Anna Warner-Mayes’ cancer journey began in the fall of 2007. At the time, she was 38 years old, raising three young children, working in pharmaceutical sales, and pursuing her passion for singing—performing at weddings, funerals, church services, sporting events, and even recording radio jingles.
Her initial symptoms seemed minor: a sore throat during a seasonal transition in Michigan. As someone who suffered from allergies, Anna didn’t think much of it. However, by December, while performing more frequently during the holiday season, she began noticing changes in her voice. After just a few songs, she would become hoarse, and her vocal range had significantly diminished. One evening, while massaging her sore throat after a performance, she discovered a lump near her clavicle.
On January 2, 2008, Anna visited an ENT specialist. After a scope, the physician expressed immediate concern for thyroid cancer, noting that Anna fit the typical profile, though he reassured her it was often considered an easy cancer. Two days later, an ultrasound revealed a 2 cm nodule, which was biopsied and confirmed as papillary thyroid carcinoma. By the end of January, she underwent a total thyroidectomy.
During surgery, Anna’s case proved far more complex than anticipated. What was expected to be a brief procedure extended to seven hours when surgeons discovered unencapsulated tumor spread throughout her neck. During the process, her right recurrent laryngeal nerve was severed, permanently paralyzing her right vocal cord and leaving her without a voice for five months due to both the nerve damage and surgical trauma. Following the operation, her surgeon shared that he had never encountered a case like hers and expressed concern about her prognosis, noting that not all of the cancer could be removed. He hoped that radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy would address the remaining disease.
A few months later, Anna underwent high-dose RAI treatment, requiring several days in the ICU. The aggressive treatment was intended to target cancer that may have spread beyond what was visible, including potential involvement in her lungs. Shortly after, her voice gradually began to return.
In 2009, a routine scan revealed another nodule and two cancerous lymph nodes in her neck, leading to a second surgery. A similar recurrence occurred in 2010, necessitating a third surgery. This procedure was especially complex, as the cancer had wrapped around her remaining functional (left) recurrent laryngeal nerve and extended across her trachea. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, and she subsequently underwent six and a half weeks of external beam radiation therapy.
Years later, in 2017, during a routine visit with her laryngologist, Anna mentioned mild numbness in her fingertips. Though she suspected it was a side effect of prior radiation, her physician ordered a CT scan, which revealed multiple nodules in her lungs. A follow-up PET scan confirmed a diagnosis of Stage IV thyroid cancer with distant metastasis to the lungs. Today, she is grateful to share that her disease remains stable.
Despite the challenges of her diagnosis, Anna continued to move forward in life. Her youngest child, who was just five years old when her journey began, graduated from college in 2025—having only ever known a mother living with cancer. Anna reflects that her children have been her greatest measure of time throughout her experience.
In 2011, Anna launched a blog, Anna’s Lipstick Journey, which grew to over 20,000 followers. During the months when she could not speak, lipstick became a powerful form of self-expression—each color reflecting her emotions and identity.
Following her Stage IV diagnosis in 2017, Anna felt a strong desire to give back to the cancer community. In 2019, she founded The Lipstick Journey, a lipstick company developed in collaboration with a cosmetic chemist. Each shade was intentionally named to reflect emotions she experienced or aspired to feel. A portion of proceeds was donated to organizations that supported cancer patients, and she also created a buy one, give one model—sending a free lipstick and handwritten note of encouragement to fellow cancer thrivers.
Over five years, Anna donated more than $15,000 and distributed over 10,000 lipsticks. She closed the company in 2025, reflecting, I was tired, but I have no regrets. I made meaningful connections, met incredible cancer thrivers, and shared countless stories.
Today, Anna’s children are grown and living independently. Along the way, she experienced both divorce and remarriage between her third and fourth cancer diagnoses. She now embraces life with a deeply reflective perspective:
I’ve accepted that life is both beautiful and brutal—and that’s okay. I seek the magic and hold onto it. Time is our most valuable commodity, and our voices are powerful. Life is our canvas.
