Ashley Burgess: Facing Cancer as a Single Mother

After Her experience with colon cancer and a recurrence, Ashley says she is now celebrating Nine years cancer free.

Here’s my story. My name is Ashley. I’m from Rochester, New York. I was 33 years old in 2013 when I found out from a colonoscopy that I had a large mass the size of a grapefruit on the sigmoid part of my colon. After a biopsy, I was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. I had to have emergency surgery within two weeks to remove the part of my colon where the cancer was found.

My life seemed to flash before me, and I felt like I was in a blur. I was a single mom, working a retail customer service job at the time. My son Max was only 11 years old. I remember thinking how scared I was and how unfair this felt. But I also felt a sense of relief that I finally had an answer as to why I had been feeling so horrible the past few years. I had gone to about every specialist and doctor, and received many blood tests, and they found nothing. God knows how many times I went to the hospital, or how at times I was so cold that nothing could get me warm. It was suggested that maybe the symptoms were all in my head. But I was constantly sick and ended up being very anemic as well.

After I had the colon resection surgery, I then started aggressive chemotherapy. I had to get a port placed in my chest so I could do chemo at home on the weekends, which helped me take care of my son. I had chemo every day for about nine months. When a CT scan showed I was clear and in remission, I was excited.

Unfortunately, my next CT scan showed the cancer had returned.

Doctors told me the cancer had spread to some of my lymph nodes and radiation would be the next course of action. After completing many months of radiation, CT scans showed that I was cancer free again. I had my port taken out immediately, but I still have the scar to remember.

I was told I couldn’t have any more children due to all the chemo I had. But, in 2021, I was fortunate enough to get pregnant and I gave birth to my second son, Reece. Never let anyone tell you that it’s impossible. I am now nine years cancer free! Always fight and believe!

Whether you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, or a loved one touched by cancer, your story can have an enormous impact. You can provide hope and inspiration to someone recently diagnosed with cancer or a patient undergoing therapy.

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