Melissa Fedigan

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Hello, my name is Melissa Fedigan. I live in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. I am a retired teacher and now work for an Ed Tech company called Instructure. My husband Tom and I have been married 32 years and I am a mother to 2 amazing sons and an equally amazing daughter.

I’m here today to talk about my journey with appendix cancer. To some, the word ‘cancer’ is an immediate, heavy weight. And I get it—when I first heard it, it felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks. But as I’ve learned, cancer doesn’t have to define us. It doesn’t erase who we are. It’s just part of the story, not the entire narrative. And I want to share that story with you.”

It all started, in hindsight, with little signs I brushed off—stomach discomfort, some bloating, and feeling a little off. But it wasn’t until I had a particularly intense pain that I knew something wasn’t right. That’s when I found myself in the ER on February 4, again on February 22, and finally on March 6, 2024. Each time, I was diagnosed with a bowel blockage and each time it resolved. I was told to follow up with a specialist. The last time it happened, I advocated for myself by refusing to leave until I knew why I had 3 bowel blockages in a month. A few days later I had Exploratory Laparoscopic Surgery. I soon learned that I had Stage 4 moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma, a type of Appendiceal Cancer.

It’s one thing to hear ‘cancer,’ but it’s a whole different thing to feel it creeping into your life. There’s a lot of unknowns, a lot of ‘what now?’ and ‘will I be okay?’ Those are questions I didn’t have answers to. But in the silence, I found strength. I prayed and relied heavily on my faith – I still do. I decided right there and then that I wasn’t going to question WHY. Instead, I chose to focus on the things I could control to stay positive by looking for the blessings around me every day.”

The first big step in my journey was chemotherapy. After I had my port put in, I had 6 rounds from March 29-June 11. Chemo was not easy. My neuropathy flared up and I had to be on a low fiber diet the entire time to keep the risk of another bowel blockage at bay. A CT scan showed that I was considered stable and surgery could be scheduled in July.
The surgery is nicknamed MOAS – the Mother of All Surgeries – I had cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC on July 16, 2024. My appendix, a portion of my colon, my ovaries and fallopian tubes, omentum, peritoneum, and many lymph nodes were removed. This is followed by HIPEC, or heated chemo, that was put into my abdomen for about an hour and half. My PCI score, which measures the spread of the cancer in a person’s abdomen, was 5/39 prior to surgery and considered 0/39 after.

I spent 7 days in the hospital. Fortunately, I was in good shape before the surgery and that helped with my recovery. Many people have to spend a much longer time recovering before going home.

About a month after my surgery, I started another 6 rounds of chemo. This time I made it through 5 before it was too much due to my neuropathy. I rang the bell on Oct. 23, 2024 after having over 605 hours of chemotherapy and the Mother of All Surgeries! What a happy day!

Throughout my journey, I learned to appreciate small moments—the way sunlight feels on my skin, spending time with my dear family and friends, a simple walk outside. It also taught me about resilience, the kind you don’t realize you have until you have no choice but to dig deep. I learned that, sometimes, the fight isn’t just physical. It’s about mental strength, faith, and holding on to the hope that things can—and will—get better.”

Along the way, the people around me became my lifeline. Family, friends, even strangers who had been through similar battles—they were all there, lifting me up.. I wasn’t alone in this, and that made all the difference.

For now, I’m on the other side of it. I’m considered NED – No evidence of disease, and while it’s not all behind me, I’ve come out of this stronger, more connected to myself and others. I’ve learned that life isn’t about avoiding challenges, but about how we face them. It’s about the growth that happens in the midst of hardship, the lessons that unfold when we think we’ve hit our limit, and the quiet victories that happen every day.” Thank you for letting me share my story. God bless.