“At the age of 31, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with metastases to my liver. At age 33 I was diagnosed with a secondary cancer, thyroid cancer.”
“Originally I felt like having a failed marriage was the biggest hurdle in my life. I was wrong. Cancer took ‘hurdle’ or ‘challenge’ to complete different level.”
“I have many physical scars from cancer surgeries. The most obvious one is the one on my throat… right were everyone can see it.”
“The biggest challenge in my life was battling through chemo, but still being a Mom. I had days that I couldn’t get out of bed but the second the kids came in the door from school, I put on a fake smile, I jumped out of bed and went to the living room.”
“I would take 10-15 showers a day because the shower was somewhere I could cry without the kids seeing me. We only have 1 bathroom and I knew if I got sick inside, the kids would hear me. I would vomit in the bathroom but when I opened the bathroom door to leave, both girls would be waiting in the hallway for me crying. I decided to sneak outside. I was caught once by Kiah (10) outside in the front yard vomiting. She ran back inside and got Krysta. They both came back out together crying. It broke my heart. I decided not to try and hide what the chemo was doing any longer from my girls. Yes it made my sick but it was the ‘medicine Mommy needed to make her cancer go away.'”
“I scheduled my chemo to always be done the day my daughters went to their Dad’s. Then I would be connected to a chemo pump for 48 hours. I wouldn’t come out of the house during those 48 hours. I tried to sleep those 48 hours away.”
“Every 45 seconds when the pump would dispense medication, making a ‘Click’ sound through my port, my stomach would sink. I used to try and hide my port. I would never wear tank tops. Now… I don’t care! I thought about it and I have NEVER had anyone comment on the ‘bump on my chest’ so I figured it was time to stop being ashamed of something that I had no control over.”
“Cancer is not my life story, only a chapter in my book.”
“My job now is to be a mom. I do not have to work outside of my home and I think that is because I am destined to be the best Mom possible. Being a fantastic Mom with a phenomenal relationship with my kids is my main goal in life right now.”
