Conger, who credits journaling about her “little victories” like filling the dishwasher or going for a walk with helping her power through her battle, recounted the sixth day of her chemo cycle being the “most excruciating pain” she’s ever experienced.

“I hurt so bad, and I was also scared to tell the people that loved me, and that I loved, that I was scared I was going to die. And it was the most restless, desperate night of my life. I actually prayed to God to take me because I felt like that was going to be easier here,” she said.

However, during a painful night of chemo, she realized it was okay to struggle and ask for help. With her kids at school and her husband busy, she felt overwhelmed at home and asked her oncologist if she could return to work. Her doctor agreed, and her return to work ultimately gave her purpose and reminded her who she really was.

She explained, “I found that back in my uniform, and I found that at work. It allowed me to do that at home for my girls too … that it’s real easy to feel sorry for ourselves. It’s real easy to let the bad close in on us, but we’re made for more than that.”

Further adding how she hopes her daughters—and the children of others observing her—learned resilience from her, Congor continued, “And to see what it’s like to go through hard things … I feel like we’ve got to do that for our kids, and I feel like I’ve got to do that.

“There are a lot of other people’s kids in the military, and so they saw if I was the highest-ranking enlisted person in their unit and I wasn’t okay and I could ask for help, then every single one of them could.”

She concluded, “I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for that for my girls too, because they’re not afraid to ask me for help anymore, but they do. They’re not afraid to say, ‘Mom, I don’t feel good. Mom, I’m going through this thing. Can you help me?’

Congor said that openly discussing personal struggles has become a normal part of her family life, and they make a point to talk about their challenges together.

“We’re open, we’re transparent, and we don’t sell each other short,” she said.

Helping Patients Get Answers

Cancer treatment breakthroughs are arriving fast, and for many patients and caregivers, keeping up can feel overwhelming. SurvivorNet’s AI-powered tool, My Health Questions, is built to cut through that complexity by helping people understand what new therapies mean for them and how to talk about their concerns with their care teams.

WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care

Embedded throughout the SurvivorNet website, My Health Questions delivers structured, clinically grounded answers based on medical guidelines and expert-reviewed research. Users can type or speak their questions and receive responses tailored to their individual profiles, with suggested prompts available for anyone unsure where to start.

Designed to support both major treatment decisions and everyday concerns, the tool is backed by leading oncology specialists. Its purpose is to complement conversations with clinicians — helping patients arrive at appointments more informed, more prepared, and more confident.

As SurvivorNet expands its patient-focused resources, My Health Questions represents a major step forward in how technology can support people navigating cancer.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.