Life - Maria Kang

How to Navigate Cancer.

February 24, 2025

Anything than can break someone, tried to break me the last three years. My mother died. My brother died. I broke my arm. I underwent divorce. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. My son endured school district issues. I battled healthcare coverage and treatment options. I watched cancer colleagues fight for their lives only to die after following western and eastern medical protocols. I was lonely and scared. I vividly remember a physician remarking at the end of our…

I am Cancer Free.

January 31, 2025

I had my tumor removal surgery on December 20, 2024. It was all quite surreal. It was a typical Friday, I prepped my belongings after dropping the kids to school. My dad arrived at 10am and we drove solemnly to the hospital where we met my sister, niece and nephew. I recall leaning over from pain during check-in and laying in a hospital bed as I signed release waivers of three surgeons. As they wheeled me away and into the…

The Hurt Stops Here.

December 18, 2024

When my mother died, she opened a portal in me. It felt like I followed her into the dark, seeking spiritual truths and recreating a life that was authentically my own. Ever since I was little, I cried in her absence. I held onto her car tires when she dropped me to preschool. I would hide under her work desk because I wouldn’t let go of her leg at drop off. I feared her leaving decades before she finally left.…

How I heal from within.

November 26, 2024

On September 18th, as I was meditating, I heard the words, “Your tumor is shrinking.” While I was mildly nauseous from having completed one chemo cycle, I understood immediately that the spiritual shifts I underwent prior to my treatment was healing my body. The night prior to my first infusion I was angry. I was highly anxious as I didn’t receive a care plan from my medical team and wasn’t told what I was being infused with, how many cycles…

What Cancer taught me.

September 26, 2024

Weeks following my last doctor’s appointment, I underwent deep, emotional, debilitating pain that traveled throughout my head, heart and body. As much as I tried to combat the emotions filtering through me, I could no longer control the weather of my internal world. It felt like thunderstorms rained down on my hopes, earthquakes were splitting my confidence, tornadoes were chaotically lifting my stability and fire was burning down whatever was left of my ego. I began drowning in my disease.…

Operation Save Maria’s Life.

August 24, 2024

Let me set the stage for you… It is 2022. I start emailing my doctor about re-occurring health issues. In June I notice extreme dryness around my lips, followed by full blown eczema on my face, chronic fatigue, and rectal bleeding. I request blood work and am told to take iron pills and stool softeners for hemorrhoids. A couple months later I receive an email from Kaiser, a health plan I’ve had since I was born, that my premiums have…

I finally lost my sh*t

August 16, 2024

My unblemished, toned and picture-perfect midsection, is now scarred with a stoma protruding outside my skin and a large, dark seemingly permanent circle where the adhesive to my colostomy bag sticks. Daily, the skin around my stoma is itchy and inflamed. I use a heating pad to relieve lower back cramps, supposedly from where the tumor sits and where I’m experiencing pelvic adenopathy. A few days ago I arrived home unwell at 2pm and slept my way off and on…

I Have Arrived.

July 15, 2024

“I don’t want to hate this person.” I cried to Brian on a random Tuesday. The day was like any day. I woke early to drop my son to a volunteer program, worked out, went to facilities, assisted a resident at her appointment, ran errands, dropped by a shooting range (where Brian and the boys were) and was scheduled to do an IV treatment followed by dinner with friends. It should’ve flowed productively as my abundant days usually do…with lots…

Permission to Exist.

July 8, 2024

There were moments in my life when I’ve had very hard conversations with people. It’s the kind when you say something you know to be your truth knowing it won’t be received well, but once it’s released from your soul – you are free of it. You are not free because you released the truth...you are free because you're released from the lie you've been living.

I felt that conviction countless times in my life.