There are moments in life that quietly divide everything into a "before this" and an "after this" category.
For me, one of those moments came with a single word I never expected to hear:
Melanoma.
Back in March, I was on vacation in Arizona, just enjoying time away at Spring Training like we've done almost every year since I was a little girl. I was getting dressed in my room at our VRBO when I noticed a spot on my back that I had never seen before.
To be totally transparent, the only mirror we have at our home in Colorado is the mirror in the bathroom. So seeing my full body in this giant mirror in Arizona was not something I had done in a while.
It was a black spot, a little bit bigger than a pea. It didn't look too scary, just different enough to catch my attention.
And truthfully, I could have brushed it off.
I could have told myself I’d look at it later.
But my gut was telling me something different.
I went to my mom, a retired nurse of 42 years, and showed it to her, and she agreed that it looked strange and needed to be checked.
So when we got home, I made an appointment.
Two weeks later, I had it looked at. It was a quick appointment, in and out within 10 minutes. The doctor saw the spot, cut it off to get tested, and I was on my way.
The Diagnosis
About two weeks after that appointment, I heard the word:
Melanoma. To which the doctor followed by saying, "That is a form of cancer and we want to treat this immediately."
Even now, it doesn’t fully feel real. How can I have CANCER? I'm young, I wear sunscreen, I don't show my skin often.
It felt like a mistake. Or a bad dream.
I didn’t expect it.
I didn’t think I was someone at risk.
I just thought I was being cautious by getting a spot looked at, but I truly did not think it would come back as Melanoma.
The time between the diagnosis and getting my surgery scheduled to get the area excised and my lymph nodes tested felt like somewhat of a twilight zone.
Having to wait in the waiting room at a cancer center was almost an out of body experience. Seeing folks with all different cancers, different stages, different ages... all sitting together in one room.
It was an experience that I don't yet really know how to put into words.
Surgery & The Waiting
Since then, I’ve had surgery to remove it and I had two lymph nodes removed to get tested to see if the cancer has spread further into my body or not.
And now… I wait.
Waiting for results.
Waiting for clarity.
Waiting to fully understand what this means for my body and my future, my family, me.
And if you’ve ever been in a waiting season like this, you know...
it’s its own kind of heavy.
I used to think of myself as a patient person. But it turns out, when you're waiting to hear if your cancer has spread, time just moves differently.
My thoughts about what the results could be are all over the place.
Not always loud or overwhelming…
but quietly sitting in the background of everything.
The Emotional Layer
Hearing the word “melanoma” shifts something in you. Honestly, it was more hearing the word "Cancer" than it was the melanoma.
Cancer feels really dark and heavy.
Even when it’s caught early.
Even when you’re told it’s treatable.
It still makes you pause.
For me, it immediately brought me back to what matters most:
my children, my family, this life we’ve built, and the dreams we are continuing to pursue.
It made everything feel more fragile,
but also more sacred.
The Shift
Since my diagnosis, something has shifted deeply in me.
Not in a fear-filled way (although there has been way more fear than I would like to admit),
but in a grounded, wake-up kind of way.
I’m paying closer attention life as a whole.
Taking better care of my body, both inside and out.
Why I’m Sharing This
Because if you’re anything like me…
You might assume it won’t happen to you.
You might see something and think:
“It’s probably nothing.”
You might wait. Because life is busy.
But the time between when you notice something and when we actually decide to get it checked...
It matters.
Trust your gut. Know your body.
Gentle Call to Action
If there’s one thing I can ask from you, it’s this:
Please don’t ignore what your body is trying to show you or tell you.
If something feels off—get it checked.
Not from fear…
but from care.
I’m still in the middle of this story.
Still waiting.
Still processing.
Still learning.
I'm trying very hard to stay rooted in my faith and speak truth over the situation, to control what I can control and let God handle the rest.
I will not let fear take over.
But I know this already:
If sharing this helps even one person trust their instinct and make that appointment—
then it will all be worth it.
May is Melanoma Awareness Month and I hope that my story can inspire you or someone you love to just get checked.
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