Sharing my stage IV colorectal cancer story with others is a blessing, though I’ll admit: at the time of my diagnosis, I didn’t feel this way.

In June 2016, my gastroenterologist discovered a 4.5-centimeter mass in my cecum -- a pouch connected to where the small and large intestines meet -- during a colonoscopy. A subsequent CT scan revealed that the cancer had spread to several lymph nodes and my liver. Up until that point, I...