In Dee's words: This will be a hard post for me to type but here we go…bare with me. Life changed forever when I turned 30. I celebrated my 30th birthday preparing for my mother’s funeral. She lost her battle with cancer after 8 months of fighting on Valentine’s Day of 2016. She was only 58 years old. Mom taught me everything except how to live without her. The pain hurts just as bad as it did back then. That kind of pain never really leaves you — you just learn how to carry it differently. The heartbreak was unimaginable. But somehow, I kept going. I adjusted to a life without her, one painful breath at a time. A pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone… and one I carried into the next chapter of my life. Not long after, I started a promising career at USPS, and for a while, things looked hopeful again. A few months after that, I was diagnosed with Lupus SLE, along with several other autoimmune diseases. There’s no cure — just learning how to manage the pain, the fatigue, the daily task of managing symptoms and pushing through, even on the hardest days. Every day since has been a fight—an invisible war between my body and my will to live, love, and show up. But I did show up. I do show up. For my two boys, who are my reason and my light. For my marriage of 15 years, built on love, patience, and resilience. For the two jobs I’ve worked — not because it was easy, but because it was necessary. I’m a mom first, above all else and with the constant support of my husband, we kept our little world turning, even when the weight of it all feels impossible. For the past 9 years, I’ve balanced it all, even when my body screamed for rest, even when I wanted to give up. And now, just when I thought I had made peace with my battles… I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Cancer… The word alone is heavy. It was cancer that took my mom. And now… it’s cancer that I’m fighting too. Breast cancer, on top of everything else, while already being immunocompromised. No matter how many times I say it out loud, it still feels unreal. I have cancer. We’re still processing. Still trying to make sense of the road ahead. But one thing I know for sure: I’ll fight this too. It’s a lot to process. It’s overwhelming. It’s scary. But I want to say this loud and clear: I WILL BE OKAY. Because I’ve faced battles before — and I’m still here. Because I’ve built strength in silence and resilience in pain. Because I have an army in my corner, lifting me when I feel weak. To my boys.. You are the reason I get up and grind everyday. Push through the pain. Everything I do, every decision I make it’s all for you and our family. To my friends, family, and everyone who has reached out — thank you. Your love means more than you know. And to my husband… I know you didn’t sign up for any of this. But when you said your vows, you meant every word. “In sickness and in health. Till death do us part.” We will fight this — together.