I love Oprah!

[cynnycal]

So this morning a friend of mine who runs a cancer support network (Imerman Angels) asks me to come downtown to meet with someone, but he says he can't tell me anything else.
He's a friend, and i trust him, so i agreed.
I go to what is a large office building and am ushered into a conference room with two young women about my age.
and then one of them take out a video camera. I get nervous
But the other girl asks if i knew about what oprah did the other day.
(which, in case some of you didn't know, she gave everyone in her audience a $1000 gift card and a video camera and challenged them to use it for a charitable donation.)
she explained she was in the audience that day, and had the card. then she says her mother died of a rare form of stomach cancer, and she wanted to help someone else who was fighting cancer.
she asked my friend from Imermans Angels if he knew anyone he thought deserved this donation, and he immediately thought of me (love him!).
She was very touched by my story when he told her about me, also i guess b/c she is my age, and tried to imagine herself in my position.
I was shocked (of course) and pretty much speechless.
She said she wanted to give the money to me to help pay my bills, and in addition she'd asked her employer to donate money, and all in all total with what her employer and coworkers donated, ended up giving me a $6000 donation!!!!
They videotaped this, and she said she had to turn it back in to oprah;s studio tomorrow.
the whole audience is to return on nov. 21st for a taping to see what they all did with the money. so who knows...if they like my story enough it just may get played on the show!
I will no doubt let everyone know if it will be....though noone shall make fun of my horrible hair (i didn't know i was gonna be on video!!!!)

either way, this comes as such a massive relief since i am now a month out of surgery and the bills are of course starting to roll in.

and i also got the word from my oncologist that i will be starting chemo again (and hopefully for the last time) in two weeks. and being that my insurance is nil...this is a good thing.

just wanted to share with you guys my great morning!

[Bryan S]

After the cancer and your car getting stolen TWICE I am so glad to hear that something good is happening to you. Keep smiling God isn't done with you yet. Bryan

[MissKim]

I am so touched by your story! God Bless Oprah and the amazing things that she inspires others to do. Your friend sounds like a wonderful person as well.

Starting Chemo again stinks. I have had 3 reoccurrences of my CC and I refuse to give up! Needless to say, I am familiar with the dread of starting the chemo cocktails again. Stay strong and I look forward to seeing the 11/21 episode of Oprah. Please let The Colon Club members know if your story will be featured. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you and all the others that have suffered from CC.

You deserve everything that your friend has done for you!

Sincerely,
Miss Kim

[margotmagoo]

I saw that Oprah show....Fantastic! I hope your story is chosen so that it brings more awareness to the fact that colon cancer does not discriminate and in fact affects young people without family history. Keep us posted!
My best to you and MissKim....stay strong!
Margot

[janb]

Now if that wasn't an answer to prayer! Congratulations~maybe Oprah will get the ball rolling on young colon cancer patients! You must be very relieved not having to worry so much about your bills. Your friend is awesome. What a great story.

Best wishes,
Jan

[Thelma]

That is so wonderful-I am very happy for you! My son had great health insurance which covered his treatments and other expenses,but I saw copies of bills and know how much it was all costing.You sure do not need the added stress at this time. Wonderful,wonderful! It would sure be an added bonus if Oprah were to get on the band wagon for colon cancer! many prayers for success in your battle! Thelma

[Molly]

Hey Cynn!!! It's about time the tides turn for you!!! Congratz!

Hey...about the insurance...in order to make those donations go as far as they can, talk to the Patient Advocate (or someone with a similar title) at your hospital about your bills. Explain your situation (minus the donation) and tell them you don't have insurance and will need help. They are able to set you up on a payment plan (that could be as low as $5 a month, as long as you continue to show that you're paying), or even in some cases, they have the hospital take care of the bills altogether and you may never see a bill. (You'll probably have to "qualify" for that.) It's my understanding that hospitals are required to do X-amount of charity work per year. Obviously it's not something they advertsie, since then no one would pay their bills. But if know the rules, you can get them to work to your advantage.

