic exam. They were like, your lymph nodes are swollen. It could be from a pelvic infection, or it could be lymphoma. They just kind of threw that out there casually." Operacz knew lymphoma was a kind of cancer, but...
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