I was first diagnosed at age 29 in 2017 with stage II colorectal cancer after undergoing my first ever colonoscopy. After a surgery in January of 2018, I was declared cancer-free and done with treatment. Then, a few months later, I began having symptoms again, and a second colonoscopy led to a second diagnosis of stage III rectal cancer in October of 2018. I underwent 25 rounds of radiation paired with oral chemotherapy. I then underwent another intense surgery that resulted in a permanent colostomy in March of 2019, and this was paired with 6 rounds of infused chemotherapy. I was declared to have “no evidence of disease” in November 2019. I had clear scans and was fine until May of 2020, when I started experiencing constant abdominal pain and swelling. It took an ambulance ride and an ER visit, which turned into a four-day hospital stay, to determine that my cancer had returned and had now metastasized to one of my ovaries. Two weeks later, I had surgery to remove the tumor and ovary, and this was eventually followed by twelve rounds of intense, infused chemotherapy. I was again considered “no evidence of disease” in February of 2021. I managed to have three cancer-free years before a positive blood test in early 2024 found trace amounts of cancer that led to multiple scans revealing that I had a new metastatic spot in my abdomen. I started chemotherapy again in August of 2024 and finished my twelfth round on February 20th of this year. An MRI showed significant shrinkage of the tumor, so I am scheduled for another surgery that will include a hysterectomy on April 11th. After that, the rest of my treatment is to be determined.
Esther’s LifeList:
- A trip with my husband to New York City to sightsee and enjoy a few Broadway musicals