Sarah Broadus

I arrived at the emergency room on May 7, 2021, with severe abdominal pain. After many test and CT scans, doctors discovered a football size tumor in my uterus. I was admitted to the hospital and had a full hysterectomy, a few days later. The hysterectomy went great and I was at home healing when I received a call that I needed to come in, immediately. My mom drove me to the doctor's office and it was there I was told I had colon cancer on the back of my ovary. Which meant stage IV and we would need to treat it aggressively.

I had a colon resection a few weeks later, then a port put in. And began the front line chemotherapy for colon cancer - 5fu with Oxaliplatin or “Folfox”. The first 3 rounds would left me asleep for days. All of my hair fell out; something was wrong. It was after round 3 my PA decided to test for DPD deficiency, a rare deficiency where your liver is missing an enzyme that breaks down chemo. The test came back positive that I had it.

We turned the chemo down, and I continued for 7 more treatments. Then we ran CT scans and blood work and both showed no evidence of disease. I began maintenance chemo and immunotherapy.

Sarah's Advice

Being a person of faith, I often remind myself of 1 Peter 5:10- After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

On the hard days, I face my pain and suffering by knowing I will be confirmed, strengthen and established.