“My Voice” by Angela Garrett
D-day was April 11th, 2011. That’s when I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. My world would be forever changed from that moment on. My family’s world was changed along with it. I remember trying to wake up from the stupor you are in after having a colonoscopy. I could hear the doctor talking and I […]
“My Voice” by Kyle Lovering
My name is Kyle, I am twenty five years old. I am married to my beautiful wife Kaylee and we have two wonderful children. Kyler who is my son and is five, and Kylee who is my daughter and is almost three! In February, around my birthday, I started having some strange bowel symptoms and […]
“My Voice” by Laura Morefield
Right after my 48th birthday, I noticed a “stitch” in my side. It seemed to coincide with playing golf or working out, so I didn’t really take notice of it as a health issue. I lived an active life, doing some caretaking during various surgeries, blogging on political matters, working sporadically on other types of […]
Jean di Carlo-Wagner Shares Her ‘Voice’ on Video
Today’s ‘voice’ comes to us by way of an amazing colon cancer ‘Survivor’ and super advocate, Jean di Carlo-Wagner! Jean has been a friend for awhile on the social network side of life so when we were able to finally meet in person at the recent Liver Symposium in Fort Worth, Texas, we knew that […]
Nimal Fernando Shares His ‘Voice’ on Video
Today’s ‘voice’ comes to us by way of an amazing ‘Survivor’ from Sri Lanka, Nimal Fernando. Nimal is one of the happiest and energetic people whom we have ever met. He personifies ‘Survivorship’ in a huge way. We met at the Liver Symposium recently held in Fort Worth, Texas where he shared his ‘voice’ on […]
Kevin ‘Boa’ Shares His ‘Voice’ on Video
Today’s ‘voice’ comes to us by way of one truly amazing man, Kevin a.k.a. ‘Boa’. We met Kevin in April at the Liver Symposium in Fort Worth, Texas and were immediately blown away by his passion for life and love for a great organization that he works to promote, ‘First Descents’. If you aren’t familiar […]
“My Voice” by Roger Rojas
CANCER SURVIVOR/FAMILY MAN What does being a cancer survivor mean to me? In two words my family, I have had them as my personal inspiration throughout my long and hard journey. My wife and three beautiful children have been the balance in my life when it seemed that the weight was just too hard to […]
“My Voice” by Erika Hanson Brown
“Life Elevated” It’s been 7 years, 8 months, and 2 days since the Labor Day Weekend in 2002 since I awaited word from my newly-met surgeon with confirmation that we had an operating room assigned for my upcoming surgery. This life-saving surgery would remove – ultimately – a foot or more of my tumor-burdened colon […]
“My Voice” by Jaimie Mattes
It’s February 1993, I am in my senior year of college and I started my first job as a Hotel Sales and Catering Manager across from campus and I started to have irregular bowel movements within a couple of weeks of starting the job. I attributed it to the stress of the new job and […]
“My Voice” by Michelle O’Rourke
Let me start by saying that I am a 35 year old mother, wife, daughter, niece, cousin and friend to some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. After that I am a “survivor” and cancer patient. When I was asked to write this I was given the instructions to be honest and […]
Jamie Lynn McClelland Has a ‘Conversation’ Today
Today, we are treated to a very special and emotional ‘Conversation’ on video between executive director/founder and ‘Survivor’ Lynn Lane and an amazing colon cancer ‘Survivor’ Jamie Lynn Mclelland. Jamie Lynn opens up very honestly about her bouts with genetic colon cancer and it recurrences. Her ‘voice’ will touch your heart as you see the […]
“My Voice” by Christine LeGrant
Years ago, I attended a rally for patients’ rights. Among the demonstrators I saw groups of cancer survivors carrying signs and chanting, some with their surgical scars showing. I had worked for many years as an oncology nurse and was, at the time, a physician assistant working in an HIV/AIDS clinic. I knew many people […]
“My Voice” by Ray Hebert
One day I got a note from the company that I worked for. The gist was, to provide more benefits to you we have decided to double the amount we charge you for insurance and of by the way triple the deductible. Oh I felt so thrilled to be offered this great opportunity. So off […]
“My Voice” by Elaine Koogler
I really truly hate cancer. I hate it because it has not only altered my life (and my body) as a result of four bouts with the disease, but because it has deprived me…and by extension, the world…of the wisdom, enthusiasm, talents and love of those I have lost to cancer. I have even lost […]
The Story of Founding “Yes” by Executive Director: Suzanne Lindley
Cancer. Stage IV colon cancer. Eleven years ago these were words that filled my life with fear. They evoked thoughts of suffering. A bald head. Nausea. Fatigue. And even death. In the years since those words and my life first intertwined, I’ve learned that other things cause greater fear, that suffering is not what I’ve done, that bald heads can be covered – […]
“My Voice” by Gary Eudy
My Name Is Gary Eudy. I am 55 years old and was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004. I had a colon resection in 2004 and thought my cancer was in remission. My checkups had gone down from 3 to 4 and then every 6 months. When I asked for my lab results in May […]
“My Voice” by Jamie Lynn McClelland
My story begins in 1982, when I was 6 years old. That is when I lost my mother to Colon Cancer. In 1982, there was no talk of Colon Cancer being hereditary. Fast forward 18 years. In January 2000 I consulted with my primary care physician about the loose stool I had been having. He […]
“My Voice” by Kimberly Hicks
“You have an 80% chance of dying and we’re going to amputate your leg.” This was what I heard the first time I had cancer, at the age of 15. The last time I was diagnosed, I was told to “tie up loose ends and live for the short term”. My mother got upset when […]
“My Voice” by Jodie Kline
One thing I have learned as I have grown older is that everyone has a story about something that has impacted their life dramatically. This is mine. Five and a half years ago, at the age of 37 I thought I was invincible. I was single, active and had a successful business career. I traveled, […]
“My Voice” by Marisa Mir
Jeez, where do I begin? I could start by going back to July 17, 2002, when I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but my story really begins in 1972 when I was just a fetus growing in my mother’s belly. As my body was forming, everything was coming along nicely…except for one thing. My intestines […]
“My Voice” by Trish Lannon
“Oh, The Places You Will Go!” My Journey with Cancer “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” ~Dr. Seuss For as […]
“My Voice” by Michelle Hastings
As I sit here looking back on the past year, I marvel at where I was, where I am, and what I have to look forward to. A year ago, I was Michelle: mom, wife, daughter, sister, employee, student, etc. I had titles that clearly defined who I was and what was expected of me. […]
“My Voice” by Suzanne Lindley
The word survivorship gains new meaning after hearing “You Have Cancer.” I had survived many things in the 31 years before those words….being thrown from a horse, an automobile accident, toxemia and the premature delivery of both daughters, and even a pulmonary embolism. Nothing could have prepared me for the decade that would follow those […]
“My Voice” by Eric Charsky
What do you get when you are speaking to someone who was born as a “blue baby”, who later at age two drowned and was resuscitated, at fifteen was DOA and knows the feeling of cold paddles being applied to his chest and shocked twice to keep him alive while in a coma for five […]
