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Biography

I was diagnosed in July ‘05 at 41 with Stage 4 Colon Cancer that had metastisised to the liver where there were two 4 cm tumors.
The colon resection went well. But with every doctor/surgeon visit about the liver I received more and more bad news.
They kept saying it was inoperable, 1 oncologist even said these exact words “You have stage 4 colon cancer, stage 4 colon cancer is usually fatal”

After 5 doctors wrote me off for dead I read Lance Armstrongs book “It’s Not About The Bike” It woke up the fight in me which had by now totally disappearded.

I kept finding more and more doctors until I found my angel. Dr Shibata at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa Florida. He said what I had been waiting to hear “We Can Do This” It’s a long story but finally I had some hope. He set me up with chemo to reduce the size of the tumors which in two months went from 4 cm each to less than 1 cm ea. Now we can do the surgery he said. He did an RFA on my liver which bakes the tumor. I was cancer free.

6 months of chemo then a Petscan. Unfortunately it came back. The same surgeon did a liver re-section on me Jan 5th ‘07. So for at least right now I am cancer free again. I am looking at 4-6 more months of “preventative” chemo but it won’t come back, I won’t let it.
Well it did come back and finally I realize this is a very resilient and strong cancer, not some wimpy cancer that can get its butt kicked by 5 or 6 highly toxic drugs being tossed at it for 6 months or so.
They are now seeing a small spot on my lung. So more chemo.
We’ll see what happens next and you are welcome to join me on my journey.
Thank You
Donna