There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Hearing the word recurrence hits like a freight train. After everything I’ve been through, the surgeries, the chemo, the radiation, the countless appointments... I honestly thought I was past this chapter.
But cancer doesn’t play by the rules. It finds cracks in your armor and tests your resolve in ways you never imagined.
When my doctors told me there were new signs of activity, the room spun for a moment. It wasn’t fear this time; it was frustration. I’ve already done the fight. I’ve earned the scars. But the reality is, when cancer comes back, you don’t get to say no. You adapt, you reassess, and you move forward with whatever hope is available.
For me, that hope is a clinical trial at Duke.
This trial represents more than another line of treatment... it’s a chance to be part of what’s next. To push the boundaries of what’s possible for people like me who carry a KRAS mutation and a story that refuses to end. It’s a reminder that science is evolving, and maybe, just maybe, I can benefit from the progress being made.
I’m not naive about it. Trials are uncertain by design. But uncertainty cuts both ways. It’s what gives failure its fear, but also what gives hope its power. And I’m choosing to lean into that hope.
There’s something liberating about surrendering control, trusting the work of brilliant minds, and stepping into a future that’s not guaranteed but still worth chasing. So as I prepare for my first visit at Duke, I’m not walking in defeated. I’m walking in with gratitude, courage, and the quiet belief that maybe this next step isn’t a setback at all.
Maybe it’s the start of something better.
