Nurse Courtney’s Cancer Treatment

Courtney (Welch) Tsark

Mother to the sweetest, funniest 8 year old, Charlotte. Soon to be wifey to my biggest fan, Mat, and dog mom to my three legged Golden Doodle, Bizirik.

Unexpectedly relocated to Houston from our home in Maui, Hawaii November, 2022 due to a recent diagnosis of advanced colon cancer. All of us came here with one carry on bag. leaving behind our family, friends, Kitty, bunnies, jobs, and school to hopefully kick these aggressive tumors to the curb. Maui, unfortunately, is not paradise when you are given a stage IV diagnosis. There is one very small hospital and very few oncologist. I feel so grateful to be able to be seen at MD Anderson in such a short amount of time.

Adjusting to life in Texas has been different, and it was during the holidays so was pretty rough on us all at first. The one contact we had in Houston turned into a whole community coming together with donations, house furnishings, toys and clothes for Charlotte, and lots of prayers!! It was so uplifting!

My cancer journey is a long one. Starting with an abdominal surgery, removing most of my colon, having to go back to surgery due to anastomotic leak and woke up to an ileostomy for life. Endless appointments, scans, pokes, chemo every two weeks, radiation, being told I’m inoperable, incurable, and it’s chemo for life has not stopped me!!

I decided that this cancer will not define me. I have a lot of life left, a daughter to raise, and much to give back!

I decided to get my nursing license in Texas because my aesthetic career has never felt like work. I love helping patients through their own journey of looking and feeling their very best! I also love teaching and sharing my decade long knowledge to whoever is interested and shares the same passion. I ended up at Pura aesthetic, working with Dr. Cheryl and her amazing team, and I finally felt normal again! I feel so blessed and totally convinced it was meant to be. I’ve gained another little work family in just a few short months!

In the coming weeks, we will be traveling for additional surgical consults in Kansas City, coming back for chemo, then heading to Pittsburgh for another surgical consult and to sign consents for a clinical trial. Meanwhile, being screened for any clinical trial I might be eligible for right away at MD Anderson because I’ve been told chemo will eventually stop working, and we’ve discovered my tumor mutations are getting smarter. I still have hope. I’ve learned when it comes to advanced cancer, you have to be your own advocate. I’ve learned and felt the immense power of prayer, meditations, and support from friends, family, and complete strangers near and far. I could not do this without all of you! My family and I are forever grateful and now more than ever, don’t take a single moment of this beautiful life for granted. I’ve learned that being dealt with these cards that are not in my favor, only means I’m given an opportunity to change my perspective.

I will not give up!