TikToker Who Thought She Was Having Colon Surgery — But Woke Up to Hysterectomy — Is Separating From Husband

"I’ve lost myself and who I am," said Devlynn Cyr, explaining why she and her husband Greg are “taking a step back” during her treatment for colon cancer

TikToker Devlynn Cyr — who woke up from colon surgery in September 2023 to learn she had stage 3 colon cancer and doctors had to remove her uterus — has shared that she and her husband Greg are separating.

After her social media followers noticed she wasn’t wearing her ring, Devlynn and Greg posted a video together announcing their separation.

“We have mutually made the decision that we’re going to separate. Now before anybody gets their feathers ruffled, Greg is not abandoning me, I’m not abandoning him,” Devlynn said, while Greg stood behind her. “We just need to take a few steps back before we can take three steps forward.”

The Alberta, Canada, resident, who has begun chemotherapy for her cancer, shared that the treatment for her disease has taken a toll on their relationship.

“Cancer hasn’t been easy. I’ve lost myself and who I am, and my ability to do things. I’m unfortunately not like most people where I’m like,’ I’ve got to live my best life right now in case something happens,’” Devlynn, 39, shared.

“I am a person that shuts down, and I don’t want to get sick and I don’t want to do anything that could make it so I’m not here for an extended period of time. I’ve lost my ability to smile or do things that I love and just be fun, because everything is about cancer.”

She said they decided to separate and take space to “re-find ourselves. And that’s something we need to do on our own.”

Greg added that it’s “less of a physical separation” and “more just like a mental separation to just reset,” sharing that he still planned to accompany Devlynn to therapy and appointments.

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Devlynn continued by saying, “We haven’t exactly been the most intimate couple because that’s been really hard especially with this diagnosis. Given my state, and how I’ve handled things between fear and shutting down and dissociating, because that’s what I do.”

“Space is what’s needed for us. We’re hoping that we can become friends again,” she said.

She shared that they hoped the separation would “take the pressure off.” And as she told PEOPLE exclusively, "I would like to add that I’ve got a great support system in a small group of ladies I’ve made off TikTok."

A study published in the National Library of Medicine shared that colorectal cancer survivors see a higher rate of intimacy issues, and more than half “experience changes in body image.”

Devlynn also acknowledged the pressure on Greg. “With this diagnosis, ‘What am I going to have to do for her next?’ And that’s a real thing,” she said. “I understand that Greg feels like a gopher sometimes,” she said. “But on the other hand, I’m doing my best to try and do what I can, and then you kind of hit that wall.”

The couple got married last March after after four months of dating, during which Devlynn had told PEOPLE they were “inseparable.”

Devlynn’s colon cancer surgery took place just 8 months after their wedding — a timeline they both said impacted their marriage.

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“We literally went from this whirlwind romance and everything is great and fine with a few hospital trips,” Devlynn said, “From that moment it has been nothing but hospital visits and pain…where do you have time to be married or newlyweds? We didn’t even get our first dance because I was in so much pain.”

“We’re taking a step back to find ourselves and then honestly, I’d like to start dating my wife again,” Greg said.

“The goal with this is to start at square one and be friends, and then hopefully date and then build that up, and start having experiences that we should have had before this cancer diagnosis.”

Devlynn was quick to defend Greg when a commenter asked “Did you seriously abandon this woman while she’s struggling with cancer treatment. Awful…”

“He’s not abandoning me while going through chemo,” she said. “He’s still going to stay and help. Given a separation, somebody’s still willing to stay and help when that’s got to be hard on them is pretty commendable.”

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They posted another TikTok update following her chemo treatment, with Devlynn sharing that the negative comments “baffle me,” since “we don’t want a divorce. We’re trying to work through things but we’re trying to do that the best we can.”

As Greg added, “I’m still here. She’s still here. The difference isn’t that we’ve been married for ten years…we met and got engaged and got married so fast and that doesn’t change the perception of who we want to be with.”

“It took us to a place where we haven’t had a chance to actually get to know each other....For us to take a step back and still be married‚ we’re not divorcing," he added. "We’re just taking a step back to re-get to know each other…It’s going to build us back from what we both hope, stronger and better.”

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