Joy Parker

"I was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer at age 42. Other than a change in bowel habits (thinning, abdominal discomfort, bloating) I did not have any other symptoms and no family history. I was referred to a gastrointestinal specialist who offered a colonoscopy to rule out diverticulitis or other conditions. He said the chance of it being cancer was very low. That colonoscopy saved my life. He immediately found a large tumor and my cancer journey began. That was almost 12 years ago."

Advice: "Connect with other patients through support groups, online groups, etc. Also, try to tackle your journey one step at a time. Trying to learn about everything at once can be very overwhelming."