Majorie Maxon

My cancer journey began at the young age of 23. I had just graduated from Clemson University in 1993 and was working as a travel agent. I noticed a nodule in my neck that continued to concern me. Because I flew often for work, swollen glands seemed normal, but after a trip to Aruba, my glands were still swollen a month later. I decided to see my family doctor, Dr. Kim Gococo. It was a Godsend that he was my doctor at the time because he was studying to be an oncologist.

During my appointment, Dr. Gococo told me it could be a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. He did not suspect cancer because I had no family history. I had my first biopsy on my 23rd birthday, performed by Dr. Ravichader. The moment the needle went in, I knew it was not a cyst. It did not collapse, and it hurt tremendously. I had a sixth sense that I had cancer.

A week later, Dr. Ravi asked me to come to his office and told me in person that I might have cancer. He performed several tests to make sure there was no cancer elsewhere in my body. Dr. Robert Sticca was my surgeon and removed the tumor, which had grown from pea-sized to golf ball-sized by the time of surgery. It had grown quickly. I was scared because I had never been hospitalized before.

My daddy, a retired Lutheran pastor, knew how anxious I was about surgery and being put to sleep. To calm me, he told me not to worry and promised that when I was better, he would take me to Geiss & Sons to see Bruno and have a necklace made to hide my scar. That was the beginning of my journey. My faith and family kept me going. I never felt there was an option to stop. I believed God was in control, and I needed to let go and trust in His healing.

I waited two weeks for official results, and they were two of the longest weeks of my life. The tumor was sent to Johns Hopkins, where thyroid cancer was confirmed. By then, Dr. Gococo had become my oncologist, and that continuity of care was a gift. I hoped the first surgery would be the end of it, but my scar developed complications. I had an allergic reaction to the sutures, which led to a second surgery six months later. Dr. Sticca had to remove infected scar tissue. He warned me it would not look pretty at first because he would use many external black stitches, but he did it to promote better long-term healing.

Once I recovered from the second surgery, Daddy and I finally went to Geiss & Sons, and I designed my own necklace. To this day, we call it “my distraction.” That was my first experience designing jewelry, and maybe it planted the seed for my future business, Emerald Poppies, where I create jewelry from vintage tins. I did not realize then how deeply that “distraction” would shape my life. The necklace became a treasure and a constant reminder that grace happens.

In 1995, while still working as a travel agent, I took a work trip to Hawaii. While there, I realized I had never received results from a recent Pap smear. When I returned, I called my OB-GYN, Dr. White, and learned the results had been lost. He repeated the test. When those results came in, he asked me to come in and told me I had cervical cancer.

Dr. Gococo explained that once you have cancer, you can be more susceptible to other cancers. I asked Dr. White if treatment could wait until after my Alaskan cruise. He said Alaska would always be there, but this was urgent. I had never purchased travel insurance before, but by another God moment, I had purchased it for that trip. I canceled the cruise and had surgery instead. Dr. White shared that this was an aggressive form and gave me several surgical options. He performed the first surgery in June, and the margins were clear, praise God. That meant I could still potentially have children, which I had always wanted.

At my three-month follow-up, my Pap smear showed cancer had returned in a different part of my cervix. I was told I needed another surgery. Over the next five years, I experienced severe pain and ongoing complications that greatly affected my quality of life. Dr. Cheryl Stonar diagnosed me with endometriosis. I underwent many surgeries during those years, about five to six surgeries in four years.

During that time, Dr. Fuller became my primary OB-GYN. One day I noticed unusual light pink discharge and felt deep down that something was wrong. I went back to Dr. Fuller. He performed another biopsy, and the pain was excruciating. Again, I had surgery on my cervix, and again, thank God, we got clear margins.

I continued to have significant gynecological pain. Dr. Fuller suggested another surgery because I had fibroid tumors in my uterus, cysts on both ovaries, and recurring endometriosis. I asked him what he would recommend if I were his own family member. He explained that if we removed everything, I would never be able to have children. I asked to read my chart notes so I could make an informed decision, and I am so grateful he allowed that. It was then that I saw the words “Stage 4 Cervical Cancer.”

By then, I had gone through a divorce and was not dating anyone. Dr. Fuller knew how much I wanted children and asked if I wanted to freeze my eggs. I declined because we did not know if I could get pregnant or carry a child. There were many God winks throughout my journey, and this was one of the moments I knew I had to fight for myself. I chose to have a full hysterectomy at age 30.

I am so fortunate that I never needed chemotherapy or radiation. It was another God thing that I remembered, while in Hawaii, to call about my missing Pap smear results. Today I am 54 and have been cancer-free for 25 years. Praise God. At times, it feels surreal, like I am telling someone else’s story. My 30s, 40s, and 50s have been filled with good health and so much love.

I met my husband, Chris, in spring 2003. At the time, I was an executive assistant to five executives. After the purchaser at our plant was let go, I took on ordering janitorial supplies. The supply company told me, “You are going to love your rep, Chris Maxon. He is just the sweetest.” They were right. He was wonderful, and we had so much in common. It was not God’s timing for us to date then, but we became fast friends.

In May 2004, when we were both single, we started dating in God’s perfect timing. After two and a half years, Chris proposed on Christmas Day 2006. Six weeks later, I booked a trip for the two of us and my parents. We were married in Breckenridge, Colorado, on a sleigh ride, and it was magical. Daddy married us on February 12, 2007. Nineteen years later, we are still building a life together full of love, joy, and many God winks.

Although I was never able to have children, my heart is full. I am proud to be a dog mom. Chris had asked for years about getting a dog, and I finally agreed to a tri-colored Aussiedoodle puppy. I had no idea how much love I was missing. Barley, named after Greenville’s Barley’s Tap Room and Pizzeria where we had weekly date nights, has brought so much joy into my life. Being Chris’s wife and Barley’s dog mom are two of the greatest blessings I could have imagined.

The Cancer Survivors Park is incredibly special to me. My parents bought me a plaque on the boardwalk that reads, “Grace Happens. Love, Daddy and Mama.” It reminds me of the path God has carried me through. If you did not know me then, or do not know me closely now, you might never know I had cancer. It is not something I talk about often. It has never defined me.

I am deeply grateful for the love of Chris, my family, and my friends, and for the necklace Daddy gave me, my “distraction,” that still reminds me of God’s beauty in my journey. I always want to encourage others facing cancer, but I choose not to dwell in it. It was one part of my faith journey that helped lead me to where I am today.

I am saved by grace and grace alone. By the grace of God, I am a survivor. Every day I carry with me the words my daddy always told me: it is important to have faith, because grace happens.

Story written by Laura Brasington

Photo by Sliced Tomato Productions