Four years ago today, my life changed in an instant.
On July 13, 2022, I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital with severe pain. That’s when doctors discovered a 2½-pound mass about the size of a football on my ovary.
We prepared ourselves to hear the words “ovarian cancer.”
Instead, I was diagnosed with something I’d never even heard of: mantle cell lymphoma with the blastoid variant.
Then came the Google search and the words that took my breath away: average life expectancy after diagnosis, 18 months.
What followed was a whirlwind of treatment — a full hysterectomy, chemotherapy, and later, when the lymphoma spread to my breast, 30 rounds of radiation.
If you google the survival rate of blastoid MCL today you will find that the median survival rate is 5–6 years.
Today, I’m four years from that terrifying day.
Four years of birthdays.
Four years of anniversaries.
Four years of vacations, races, sunsets, laughter, family dinners, and making memories with the people I love.
I’ve learned that tomorrow is never promised — not just for me, but for any of us.
Cancer has changed me. It has taught me to celebrate the ordinary, to stop saving joy for “someday,” and to be grateful for the little moments that once seemed routine.
Every sunrise is a gift.
Every memory is a blessing.
Every single day is worth celebrating.
If these photos show anything, I hope they show a life that has been lived with gratitude. Not because the journey has been easy, but because every extra day has been a gift I wasn’t guaranteed.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me, encouraged me, checked in on me, and walked beside me these past four years. Your love has carried me more than you’ll ever know.
Here’s to another day.
Another memory.
Another reason to be thankful.
Life is precious. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to enjoy it. Today is the gift.
#FourYears #GratefulHeart #MantleCellLymphoma #EveryDayIsAGift #ChooseJoy