My Story

My Mom was diagnosed in 2005 with stage IV colon cancer and experienced two recurrences (2009 and 2014). She had chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery and had a colostomy bag until her death.

During my Mom’s first bout with colon cancer, her oncologist moved away during her treatments. I remember he had a meeting with us in his office and told her he had taken another job and explained how the rest of her treatments would go. My mom was pretty upset by this.

In 2009, my mom’s colon cancer returned in her liver. She was told her surgery was too complicated to perform at the local hospitals and she would have to go to Duke for the surgery, five hours away. My mom was angry that her surgery could not be performed here and asked repeatedly why it could not be done in our region. All she was ever told was that no one in this area could perform it.

My husband died unexpectedly right before my mom’s surgery. We had already been down to Duke for a pre-op meeting. I had to fight with both Duke and my work to make sure my family and medical leave act was taken care of. Mom and I had to go to Duke once more before her surgery so she would be preregistered. She stayed at Duke for a week after her surgery. I stayed in a hotel about a block from the hospital.

Be Your Own Advocate

My tip for others is to be your own advocate. I know it is hard to stand up to doctors and surgeons, but you have to do it. I stood up for myself and found a doctor who understood my higher risk for colorectal cancer and supported me getting screened when I need to.

Relevant Resources

• Colorectal Cancer Screening Mini Magazine
• Genetics Mini Magazine
• What to Do with a Limited Family History Podcast
• Family History Quiz
• Talk to Your Family About Screening