8.7.26

I am so thankful to be healthy enough to have been able to take a summer vacation with the family. Before March (My 3rd liver surgery)- we didnt know what our summer would look like- I wasn't sure if I would be traveling across the country for Dr appointments or if I would be having additional surgeries. This made it incredibly hard to plan anything. But I did know that if everything came back clear (which I am so thankful it did)- I would want to get out of Cali, unplug, and enjoy as much family time as possible over the summer. The first place I wanted to go was out to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho to visit my in-laws Steve and Susie and the girls cousins. Steve and Susie were so gracious in hosting us and made all of my dreams of a fun summer a reality. 

We had the most amazing trip- we went out on their boat a few times, went to a water park, took the kids to triple play, bowling, a trampoline park and a few other activities. The girls even had their first sleep over at their cousins house. We made a lot of core memories. And best of all- I didn't have to worry about my schedule and coordinating Dr appointments. It was the perfect trip and I was able to enjoy time with the family and my in laws. 

Idaho is absolutely beautiful- we spent a lot of time on walks, enjoying their backyard and the amazing views. I was even able to sneak away with Susie a few times to go hiking and to a workout class. 

Visiting Idaho in the summer is going to have to be a new tradition. 

I did a genetic panel with Boston Gene and they found that I was not a genetic carrier for any cancer related genes but they did find that I was a genetic carrier for MYBPC3. A few weeks later I met with a genetic counselor who explained that this puts me at high risk for developing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This is a disorder that affects the heart and if I develop this condition it can cause thickening of the heart muscle. 

If you remember a few months back, I had an MRI and CT scan that showed that the tip of my port was poking my heart. So- I had an echocardiagram to confirm its location. The good news is when they were looking at my heart they were able to determine that I do not currently have Hypertophic Cardioyopathy and that my heart looks healthy. But they confirmed that the port tip is in the wrong spot and will need to be revised. I will have that procedure in a couple weeks.

As for the MYBPC3- it is not something I currently need to worry about but it is good to know about it and will be something we will be keeping an eye on. 

Check out my first ever podcast done with Chadi Nabhan. Thank you for having me on and giving me the space to share a little bit about my story. 

youtu.be/BC7ozKPucfA?si=c27JVGaWDhbwVvxR

I would be honored to have you walk alongside me at City of Hopes 2026 Walk for Hope on Sunday, November 8th at City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, CA. 

​Join our team here- ourhope.cityofhope.org/team/815692

6.9.26 I am honored to have had an amazing article published about me in Business Insider.

Article can be found here- www.businessinsider.com/woman-colon-cancer-symptom-dismissed-pregnancy-2026-5

5.22.26 So excited to report that the MRI and CT scans are clear!!

There are a couple important notes to keep an eye on but I am very happy with these reports. My CTdna from Tempus and Signatera has also continued to say "Not Detected".

6.4.26
​We wrapped up the school year for the girls! Bella graduated from 1st grade and Scarlett finished TK! We are so proud of both of them and are looking forward to an amazing summer. 

4.20.26

2 days after my 3rd liver surgery I did a ctDNA test from Tempus and another from Signatera. About a week later I got the results back from the signatera and it said "Not Detected"- a couple days after that I got the Tempus results back and they also said, "Not Detected."

I had heard a lot of things about the tests not being very accurate right after surgery so I was cautiously optimistic and knew future tests would give us even more accuracy and clarity. 

2 Weeks after surgery we repeated both tests and about a week later we got those results back and they also said, "Not Detected"!!!!

I was up in LA when I got the email from signatera that my results were ready. My friend AnnMarie was still at work and I was SO nervous to open the report. We were planning to go out to dinner to celebrate my birthday with a few other friends so I thought it would be best to wait until after dinner- while surrounded by my friends- to open it.

AND IT SAID, "Not Detected" AGAIN!!!!

I was so relieved.

I'm not sure how many tests it is going to take before I dont feel nervous opening these. 

I don't take this win lightly and will never take the words "Not Detected" for granted. I want to celebrate this win but also stay cautiously optimistic as I have seen zeros and Not detected before.

I am choosing faith over fear and focusing on what i can control- one day, one step, and one result at a time. 

I feel like a weight is beginning to lift and I will continue to do everything in my power to stay as healthy as possible. 

The unknown of this diagnosis made me feel like I couldn't make summer plans but now, I am finally allowing myself to get some fun things booked. Lets make this the BEST summer yet!

While I am so grateful for this moment, my heart is still with those in the middle of the fight. This journey is not always linear- Please know that I am always rooting for you and never loose hope. 

4.4.26

Spring has been busy but in the most fun way! The week after my 3rd liver surgery was Bella's 7th birthday. She had been asking to go to Palm Springs to celebrate and we booked a trip early January before I knew I would have surgery early March. So, I knew she would be heart broken if we canceled the trip- so we went! We left Luca back home with my MIL Cheryl and that was a huge help. 

We stayed at my parents time share that I grew up going to and the weather was perfect. I couldn't get in the water (since I just had surgery) so we adjusted our plans a little. We went to the zoo, spent a little time in the pool and then took the sky tram up to a restaurant for her birthday dinner. 

Mike and I decorated the hotel living room and when she woke up she was so excited and happy to see everything all set up. It was really special. 

A few days later was my 28th birthday! I had a mellow day- I went to yoga at the park in Dana Point- it overlooks the ocean, and then I got a sourdough treat from my favorite organic sourdough bakery. The Saturday after my birthday, Mike and I went out to lunch in Newport at RH kitchen. The restaurant was beautiful and it was so nice to get out. 

The Sunday after was Easter so we went to Church in the morning and then came back home to do an easter egg hunt with the kiddos. 

The following weekend I headed up to LA to stay with my friend AnnMarie for a couple days and we met up with my other friends Alexis and Ashley for birthday celebration dinner at a restaurant I have been wanting to try called Catch. 

Check out this article from People.com

https://people.com/mom-of-3-diagnosed-with-stage-4-colon-cancer-after-symptoms-dismissed-exclusive-11934273