10/11/2026
"In February 2024, at 44 years old, I experienced severe stomach pain that led me to the emergency room. I was told my colon was swollen and to follow up with my GI doctor. A month later, a colonoscopy changed my life: I was diagnosed with Stage IIIB colon cancer. Two weeks later, I underwent surgery to remove the mass.
I began chemotherapy in May 2024 and completed treatment in July, ringing the bell surrounded by family and friends. I celebrated by traveling to Greece and Italy, believing I was finally moving forward. Three months later, scans showed that the cancer had spread to my liver.
I continued chemotherapy through December 2024 and underwent liver surgery in January 2025. After months of good scans, new testing in August 2025 revealed another occurrence in my liver and a nodule in my lung. I faced more chemotherapy, lung surgery, radiation, and liver ablation. By April 2026, those areas had been treated.
Now, in September 2026, I am facing chemotherapy again. There is a nodule in my left lung and two lesions in my liver. Yet through every diagnosis, surgery, treatment, setback, and loss, I have persevered.
My husband has walked beside me through every chapter—surgeries, chemotherapy, uncertainty, tears, and difficult news. My mother was also one of my greatest sources of strength. She passed away in May 2026, shortly after my liver ablation. I miss her deeply, but I carry the strength and lessons she gave me.
Cancer has taught me to protect my peace, appreciate every day, and remember that a diagnosis does not define my story.
Through it all, my faith has carried me when I could not carry myself. My story is still being written, and as long as I have breath, I will continue to stand, move forward, and encourage others." - Ramona M.
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