08/20/2026
“The woman who was once so weak she could barely walk a flight of stairs or stay awake through an entire day now trains for triathlons.”
“Cancer tried to take my future. Instead, it changed how I choose to live it.”
Meet Meghan Stewart, a colore**al cancer survivor participating in Get Your Rear in Gear - Twin Cities!
Meghan had just turned 40 when she began experiencing abdominal pain and went into urgent care. After a CT scan found what doctors believed to be an abscess, Meghan was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis and was treated with antibiotics.
However, over the next few months, things didn’t improve. Meghan’s pain persisted, and a follow-up CT scan showed that the abscess was growing larger. Meghan was admitted to the hospital once again, and a colonoscopy revealed a mass nearly completely obstructing her colon.
Meghan underwent surgery, with curative intent, to remove the mass and additional tissue that it had become attached to. Although her uterus and bladder were involved, her liver did not appear to be.
However, pathology afterward showed that the cancer had grown and that several of Meghan’s lymph nodes were involved. Although her surgical margins were clear, Meghan was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer.
And just a few weeks later, a PET scan revealed lesions on her liver that appeared to be metastatic. A biopsy confirmed that her cancer had spread to her liver, changing her diagnosis from stage III to stage IV.
“My daughter was just 19 months old,” shares Meghan. “More than anything, I was terrified I wouldn’t live long enough to see her start kindergarten.”
Meghan began aggressive chemotherapy, which worked incredibly well. This allowed Meghan to undergo surgery that successfully removed all three liver metastases.
After more chemo, monitoring, and two more surgeries, Meghan’s test for cancer markers was still positive, so she began immunotherapy, which had remarkable results. Her next cancer marker test finally came back negative and has been that way ever since, and she remains in remission with clear scans today.
“Cancer changed every part of my life,” shares Meghan. “It taught me that tomorrow is never guaranteed. It gave me a deep appreciation for ordinary days, for my family, for my health, and for what my body is capable of.”
“This will be my 3rd time participating in this event. For me, it is a celebration of life and what my body is capable of doing. I will be doing the 10K this year and am so proud of the hard work and what it’s taken to get here.”
Join Meghan and the Twin Cities’ community of patients, advocates, family, and friends for Get Your Rear in Gear - Twin Cities on Sunday, October 11th at Harriet Island Pavilion!
We can’t wait to see you there! https://bit.ly/45EEjgc
