I was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2010. I have had a number of surgeries, chemo, RFA, SBRT, and most recently, VATS. I believe that currently I am NED, although I’ve learned that doesn’t mean much. 

My day job is an IT Director and I have worked through my entire cancer treatments. I have a daughter with Down Syndrome, so I’m very involved in the special needs in my community. By far my most rewarding job, although I don’t think of it as a job, is a colon cancer patient and research advocate. 

I started as a Research Advocate with Fight CRC in September 2016. Since then I have learned so much about CRC and I hope that I can take what I’ve learned to support my fellow patients and myself. I’ve been given many rewarding opportunities to make a difference in the patient experience in clinical trials.

I currently work with the Alliance for Clinical Trials on the GI Steering, Symptom Intervention, Immunoncology, Patient Advocate, Plain Language Summary, and Patient Education Portal Committees; the Department of Defense on grant applications; the NCI for trials that are not accruing quick enough; ASCO on YIA grant applications; and as a Fight CRC Clinical Trial Curator.

It is an exciting time in cancer research and understanding and I’m hopeful we can see a cure for CRC in my lifetime.