In the fall of 2024, 31-year-old Monika Kiparizovska began to notice that something wasn’t right. She was healthy and active, but by November she wasn’t feeling like herself. Her bowel movements were unusual, and as the weeks passed, she began experiencing stomach and back pain. Eventually, she was unable to move her bowels at all.
“I just knew something was off,” Monika recalls. A colonoscopy revealed the shocking cause: a tumor in her colon.
Shortly after her diagnosis, Monika reached out to someone she trusted — Dr. Kim Clarkin, a breast imaging radiologist at Holy Name whom she had met while volunteering at a local animal shelter. Dr. Clarkin immediately connected her with Dr. Jason Lee, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Holy Name.
Dr. Lee and Monika discussed a treatment plan that involved four months of intravenous chemotherapy. But he knew that would be a difficult regimen, and consulted with Holy Name colorectal surgeon Dr. Himabala Ghanta. Reviewing her scans together, using a multidisciplinary approach, they determined that surgery to remove the tumor was possible and could potentially eliminate the need for prolonged IV treatment.
“It was such a relief to know there was another option,” Monika says.
On May 1, 2025, Monika underwent surgery to remove the tumor with Dr. Ghanta. She remained in the hospital for two nights and had to stay on a liquid diet until she was cleared to be discharged. Despite the challenging circumstances, Monika felt cared for by everyone she encountered. “They were absolutely amazing — so caring and loving,” Monika says of Dr. Ghanta, the nurses, and the hospital staff.“ I felt supported the entire time.”
In the days following surgery, she received encouraging news: Dr. Ghanta was able to remove 25 lymph nodes, and all tested negative for cancer.
There was one remaining concern, though: Dr. Ghanta found a small amount of cancerous cells in her lymphatics, meaning chemotherapy would still be necessary to wipe out the remaining cancer. This time, though, Monika’s care team was able to start her on a pill instead of an IV regimen.
She followed a cycle of two weeks on the medication and one week off, from June through mid-November, meeting with Dr. Lee every three weeks during treatment.
“The chemo pill was way — and I mean way — better on the body,” Monika says. “I was able to live my life.”
She also saw Dr. Ghanta several times in the weeks after surgery to monitor her healing. Each visit brought reassurance that her recovery was progressing beautifully.
Today, Monika is focused on the future. Currently in remission, she will continue long-term follow-up care with Dr. Lee and is scheduled for annual scans over the next five years. She also plans to have yearly colonoscopies following her doctor’s recommendation.
Looking back, she learned something surprising: Dr. Ghanta believes the tumor may have been slowly growing for several years before she experienced symptoms.
“I had no idea,” Monika says. “That’s why I tell everyone, especially younger people, to get screened, get yourself checked out, and focus on your diet."
Now 32, Monika is grateful not only for her outcome, but for the team that guided her through one of the most frightening times of her life.
“What could have been a long chemo journey turned into something very different because my doctors took a second look,” she says. “I’m so thankful I was in the right place.”
In addition to the incredible expert care she received at Holy Name, Monika is also grateful for her supportive family and boyfriend, Japhet. She credits this team effort for helping her maintain her strength during this process.
