I have struggled with when, or even if, to share this information, but on my road to acceptance, I decided it was helpful for me. I was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. This past summer was a physically challenging one, but even with trips to various doctors, we couldn’t really figure out what was causing my pain and fatigue. Then an emergency occurred in late September that forced me to go to the ER. They did a CT scan and found several alarming areas and immediately admitted me to the hospital, as well as performed a colostomy to save my colon. I spent 9 days in the hospital, recovering and trying to wrap my head around my new physical condition. (I’m still working on accepting this change to my body.) And then the results came back from biopsies taken during my surgery- I have colon cancer that has spread to my abdominal wall. I was in shock for days. I’m not even sure the first time I cried or got angry. It may have been after getting home. But I still couldn’t bring myself to say these three words until just recently: "I have cancer." It was a very powerful and painful moment for me. And as I begin my chemo treatment, I will continue to stand in front of the mirror and look myself in the eyes and say, “I have cancer. It doesn’t define me. And I will fight it with all the strength I have and can borrow from others.”