Today, exactly a year ago, I started my first Chemotherapy Treatment. I went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy from mid-September to mid-February. I was diagnosed with Stage 2A Colon Cancer in June 2025, and my treatment plan consisted of major Colorectal Surgery and 6 months of Chemotherapy. My surgery took about 3 hours and I had to take an entire month off of work to recover. After my recovery, they started chemotherapy, which was called Folfox, that I received once every two weeks for about 6 months. This was probably one of the most difficult times of my life. It was heartbreaking being diagnosed with cancer at 27 years old, having to make life-altering changes while processing my diagnosis. My surgeon told me that I was the second youngest person he had ever done that surgery on, and he is a Colorectal Specialist Surgeon! I am thankful for all of the support I had throughout my cancer journey. One thing you realize when going through something so life-altering and scary is who your true friends are. Everyone has busy lives and struggles, but those who would reach out and assist in the small ways they could calmed my soul and melted my heart. Throughout this journey, my relationship to food has changed. I definitely do my best to eat in moderation, eat more protein and eat as many whole foods as possible. In April, once I was officially in remission, I threw an Abi Beat Cancer Party to celebrate. I made a variety of tasty foods, such as Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Elote Pasta Salad, Bruschetta Bites, and Turkey and Veggie Rollups. Shout out to my wonderful friend, Gabby, who helped me set up for the party and brought the delicious Cowboy Caviar. Also, shout out to my other wonderful friends, Haley and Renee, who got me the best cake to celebrate. To this day, this is probably the absolute best cake I have ever received in my life. What a crazy feeling that this first picture of me was from a year ago. If I could tell her something, I would tell her to take this journey a day at a time, give yourself lots of grace, and accept all of the hydration IV fluids that you are offered, and more. I would also tell her how incredibly strong she is, and that we would get through this. If you are part of my village, you know who you are, thank you for being there, especially in the worst moments. You helped me gain the strength to get through this. My name is Abi, and I am a proud Colon Cancer Survivor!
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