When I first discovered a lump under my ear, I was told it was a non-cancerous tumor and that I would need to wait until it grew larger before surgery because the surgeon wasn’t confident operating on it at such a small size. I was hesitant to have something foreign growing on my body, so I sought a second opinion with Dr. St. John. She took the time to sit down with my parents and me, listening carefully to all our concerns. She reassured us that there was no need to wait and that she could successfully remove the tumor whenever I felt ready.
Dr. St. John is not just an exceptional doctor but also an extraordinary person who genuinely cares for her patients beyond their medical needs.
I ended up getting my benign tumor removed a few months later once I had graduated high school. A week after the surgery, I got an unexpected call from UCLA Health confirming an appointment with a radiation oncologist. At the time, I didn’t know what a radiation oncologist did, so I confirmed this and my follow up with Dr. St. John that was moved up to that very day. At the appointment, Dr. St. John told me she had removed a mucoepidermoid carcinoma—a cancer that could have grown and caused serious damage if it had been left untreated. When she found out, she had moved up my follow up so she could explain that the margins were negative and make sure I was connected with the right specialists.
It was an overwhelming, rollercoaster of a day to get a cancer diagnosis at 18 years old and then be told that you’re cancer free in the same moment. I was so grateful to Dr. St. John that she had taken the initiative to remove it when other doctors wouldn’t. Not only that, she reassured me that the cancer had been completely removed and all we could do now were routine follow-up appointments over the next few years.
A few months later, I felt another small lump under my jaw. Dr. St. John acted immediately, arranging scans and an appointment to check the area herself. Thankfully, it turned out to be just a swollen lymph node, but her empathy and reassurance calmed the lingering fear in my mind of cancer. Her expertise, compassion, and patience have impacted my life and my family’s. Dr. St. John is not just an exceptional doctor but also an extraordinary person who genuinely cares for her patients beyond their medical needs.
I trust Dr. St. John completely and will always be grateful to have such a remarkable doctor that goes above and beyond for those under her care.
