February 10, 2023 my life changed forever.
You never think it's going to be you! As I am writing this (a year later) I still don't believe I have cancer haha. It's just a word that you hope to never hear at your own doctors appointment.
I was a young 21 year old about to graduate college and recently married. I had been having some stomach aches and was justifying them to what a normal 21 year old has to deal with that's about to graduate college. I thought it was nothing too concerning - maybe stress. I remember calling my sister and thinking it was mono or a some virus that would go away soon.
My symptoms persisted. In fact, they got worse. I was leaving class multiple times to use the bathroom, was abnormally tired, and had a hard time concentrating due to my pain. I thought it could be symptoms of my recently placed birth control?
Then I started seeing blood whenever I used the bathroom. Finally, my husband convinced me to go to the doctor. I had literally never been to a doctors appointment after moving away from the house haha so it seemed like a pain to set one up. But I did. I went to a local clinic and the doctor ended up thinking it was anxiety or stress and maybe ulcerative colitis. She told me to watch it.
Symptoms kept getting worse so I went back to the doctor and she gave me pills for ulcerative colitis. Nothing happened.
A lot happened in between but I finally got in for a colonoscopy months later and I heard the words I never thought I would hear - "you have cancer."
Life looks different to me now. This diagnosis has changed my lens on the world. I’ve found a new appreciation for time—time well spent, time with people I love, time that means something. I see the value in truly living. And I want others to see what I see. There’s this deep desire in me now to give others that same perspective, that same sense of purpose and connection.
This season has been a rollercoaster, filled with so many emotions—fear, hope, grief, gratitude. But one of the most important things it’s taught me is that good exists in the world, even in hard places, and the world needs more of this good.
That’s why we decided to start The Port Studio. It’s more than just a brand. It’s a community of people who believe in finding connection, in holding onto hope, and in choosing to live differently. It’s for people who want to give and receive gifts that truly mean something, that bring comfort.
Through this journey, I’ve come to see how small acts of love, even a thoughtful gift, can become symbols of strength and reminders of the good that still exists. And in the end, that’s what we’re trying to create—a place where people can find comfort, hope, and the encouragement to live fully, no matter what they’re going through.