Michelle went to the emergency room with what felt like a simple urinary tract infection. Instead, a CT scan revealed kidney cancer. The words terrified her, she remembers.

The months that followed were complicated due to the COVID pandemic. With hospital restrictions in place, Michelle faced appointments and pre-op visits alone—no visitors, no hand to hold in waiting rooms. She focused on the procedure:: a partial nephrectomy to remove the tumor while preserving as much kidney function as possible.

Surgery day came and went; recovery began. Without the usual circle of loved ones at her bedside, Michelle leaned on phone calls, prayer, and the quiet strength of her two daughters, who became her anchors through it all. 

Today—three years later—Michelle is cancer-free (NED). She’s back to her routines and the things that make her feel most like herself: gardening, getting lost in a good book, fishing, and family time. She also works as a notary public, a role that lets her meet people on ordinary days—something she now treasures.

Her advice for anyone newly diagnosed is: don’t let fear consume you. “It’s hard getting through the first year—your body is readjusting after surgery, and the cycle of scans and lab work can stir up anxiety,” she says. “But my faith gets me through.” Michelle’s story is a reminder that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s choosing the next step anyway.