Sandra, 20-Year Thriver

By Sandra Manzone

1/5/25

Sandra Mazone is a mother, teacher and artist in Piedmont, Italy. She is also a 20-year thriver.

Sandra’s leiomyosarcoma journey started in October of 2005, when she was 33 years old. She had felt a heaviness in her pelvis, maybe in her bladder or uterus. She went to the hospital and asked a neighbor gynecologist for an ultra sound. The doctor’s face turned white. There was a 7 cm ball inside her bladder. In two weeks, she had a biopsy and the mass had doubled in size. She received the bad news that it was leiomyosarcoma.

After 10 hours of surgery, she woke up and discovered they took her uterus, ovaries, and bladder. They reconstructed the bladder with intestine. She opted to take adjuvant chemotherapy of AIM, Adriamycin (doxorubicin) with ifosamide. The doctors told her she had 3 months to live, and to go pray.  

The artificial bladder was a constant source of infections and problems. Finally, she had an urostomy. Although the bag was a burden at times, she was just happy to be alive without pain.

Sandra lacked support and ended up having to not only take care of her three children (ages 10, 6 and 3) but her husband and family. She feels that Italians are closed and do not talk about their problems to others. Her friends left, confessing they did not know what to say to her. The difficulties caused by the illness created a break in her marriage which ended in divorce.

Sandra regrets that she always had to put on a smile and tough it out. She wishes she had tried therapy instead of handling it all on her own. Her advice for others, is to have a good cry if you want to cry. Try to get help. Instead of worrying about dying, take your life moment by moment. “It’s like when you are overwhelmed with cleaning your house… take it room by room, one room at a time.”

A gift along this journey was that, “all the colors in the world are now brighter to me.” Sandra began painting with a passion, and especially if she feels down. She started her own school to teach children and adults art and English. She loves to teach others and do her art. She finds herself painting lighthouses, a symbol of light and hope. (See painting below)

Sandra now has a partner of 10 years who totally supports her and is her caregiver. Her children are grown and on their own. She urges new LMS patients to reach out to others for support and, “let people love you.“

Lighthouse painted by Sandra Mazone