How Cassy Shives Found her Strength

This is a guest post by Cassy Shives, 43, who was diagnosed with stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma in 2023. She lives with her family in Ohio.

My story is not just a story about cancer. It is a story about a mother, a wife, a grandmother, a healthcare worker, and a woman who refused to let a diagnosis define her.

In 2023, my world changed when I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. I never imagined that a routine part of my life would turn into a battle I never asked for. I faced the fear, the unknown, and the questions that come with hearing the words “you have cancer.” But even in that moment, I knew I had something worth fighting for — my family, my future, and the life I had built.

I underwent a right radical nephrectomy on April 25, 2023, losing a kidney but gaining a new perspective on life. Cancer took away something physical, but it never took away my strength. I had kids who needed their mom, a husband who stood beside me, and a family who reminded me every day why I had to keep going.

Then came the next chapter of my fight. Cancer traveled to my lungs, and I faced more treatments and more uncertainty. I underwent radiation treatments, including targeted radiation to my lung areas in 2024. Sitting through those treatments was not easy. There were appointments, scans, worries, and days when I had to dig deeper than I ever thought possible.

But I kept showing up.

I showed up for radiation. I showed up for my family. I showed up for my job. I showed up for myself.

While fighting cancer, I was still being a mom — cheering on my kids, celebrating their accomplishments, making memories, and being the person my family counted on. Cancer became part of my story, but it was never the whole story.

I continued working as a medical assistant, caring for others while carrying my own battles quietly. I know what it feels like to sit on the other side of the medical world — not just as the person taking vitals and helping patients, but as the patient waiting for answers. That experience changed me. It gave me even more compassion and a deeper understanding of what people face when they hear scary words from a doctor.

There have been hard days. There have been scans that brought fear, moments of wondering what the future would look like, and times when I had to remind myself how far I had already come. But every challenge has proven something: I am stronger than the moments that tried to break me.

Today, I stand here as a survivor and a warrior. I am still a mom. I am still a wife. I am still a grandma. I am still the woman who loves fiercely, fights hard, and finds beauty in the little things.

My scars tell a story. My treatments tell a story. My strength tells a story.

Cancer changed my life, but it did not steal my purpose.

I am proof that a diagnosis can shake you without defeating you. I am proof that fear and courage can exist at the same time. I am proof that even when the road is difficult, you can keep moving forward.

My cancer journey is not the end of my story.

It is the chapter that showed me just how strong I truly am.