By Paula Michele Boyle
There are moments that forever divide our lives into “before” and “after.” Mine came on Christmas Eve 2025.
As I opened my patient portal, I saw results that would change my life forever.
A scan had revealed a tumor on the left lung and another on the uterus.
In an instant, the future I had imagined was replaced by uncertainty, fear and countless questions.
I knew I needed answers.
I was told to return in six months for another scan.
But something inside me told me not to wait.
I trusted that feeling and chose to seek additional answers.
I listened to my intuition and sought a second opinion from Dr. Haber, a pulmonologist, who immediately recommended a PET scan.
That decision changed everything.
The PET scan showed that both areas needed further evaluation.
After biopsies and consultations with specialists, I entered one of the most challenging periods of waiting, waiting for answers that would determine the diagnosis and my future.
Then it was confirmed that both areas tested positive for cancer.
Initially, doctors believed the uterine cancer had spread to the lung, which is not uncommon.
The possibility that it was metastatic cancer brought a great deal of uncertainty about the prognosis and what the future might hold.
Then came unexpected news.
After additional testing and staging, we learned that the tumors were not one cancer that had spread from one area of the body to another.
They were two separate primary cancers.
Although learning there were two cancers to address was overwhelming, I also felt a profound sense of relief.
The diagnosis brought clarity.
Instead of facing one cancer that had traveled, there were two independent cancers, each with its own treatment plan and the hope of a more positive outcome.
I chose to trust my medical team, follow their recommendations and take each step one day at a time. Surgery, treatments, appointments and recovery became part of a new routine.
I recently completed my final treatment and will continue to be monitored closely with regular scans and follow-up appointments.
Today, I move forward with tremendous gratitude.
I am grateful for the doctors whose expertise and dedication guided me through this journey.
I am grateful for my husband, family and friends, whose love and encouragement carried me through the difficult moments.
I am grateful for every prayer, message and act of kindness that reminded me I was never alone.
During this time, many areas of my life had to be placed on hold.
For more than 25 years, I have dedicated myself to coaching, teaching and supporting others through Life Coach Philly. I built meaningful relationships with countless people and created a community focused on growth, transformation and living with purpose.
Stepping away from my work was difficult. Important contacts and parts of my business were lost while I focused on healing.
But I learned an important lesson:
Taking care of yourself is not stepping away from your purpose. Sometimes it is the most important part of your purpose.
This experience changed me in ways I never expected.
It reminded me that life is precious.
It taught me the importance of trusting my intuition, advocating for myself and taking an active role in my own health and well-being.
My journey also reinforced the importance of regular screenings, listening to your body and seeking answers when something does not feel right.
Seeking a second opinion was one of the most important decisions I made.
We each have a voice in our healthcare journey.
Asking questions, gathering information and trusting our inner voice can make a meaningful difference.
My experience reinforced what I have encouraged others to practice for years:
We cannot always control what happens in life, but we can choose how we respond.
We can take action.
We can ask questions.
We can seek answers.
We can trust our intuition.
I am gradually jumping back into life and excited to see where this new understanding and perspective will take me.
I know I am not returning as the same person I was before this experience. I am moving forward with a deeper appreciation for each moment, a renewed sense of purpose and an openness to what comes next.
This journey has strengthened my compassion, deepened my faith and reaffirmed my calling to help others navigate life’s unexpected challenges with resilience, courage and hope.
If my story encourages even one person to listen to their intuition, seek a second opinion, advocate for their health or believe that new possibilities can emerge from difficult circumstances, then sharing it has purpose.
Life is precious.
The people we love matter.
The choices we make matter.
The way we show up each day matters.
This experience will always be part of my story, but it will never define my future.
This chapter is about healing.
It is about gratitude.
It is about hope.
And most of all, it is about new beginnings. ••
Paula Michele Boyle lives in Fox Chase.
To learn more about her work and coaching programs, visit www.lifecoachphilly.com.
