Welcome to the Sh*t Show: A Memoir of Colorectal Cancer and the Power of Self-Advocacy

For colorectal cancer patients, the people who love them, and the professionals who care for them, a clear-eyed account of one woman's fight to survive

As a single working parent, the last thing on Shannon Ivey's mind in 2016 was her own health. Then she was diagnosed with late-stage III colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is now the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and Shannon discovered that she was part of a trend of younger people receiving the diagnosis.

In Welcome to the Sh*t Show, Shannon delivers a frank account of her journey from diagnosis through grueling treatment and arriving at her "new normal." She shares candid insights into the physical and emotional toll of treatment, social expectations, systemic inequities, and grappling with structural and internalized ableism. Her compelling memoir is a testament to the necessity of self-advocacy. Shannon's honesty, resilient spirit, and biting humor transform a terrifying experience into a powerful message of hope, urging readers to fight for a life worth living, no matter what the odds.