I was 44 when I received my stage IV cancer diagnosis. I had recently lost 40lbs via diet and exercise and felt better than I’d felt in my entire life! Out of nowhere, one day I unexpectedly woke to an excruciating pain in my abdomen. After being admitted to Community Hospital for 3 days of testing I was told I had stage IV colon cancer that had spread to my liver.
To say my husband and I were shocked is an understatement. I didn’t have any other symptoms. My husband is outwardly emotional, and I tend to internalize and shut down emotions in high stress situations. We had no idea what the plan was to be or what our future held but we knew God did, so we decided to pray.
Just as we finished praying a man walked in dressed in regular clothes in a winter jacket holding his cell phone. He quickly introduced himself as Dr. Neel Shah. He told us he had already made rounds and was on his way out the door when his phone chimed with my chart info and my photo. It caught his attention because we were around the same age, 44. He then proceeded to tell us he felt “led” to come talk to me before he left. He wanted to be the one to give me my diagnosis because he had a plan to save my life!
Before he got to the plan, he asked me what the last two years of my life had been like. I explained that I’d recently gotten really healthy and lost 40 pounds via diet and exercise and honestly felt great previous to the pain in my belly that had developed a few days ago. He explained that my diagnosis was at no fault of my own. I couldn’t have changed this outcome if I tried.
His bedside manner made us completely comfortable. He began to explain I did in fact have stage IV colon cancer that had spread to my liver. By the size of the tumor he suspected I had cancer in my body for at least two years. One tumor on each organ and both resectable!
He had a plan! 4 rounds of chemo, a liver resection surgery, a colon resection surgery and 8 rounds of chemo to follow. Whew. It was going to be a tough long journey, but Dr. Shah expected I’d be CANCER FREE by November!! We had hope!
Before he left, he scheduled my appointment for Monday to meet in his office and get the ball rolling.
I had an appointment scheduled for that following day at 12:30 with Northwest Cancer Center. I would have a few more tests to confirm what types of chemo my body would react to best and a pet scan to confirm they didn’t see anything else. I would start chemotherapy immediately within a week. The goal was to shrink both tumors and kill any cancer that they may not have seen before surgery. I was to do 4 rounds of chemo previous to a partial liver resection, followed by a partial colon resection and then a final 8 rounds of chemo. He then gave us a clear-cut timeline for treatment with a projected end date of November 4th.
Before we spoke to Dr. Shah, my husband Joe and I discussed meeting with multiple doctors for multiple opinions. After speaking with the Dr. Shah we were positive he was part of Gods plan. We had prayed for direction on Gods will and were fully confident this man was part of it.
As you can imagine, we both knew the toughest conversations were going to be with our five children. Thankfully we were so confident in the plan of action Dr. Shah discussed with us we projected full confidence in our children that I was in great hands. They were remarkably at ease after feeling/hearing the peace we had. My oldest daughter Alexa recalled, “Getting the ‘we need to talk to you’ text was terrifying. Even more terrifying was the need for a family meeting… My anxiety going into the conversation was overwhelming, yet I left the conversation with peace. There were so many emotions going through me hearing the details of (your) cancer, stage four and two tumors, it was intense. There was one thing that kept me calm, and that was the unwavering strength and faith you had that everything was going to be okay.”
I’d been diagnosed and started treatment within a week! It was unreal. My blood tests showed I was eligible for the strongest chemo regime possible. So that’s what Dr. Shah prescribed.
After two successful surgeries and 12 rounds of chemo I was soooo beyond ready to be DONE! By the grace of God I was! A week after my final round I was declared CANCER FREE via a Petscan and cancer blood DNA test.
I am confident that I am a walking miracle! In fact, multiple miracles … If I didn’t have the random pain for a few days that went away soon after my diagnosis, it could have been a much different outcome by the time I found out. I literally did not have one other symptom. I also one hundred percent believe Dr. Shah and my surgeons were a God send! And the list of miracles goes on…
Today I see things very differently. Life is BUSY. I used to rush through it. Constantly rushing from one responsibility to the next. Stressed and trying to move as fast as possible. My daughter Sierra shared how she had seen a change during my treatment, “I was at work when I saw a “Go Fund ME” had been set up. I was like ‘oh man does my mom know about this.’ I knew it was not going to sit right with you… You’ve always been a giver, a helper, and a supporter, but always had a hard time receiving it. I knew I needed to go talk with you (before you saw it) because I knew you’d feel guilty, and that was the last thing I ever wanted you to feel. I told you that it was your turn to get help and support. It took a while, but eventually you got there haha. I’ve seen you stand strong my whole life and it has meant the world to me to see you let others in… You are what has kept this family together and it was the first time I felt like I could do the same for you and you let me.”
Now I take my time and enjoy every moment. Every color, sound, feeling is savored and enjoyed. But most of all I have complete faith that my GOD IS GREATER! What should have been a horrific journey was a seamless plan that followed the exact timeline Dr. Shah gave me the first time we met. I know that not everyone with be healed but I also know that God will carry you if you let him.
Lastly, I’d like to say thank you, Northwest Cancer Center! Dr. Shah and Nurse Practitioner Maria Marrero, you and your team were truly AMAZING! Every interaction with the entire facility including the receptionists, nurses, Medical Assistants, Phlebotomists etc. was amazing!
