Cancer changed my life, but it didn’t stop the world from spinning. And some days this knowledge is a comfort, while other days, knowing that life keeps happening, despite cancer, is incredibly difficult. But regardless of the scans, treatment infusions, doctor’s appointments, second opinions, and emotions that come with having and treating cancer, there’s another reality that simultaneously exists. It’s the one where groceries still need to be bought, and kids still need to be taken to sports practices and tournaments. It’s the reality where clients send emails at inconvenient times, and your business still needs to be managed along with your team. Birthdays, anniversaries, and vacations can’t just be placed on hold – even if you have cancer.

If you have ever been called the ‘strong one,’ you know that this title doesn’t just get slapped on, and it likely didn’t become your core personality trait overnight, or after some shocking life event. Here’s the truth about being the strong one that no one tells you, and how you can change your perspective on what it means to have strength, and also take care of yourself.

Whether you’re just diagnosed, in cancer treatment, or post-treatment, trying to navigate a new world as a cancer survivor, finding ways to welcome self-renewal into your life, and emotional recovery as you navigate healing is critical to your long-term health and wellbeing. I’m not here to tell you that you need to “bounce back,” or “fight through” anything that you are experiencing now, or recovering from.

I’m just a mom, who’s navigating treatment and recover from stage four cancer, and wants to share some of the essential things I’ve learned so far.

Here’s what I now know about Immunotherapy, based on my experience so far. 

I will either write additional posts or update this post about things I learn as I progress through the rest of the treatment, which will ideally finish when I am “cancer-free” or “cancer stable.”

I’m a mom, and I have stage four melanoma in my pancreas and liver. I’m currently in cancer treatment. This is what I learned as I turned forty-four during the most challenging part of my cancer journey.

In August of 2025, I discovered that I had stage four Melanoma. This is my story, and insights on how I learned (very quickly) to manage and move forward with the diagnosis in the first month. So if this is you (or someone you love), and you are going through the process of accepting a new cancer diagnosis, and trying to figure out what’s next, here are a few things that I found helped me through the first month of learning that I had stage four melanoma in my pancreas and liver.