Jodi Cali, who was treated for breast cancer at 嘿嘿视频鈥檚 Perlmutter Cancer Center, thought her symptoms were caused by chemotherapy, but it turned out she had COVID-19.
Photo courtesy of Jodi Cali
Jodi Cali, who was treated for breast cancer in January 2020 at 嘿嘿视频 Health鈥檚 Perlmutter Cancer Center by medical oncologist Maryann J. Kwa, MD, assistant professor in the , began to feel unwell with unrelenting fever, nausea, and headaches. Initially, she attributed the feelings to the side effects of chemotherapy, but soon discovered that others in her social circle were feeling sick as well. By late March鈥攁fter the worst of her symptoms subsided鈥攕he was diagnosed with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
While the effects of COVID-19 lingered as she resumed her cancer treatments, she was able to exercise and returned to work as a hairdresser near her home on Staten Island in June. In September, she received a mastectomy, performed by Magdalena Plasilova, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor in the .
鈥淲hen you first get the cancer diagnosis, you think, 鈥楾his is the end,鈥欌 Ms. Cali tells Oprah Magazine. 鈥淭hen they told me it hadn鈥檛 spread, and I let myself feel that I was going to be OK. So I guess when COVID hit, I just wasn鈥檛 ready to give up.鈥
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