Blog

Dress in Blue Day

March 3, 2020
Anita Isler was the featured survivor for April in the 2007 Colondar. She is a well-known advocate in the colorectal community, continuing to raise awareness and providing support. The Colon Club caught up with her to ask about Dress in Blue Day, a day of awareness for colorectal cancer that Anita…

Advice for Managing the Expenses Associated with Terminal Cancer Care

February 2, 2020
When you or a loved one receives a diagnosis of terminal cancer, everything changes. Time can seem to stand still and just taking things a day at a time can be draining. While everything seems to be in upheaval, finding the means to pay medical expenses can seem like the least of your worries.…

A Caretaker’s Story by Nadya Carlson-Bowen

November 11, 2019
I was born and adopted from St. Petersburg, Russia, along with my twin sister Vera. We grew up as best friends in the orphanage, surprisingly, not knowing we were sisters. We were adopted together at the age 5 and moved to the US. We had a great, loving, and caring friendship. We did everything…

Veteran’s Day By Katie Lee

November 11, 2019
The year is 2003, and it’s March. Bush just declared war in Iraq. My boyfriend was serving in the Marine Corps in Okinawa, Japan and had just transferred to his first-choice duty station in Camp Pendleton, California. We got married in April 2003 at the courthouse on Mission Bay in beautiful San…

Becoming a Mom After Surviving Colon Cancer by Danielle Ripley-Burgess

November 11, 2019
My story of becoming a parent after cancer actually starts at age 17. It’s not because I had a teenage pregnancy, but because it’s when I lost my fertility. We were all shocked, how could I be 17 years old and fighting colon cancer? It felt unheard of, especially in 2001 when young adult colorectal…

Make Plans by Diana Sloan

October 10, 2019
Lately I have experienced the loss of some great friends. All from colorectal cancer and way too young. These were all Stage IV patients, and they were all simply amazing in their own ways. One was a wife, stepmother, dog lover, and jet-setting world traveler. One was an educator, cherished…

Meet Our Board Member: Meggan Mikal

September 9, 2019
My name is Meggan Mikal and I am pediatric palliative care nurse practitioner. I journey with patients and their families through the toughest of diagnoses, including disease-related pain and symptoms. I sit with them as they receive good and bad news, including conversations leading up to the last…

Colon Club Board Member Profile: Ashley Flynn

July 7, 2019
Hi everyone! Take a seat, sit back, and prepare to be shocked as I tell you a little bit about myself and this evil thing called colorectal cancer. I believe that colon cancer entered my life in 2008 when I was 21 years old. It was during this time, that I was having small amounts of…

Routine Disruption

June 6, 2019
By Diana Sloan Today I am sitting in The Gazebo at MD Anderson Cancer Center waiting to meet my new oncologist. My previous oncologist has moved to a new opportunity, so I have been reassigned. This has been a little stressful because it is a disruption in my stage IV routine. Yes, I actually…

Colon Club Board Member Profile: Rob Vite

May 5, 2019
My name is Rob Vite. I am 37 years old. I am a five year colon cancer survivor, and this is my story: I grew up playing sports, but I lived for football. It was my passion, release, fight and glory. As an athlete, football taught me how to connect with my body. When I started experiencing…