Hey babe, it's Kyra!

Hey babes💕 long time no see! It has been a minute since I last posted a blog update and I kinda left you hanging — so sorry! Life has been busy, and honestly some things didn’t go in my favor for a while. It’s been hard to fully accept everything, process it, and then sit down to type it out. But I’m finally here now. Happy New Year! 💫 And if you’re ready to read — here we go.

Where We left Off

My last post, One Node, High Stakes, was about my October 27th surgery to remove a lymph node to see if the cancer had spread to it or the hepatic space around my liver. And this was HIGH stakes because if it spread, that meant no more transplant eligibility.

And guess what — the lymph node was positive for cancer.

Which means I’m no longer eligible for a liver transplant.

Truly devastating news. A transplant could’ve completely changed the trajectory of this diagnosis, but that’s sadly not the case anymore.

Before getting this news from the Baylor surgeons, we were getting consults and second opinions from Houston Methodist and The Mayo Clinic — some of the best doctors/surgeons for transplants with PSC (my liver disease) and cholangiocarcinoma (my cancer). But once the results came in, it was just call after call of everyone saying the same thing to me, getting rejected, and feeling like I was a lost cause. Just thinking back to those moments makes me really emotional and puts me back in that feeling that it’s all over for me.

Shifting The Focus

After getting the transplant news, I talked to my oncologist at my next infusion about next steps. Then on Novemeber 17th, I had my first consult at MD Anderson. Since transplant was no longer an option, mentally everything shifted to chemo being the main plan.

We also wanted a second opinion because MD Anderson is MD Anderson — the best of the best — but also because my family had found this treatment called histotripsy. It uses ultrasound waves to break down tumors primarily in the liver. It was FDA approved only a few years ago and has had really promising results. And it’s only done at about four hospitals in the U.S. — MD Anderson being one of them.

At my consult, the doctor actually agreed with my chemo regimen and said the Baylor team was being more aggressive than he would’ve started with — but that since I’m handling it well, that’s great. Hearing that felt SO good. You always hear “we’re being aggressive,” but I have nothing to compare that to — so it was validating to hear that yes, we are on it.

He also said he’d bring my case to their tumor board to see if I was a good candidate for histotripsy. Fast forward — they think I am! They want me to do six months of chemo first, so in April I’ll get new scans to make sure I’m still eligible.

But… the not-so-great part of the MD Anderson and Baylor conversations was prognosis. Both agreed that with my current diagnosis, the prognosis is 1–2 years. Without surgery to physically cut out the cancer, chemo is life-prolonging — not curative. That news is obviously very heavy. But I’m trying to stay positive, but also realistic.

Something that stuck with me: another oncologist I saw (yes, I’ve seen SO many specialists at this point lol) told me that everything we are doing is still with the intention to be curative. And my transplant surgeon said that even just two years ago they knew far less about treating cholangiocarcinoma than they do now. Things are changing constantly. New treatments are coming out. And maybe — hopefully — something will come in time for me.

All of that to say: I have positive energy toward this, I am hopeful, and I have so much want and will to live. And hopefully that counts for something.

Another Maybe: Liver Resection?

Okay, another update — there might still be a surgical option: a liver resection, which means cutting out the part of my liver with cancer.

When I was diagnosed, my tumors were small (I believe they still are) and on the left side of my liver. Surgeons originally thought it could be a pretty straightforward resection (as straightforward as liver surgery can be lol).

But when I met with the Houston Methodist surgeons on December 17th they said new scans showed possible spots on the right side of my liver. Here’s the tricky part:

• those spots could be cancer → which would mean it spread → which means no resection
  OR
• they could just be enlarged bile ducts → super common with PSC → which means resection could still happen

Since being diagnosed, I’ve had so many scans — MRI, PET, CT — and each one sees things differently. The surgeons said it’s like comparing apples to oranges.

SO — I have another MRI on January 13th. That one will hopefully determine if those spots are cancer or not.

Right now we are 0 for 2 on my 50/50 scenarios…

1. Was the OG liver mass cancer? → yes
2. Was the lymph node cancer? → yes

So my track record isn’t great… but I am HOPEFUL this could finally be a win for me! Please send your positive energy, prayers, crossed fingers, manifestations — ANYTHING — because I could really use a little win in this saga.🤞🏽

New Year, Same Hot Girl

If you made it this far — thank you for being kind and keeping up with my life! My prognosis of 1–2 years is obviously far less than ideal, but I’m prepared to make the absolute most of it — especially 2026. I’m working on a bucket list that I’m really excited about, plus a 2026 bingo sheet filled with things I want to manifest this year. I’ll share them with the class once I finish (I know I should’ve had them done by Jan 1st but ya girl has been busy!).

Physically, I’m still feeling overall good. Chemo is going well. And the biggest win? Scalp cooling is working PERFECTLY.

I’ve only lost my normal amount of natural hair shedding. My curls are still thick and thriving. Truly — thank you again to everyone who donated toward that! I would say money VERY well spent 💖

I’ve updated my Appointment Schedule if you want to follow along (again so sorry I’ve been slacking), and I will update my Hot Girl Support Squad page soon with some new additions now that I’m a few months into chemo and know what’s actually helpful. 2025 was a really tough year, but it still had so much joy. Cheers to more joy to come!

Love you babes. Until next time.
xoxo,
Kyra💋✨