I was diagnosed with IV Colon Cancer in 2005  just after turning 41. I had been to my primary doctor 5 months earlier complaining of blood in my stool and diarrhea.I was told it was hemorrhoids and not to worry, I did not need a colonoscopy, like it was a bad thing. I even had on my medical history that my father had died at 47 of cancer, but never questioned. After two years of chemotherapy and mulitiple surgeries I was declared No Evidence of Disease and it looked like I would beat the 5% statistic of making it 5 years.

 I started sharing my story to educate others while in treatment.I knew having colorectal cancer young had to be a problem because I was the third parent in my children’s school to be diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer way under 50.  In fact one of my dearest friends had passed 7 years prior at 37 with Colon Cancer. I joined our state task CRC task force and started Dress in Blue Day at my childrens school because I felt we needed to not just let people know about prevention through on time screening but symptoms in case they were under 50, that age group was being misdiagnosed and the delays effected their outcomes. I don’t think I planned to become a advocate but watching so many people pass from this mostly preventable  disease has made me unable to stop advocating.