10/06/2026
WARNING: Vulnerable & long post..
I’ve been walking through a challenging season that affects me professionally that I need to share. I really don’t know how else to say it other than to just say it- I have cancer.
Three words I still cannot believe!
Here I am a few weeks ago sitting in a chair at MD Anderson no one wants to sit in.. with a view no one wants to see.. now part of a club no one wants to be a part of. I actually just finished a paper on the American Cancer Society for one of my grad school classes and in the introduction I wrote:
“When you get the call that you have cancer, the world stands still. In that moment you feel confusion, disbelief, fear, anxiety, maybe a little bit of hope, but mostly sadness and angst. It feels as though the world is closing in around you, someone somewhere got it wrong, and this cannot be part of your story. No one wants to hear the “C” word. It’s a diagnosis nobody wants to face, carrying with it an immediate induction into a community no one wishes to join.”
.which I think pretty much sums up how I was feeling in that moment. There was only a 5% chance that it was cancer. How can this be real!?
MD's tagline is, “Cancer sucks!” and it absolutely does! It’s frustrating.. it’s a nuisance.. it’s disruptive.. but… But God. 2 of my favorite words! Because anytime a sentence starts with, “But God,” you know something really cool is about to happen. I know that regardless of my circumstances, God is still good. He is in control! He isn’t surprised by my diagnosis and He has a plan laid out for my life and I’ll live a story to tell!
And because of that I can find hope. I can find joy and strength to get through this season and not because I’m otherwise healthy and strong, but because I have faith in God who promises to carry me through these seasons. I can sincerely say that through this diagnosis and as I prepare for surgery, I have not once felt stress or anxiety and there’s no other way to explain it than it’s by the grace of God.
I have an incredible family, the most amazing husband, and an unbelievably supportive community that has surrounded me, lifted me in prayers, and spoken love and truth into me that I can sincerely feel carrying me through each day. I am so thankful for each and every one of you! When I first moved here I prayed for community and oh man, God has blessed me in abundance! I am beyond grateful!!
Moving on to the business side of things... I have already shared this news with my ABLE family, and now I need to let our wider community know. Through a lot of conversation and prayer, I have decided that I will not be re-opening the studio after my upcoming surgery on November 4th.
Closing a thriving business with a tight-knit client list that has become more like family is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. To some, it might seem crazy. But if you know what this past year has been like—navigating my daughter’s asthma challenges and recently being displaced from our home due to a flood—you know it has been a lot.
I know deep down that this is what is best for my health and my family right now. I am ready to take a step back, recover, heal, and just focus on being a mom and a wife for a season. Though this decision comes with a lot of heavy emotions, I am truly looking forward to pouring everything I have into my family.
My doctor assured me this is not typically a type of cancer that shortens your lifespan, it’s a nuisance cancer. But truth be told, I am looking forward to this being part of my story only to see what God plans to do with it. If my faith in Him and me telling my story can offer hope or even change one person’s life, it’s worth it.
I am good. We are ok. Genuinely! The only thing we ask for is prayer! Pray for the wisdom and choices of my team of doctors, pray for peace in my family’s minds and hearts, and pray for my healing and recovery (and pray we can get back in our home before my surgery!).
If you made it to the end, thank you for reading. May God bless you and comfort you through whatever season you may be journeying through. He’s a big God and He can more than handle it.. He will carry you through it! He is ABLE to do exceedingly abundantly more than you could ever imagine!
