I have thought about and rewritten this post at least three or four times in the last 2 weeks.. Usually the words come quickly, but this time it has taken me a while to process and figure out what I really want to say. My most recent scan and oncology visit didn’t give me the news I was hoping for. Being off chemo for three months and focusing on recovering from that major surgery gave my body much-needed rest, but apparently it also gave the cancer a little too much room to stretch its legs. It has decided to start growing again in my lungs.

So, here we go again. On Monday, September 22nd, I’ll be starting treatment once more. I’m not completely sure yet which direction I’ll go, as I am still processing and weighing the options, but I do know that I’ll be moving forward with something. Some of these treatments carry the possibility of hair loss, and while that may or may not happen this time around, I’m keeping an open mind and just taking things day by day.

The silver lining in all of this is that my liver looks fantastic (I’ve decided it’s my overachiever organ), and there are no signs of cancer anywhere else, just the lungs trying to steal the spotlight. That gives me hope that this battle is still one I can win.

Along the way, I’ve also been learning new lessons. I went to the acupuncturist, and I asked her what else I needed to do since, in Chinese medicine, every part of the body connects to something bigger. Her answer was simple: acceptance. That word has stayed with me. Acceptance feels huge in this fight, accepting that cancer will always be a part of my story, accepting that there will be ups and downs, and accepting that my fight is not necessarily about eliminating it completely but about keeping it at bay and not letting it steal my peace. That reality check was hard, but also strangely freeing.

I’m so thankful for all the prayers, love, and support you’ve been sending my way. It lifts me up and reminds me daily that I am not in this alone. Please keep them coming. I’ll be doing everything I can on my end too: eating clean, staying active, keeping my mind focused on hope. .

Hope has been my constant companion through every twist and turn of this journey. It helps me take the next step even when the path feels uncertain. It reminds me that there can still be good news, still be joy, and still be healing ahead. Hope doesn’t take away the hard days, but it gives me the courage to face them. And right now, as I step into this next chapter, I’m holding on to hope tighter than ever.

Here’s to fighting hard, holding on to hope, embracing acceptance, and stepping into the next chapter with faith that brighter days are ahead.

With peace, love, gratitude, and hope. Michelle