One Year Later: Scars, SPARK, and a Whole Lotta Big Pink Energy

One year.

Two surgeries.

Nine weeks of chemo.

Seventy nights sleeping in my beloved healing recliner.

Too many pills to count.

And a heart still beating with gratitude.

If you'd told me a year ago what I was about to face, I’m not sure I would’ve believed you. I might’ve braced myself, swallowed hard, and thought, “There’s no way I can carry all of that.” But here I am—scarred, exhausted, inspired, and still so alive. And I don’t take a second of that lightly.

Let me be clear: this past year stretched me in ways I didn’t know were humanly possible. There were days I showed up while barely holding it together. Days when the energy it took just to keep moving felt heavier than the diagnosis itself. But even in the fog of it all, two things never wavered—my people and my perspective. Leaning on my community and choosing light (even if it was the dimmer switch version some days) got me through.

And through it all, I kept writing and sharing with all of you was so therapeutic! Sharing my story in real time became a lifeline. It grounded me, gave shape to the chaos, and reminded me that my voice still had power.

Writing wasn’t just something I did—it became part of how I healed. It’s how I kept bringing my Big Pink Energy, even on the hardest days.

Sharing my journey while living it—especially after introducing my second cancer intensity point in the Bring Your Big Energy book—was surreal. As I traveled the country, meeting people in bookstores, they were meeting me at the page where I left off: the place I called “this time.” I had already walked through it, but they were just arriving. That moment of connection? Unreal. Deep. A reminder that healing and hope are always on a shared timeline.

I’ve learned so much—but here’s what’s sticking:

Keep moving. Even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s messy.

Don’t stop doing what you love. I went to Disney seven days after chemo ended—not because it made sense, but because it made me feel alive.

Say yes anyway. I recorded my own audiobook despite being told it was “too physical.” But it mattered to me. I wanted people to hear it in my voice, like I was sitting right next to them. Because I am.

Let people love you. My best friend transformed my entire basement into La La Land for homecoming when I could barely get off the couch. That kind of love? It heals.

Embrace the new you. This one’s a work in progress. Some days I look in the mirror and see a stranger in my own skin—a body that’s changed, that’s carried me, that I’m still learning to love. But she’s here. And she’s still living the life I love too much to leave.

Through all of it, I’ve returned again and again to the SPARK method.

• Self-reflection kept me honest about what I needed—emotionally and physically.

• Purpose reminded me why I keep showing up and sharing, even when it’s hard.

• Abandon taught me to drop the guilt, the expectations, and the pressure to “bounce back” quickly.

• Results showed up in small wins: a walk, a laugh, a full night’s sleep.

• Kinetic Energy reminded me to move. Not just my body, but my spirit.

  
  

This journey isn’t over.

Today, I go in for my six-month remission testing. And I’m praying—hard—that what lies ahead isn’t another round of battle, but a new chapter of healing.

A chapter where I get to focus on health, joy, purpose… and life beyond survival.

Please hold me in your prayers. For clarity, for clean blood work, for a body that says yes to moving forward.

And no matter what, I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep bringing that Big Energy.

Because this life? I’m not done with it yet. And it’s definitely not done with me.

I love you all!

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