Cancer. Hearing the word alone can cause a flood of emotion and confusion.
Miracle. Hearing the word can also cause a flood of emotions…including indescribable joy and amazement.
You’d never guess sitting across the table from her today, full of life, beautiful, and caring, the flood of emotions Erin Stevens, of rural Montague, a 12-month stage 4 colon cancer survivor, has felt and the miracles she’s experienced along the way.
Her story begins in March of 2023, young, strong, in the prime of her life, wife to Rod Stevens, whose love and support fills the room, mother to daughters, Morgan and Isabel, grandmother to Ivy, and owner of a Blondies Hair Salon. Looking back, she said things started changing after a trip out west. An avid runner, she said, “I thought I’d pulled a muscle. I couldn’t run. I took three months off. I finally went to the chiropractor and felt great after two visits, so I ran all summer,” she said. “But I could never get into the ‘runner’s zone’. I felt bloated and even though I was running 20 miles a week, I gained weight. I ran 18.6 miles in the annual Ragnar last September, but felt run down afterward. I just figured it was because I was working 10-12 hours a day.”
Finally in mid-October, Erin made her first doctor’s appointment, but she never made it to the doctor’s office. She awoke Sunday, October 29, 2023 in extreme pain and went to the emergency room. After a number of tests and a CT scan, the ER doctor broke the somber news to Rod in the hallway, “This isn’t going to be a short trip for her, she’s full of cancer.”
Because there were no beds available in Muskegon, Rod took Erin directly to Grand Rapids where she would stay the next four days and have many other tests. A liver biopsy revealed she had Stage 4 colon cancer. Despite this devastating diagnosis, Erin returned to work the following Monday and continued to work for the next couple of weeks. She admits she didn’t want to tell everyone what was going on. She wasn’t even sure what was going on. Anyone who knows Erin personally knows this is how she rolls. She takes what life hands her and faces it with everything she’s got.
As her soulmate, Rod admits walking with Erin through this journey has in some ways been more difficult on him. Yet he took on the challenge; advocating for her, protecting her, laughing with her and crying with her every step of the way.
They vividly remember meeting with her cancer physician, Dr. Pounder, when he said, “If this were 12 years ago, I would have sent you home.” Stage 4 colon cancer used to be a death sentence. However, he pulled no punches when he said he was going to “kick her a**” and hit this cancer with everything he had. After hearing that and not totally comprehending all that meant, they went out to their car and finally broke down, Erin said. She admits that was the first time she really cried. “But I never thought I was going to die.”
Before her treatments began the two met with Erin’s surgical oncologist Dr. Chung. He didn’t come off as having much bedside manner, Rod said. “He explained Erin would have six weeks of chemo, then have surgery followed by six more weeks of chemo. Once the grueling weeks of chemo started, her case became the ‘talk of the town’ at the hospital’s weekly meeting of the ‘tumor board’. Her case was advanced, but the chemo was working!”
So much of those weeks of chemo were a blur, “I literally slept for 20 hours a day,” Erin said. Meanwhile the community was surrounding them with everything they could think of. Erin’s dad came nearly every night and held her hand. “I cried at the generosity of people. That’s where the emotions were high. I looked forward to the mail every day,” smiled Erin.
In one of her first posts on CaringBridge, Morgan wrote, “My mother is a worker bee and is someone who shows up constantly for not only her clients, but she’s never shorted being there for her family and friends either….Show up for Erin, Because if you’re reading this I’m sure she’s shown up for you at one time or another. She’s tough…but we need your prayers and support more than anything.” In less than 24 hours hundreds of friends and family had responded, wishing Erin all the best, reminding her how strong she was, offering prayers and encouraging her to stay strong. Future posts were met with just as many, and more, friend and supporter comments to keep fighting.
With the chemo working beyond their wildest imaginations, her doctor and the tumor board recommended postponing surgery and continuing with another six rounds of chemo. By February, while enduring her second half of chemo treatments, she confounded her doctors when she asked if she could walk on the treadmill. When they said ok, she asked if she could fly to Florida for a few days. To which Rod posted on CaringBridge, “I’m not sure how she does it, she is the strongest person I know. Not once has she said ‘why me?’ or felt sorry for herself. I think with the perseverance she has and the thoughts and prayers from all of you, (that) is why this cancer is leaving her body in a mass exodus.”
At their doctor appointment with Dr. Chung prior to having her surgery. Rod said the formerly reserved and unemotional Dr. Chung admitted, “This is the best CT scan that I’ve seen in forever.” Her eight- hour surgery took place June 6, where a part of her colon, and her gall bladder were removed, followed by a full hysterectomy. “The doctor originally talked about removing 40 percent of her liver. But when they got in there, the seven smaller spots seen on a previous CT scan were ‘missing’ and the two quarter-size spots were the size of peas, so the surgeon only had to zap those!” Rob exclaimed. A hepatic artery infusion pump was installed in her abdomen that would administer a special chemotherapy for two weeks at a time. In the three and half months since, she continues to heal, is doing amazingly well and is expected to complete those treatments in December.
Rod could hardly wait to share what Dr. Chung said immediately following Erin’s surgery, “He explained everything that was done in surgery and knocking his knuckles on the table said, ‘I couldn’t find anything, as of right now, she’s cancer-free.’”
The following day Rod posted this heartfelt update, “E is a miracle…this just has to be that all the prayers and thoughts from everyone have been heard by the Good Lord Above!! No other explanation makes sense?”
Even with this glowing report, Erin admitted, “I didn’t want to be overly optimistic.” But since then Erin continues to improve. While she’s had to take it easy, and is still recovering, it was a good summer for Erin. She started running again, and even ran one leg of the Ragnar with her team in September. This year’s team magnet appropriately was titled, “4E #eatdustcancer”. “It was a slow leg but I did it,” she laughed.
It’s definitely been a refining time for both of them. Erin actually returned to work part-time after Labor Day. “It feels good. It’s the new Erin. I love my job, but let’s have more balance,” she said. She admits before her cancer she couldn’t relax. She was always thinking about what needed to be done. “Now, I feel joyful. God is good. We’re so grateful.”
You can hear the joy and amazement in Rod’s voice when on July 8, after a follow-up doctor appointment, Rod posted this on CaringBridge, “She is definitely a living miracle by the Grace of God. I believe He heard every prayer.”
