December 18, 2024
CHRONICLE
Volume 10.
Colontown, USA
Free
Julie shares her passion for accurate information, out-of-the-box thinking, and emphasis on clinical trials
I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in March 2018. It came out of the blue and I wanted to learn as much as I could about the disease and how to live life and raise my then 7-month-old with the crushing weight of a terminal disease. COLONTOWN helped me tremendously with that, and enabled me to have informed conversations with my oncologist even though I had zero medical or science background. I love knowing that anything I am experiencing, I can search or ask about in the right COLONTOWN neighborhood and find someone else who can help…any time of day or night (hello, steroid sleepless nights!)
As I’m reaching almost 7 years of active treatment with disease at some point in my colon, liver, lungs, bone, and distant lymph nodes, I have been through nearly 200 rounds of standard of care, clinical trial, rechallenge, compassionate use and a lot of surgeries and radiation. Through this, I’ve learned a lot about the science AND art of treatment. I feel fortunate to be able to use that knowledge to support others. I am passionate about long-term treatment strategy and how to help patients and caregivers have the information they need to know their options and make the best decisions for them.
Having been a neighborhood host, COLONTOWN cabinet member, and now Education Lead for PALTOWN, I am grateful for the opportunity to communicate with and provide hopefully useful tools and resources for others in this crazy cancer world. There’s a huge amount of information out there, which often seems
simultaneously overwhelming and nothing at all. Figuring out how to bridge that gap so the right information is available at the right time for the right person is a huge challenge. It’s so meaningful to try to tackle this work with a team that is equally as passionate about helping our colorectal cancer community. Volunteering in this way brings purpose for this cancer chapter and allows me to enjoy living, being a mom, and having COLONTOWNies who have become dear friends to lean on. To life!!
I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in March 2018. It came out of the blue and I wanted to learn as much as I could about the disease and how to live life and raise my then 7-month-old with the crushing weight of a terminal disease. COLONTOWN helped me tremendously with that, and enabled me to have informed conversations with my oncologist even though I had zero medical or science background. I love knowing that anything I am experiencing, I can search or ask about in the right COLONTOWN neighborhood and find someone else who can help…any time of day or night (hello, steroid sleepless nights!)
As I’m reaching almost 7 years of active treatment with disease at some point in my colon, liver, lungs, bone, and distant lymph nodes, I have been through nearly 200 rounds of standard of care, clinical trial, rechallenge, compassionate use and a lot of surgeries and radiation. Through this, I’ve learned a lot about the science AND art of treatment. I feel fortunate to be able to use that knowledge to support others. I am passionate about long-term treatment strategy and how to help patients and caregivers have the information they need to know their options and make the best decisions for them.
Having been a neighborhood host, COLONTOWN cabinet member, and now Education Lead for PALTOWN, I am grateful for the opportunity to communicate with and provide hopefully useful tools and resources for others in this crazy cancer world. There’s a huge amount of information out there, which often seems simultaneously overwhelming and nothing at all. Figuring out how to bridge that gap so the right information is available at the right time for the right person is a huge challenge. It’s so meaningful to try to tackle this work with a team that is equally as passionate about helping our colorectal cancer community. Volunteering in this way brings purpose for this cancer chapter and allows me to enjoy living, being a mom, and having COLONTOWNies who have become dear friends to lean on. To life!!
These hometown heroes keep COLONTOWN safe, educated and connected to other patients and carepartners
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Did you know that COLONTOWN is filled with local heroes? As we move into the new year, we want to highlight all the amazing ways our patients and carepartners give back. From the Knight of Knowledge to the Sensational Survivor, our superheroes help thousands of their neighbors find their people, research new treatment options, and advocate for their own care. Check here every month to see a new COLONTOWN Hero unmasked! Do you know a superhero in your neighborhood?
COLONTOWN Chronicle