Good luck with Oprah! Be sure to ask her if she's gotten her colonoscopy!

[margotmagoo]

Earlier this year, shortly after I was diagnosed and still realing from the news, I wrote a letter to Oprah just after watching her show with Dr. Oz. The show was in regards to the book "You, the Owners Manual". They were discussing the things you must know and do to stay healthy. One of the things was to get your colonoscopy at age 50 (Oprah had hers and was fine). My letter to her was titled "Colon Cancer: Not just for people over 50". I suggested she try to do a show for us young ones with no family history. I was trying to bring awareness to the fact that some of us with symptoms were not diagnosed properly due to age and lack of family history. Cancer does not discriminate. Some docs are hesitant to send patients in for a colonoscopy because of the cost of the test. Anyway....I never heard anything back. So I am glad that one of her shows reached out in an indirect way. I have my Tivo set!

[Maggie]

Hi- Congrats....I think that's awesome!!
On another note, I just wanted to give you a heads up about what the Cleveland Clinic does...I know you've only had your surgery there and won't be having chemo and such there, but they offer a program that if you make less the 400% of the proverty level and/ or don't have insurance or great insurance, they will cover everything, but you have to apply for it and keep reminding them. It's a total hassle, but it does help and I've seen it work for many people. I think even if you don't entirely meet the guildlines, they still may work with you...they did me.
Good luck with everything and hope to be seeing you on Oprah soon!!!
Maggie

[Becca]

Becca,
That is WONDERFUL news!!!!! I'm soooooo glad that you are falling into some good luck!!! I know how financially devistated my husband & I have been due to my illness & we have really great insurane! I can't even begin to imagine what you've been dealing with.
I hope that your story airs & helps get the word out about those of us under 50 with this miserable ailment.
Keep your chin up... things seem to be lookin' up for you now kiddo!!!

The Other Becca

[Magnolia]

We've got two public education battles to fight here. One is to continue to encourage over 50's to get screened. A lot of folks are still reluctant, embarassed and/or scared. And the other is to raise awareness of the disease in younger people. Insurance companies don't like to cover colonoscopy for anybody, much less young people, but can sometimes be persuaded if there's a good enough story to go with it, like persistant symptoms. I was 51 when I was diagnosed, but given the stage of disease, I surely had it before I was 50.

[pjpeace]

That just made my day they helped out another survivor! I saw that episode and thought what a great thing to do. Hope they put your story on so it spreads the word!!! I am so happy for you. It sounds like it couldn't have gone to a better person.

I know how important it is to have your bills not to worry about. I'm lucky enough to have insurance at the moment but they were giving me the 'pre-exsisting condition' crap for awhile...come on if i would have known i had cancer wouldn't i have done SOMETHING about it and not to have it get to stage III!!! crazy...but it's worked out...not that my savings aren't completely whipped out...but every time i pay a bill i just think each time this is my road to getting better.

Take care =)

[Magnolia]

Hey pj, You're new here? And Stage III? Me too. I was diagnosed in March of '06 and just finished treatment. What's your story?

[pjpeace]

Magnolia,
Yeap, I'm new here! Just found this site this week. I like the fact it's called
The Colon Club cause I call the "prep" for colonoscopies "The Initiation to the Colon Cleanse Club"!!!

My story: I was out in CA working on some Indie films as a costume designer and then ran out of $$$ so i went to Borders, books and music (thank goodness cause i got the insurance...praying they get all this stuff out before my COBRA runs out)!! I was only 30 when they diagnoised me this past June with Stage III colon cancer. I probably still woudn't have know if it hadn't metastasied to the head of my pancreas. of course my family doc was surpised i didn't have any worse symptoms with the size it had grown too.

My symptons started in mid april this year with a movie hot dog one night and it felt like my stomach was being pumped full of air with a vise squeezing down and no gas coming out...then servere back pain. i couldn't move it hurt so bad...it wasn't the typical 'why did i eat that crap' symptoms of gas. of course it took me like 2 1/2 times of that to go 'ok you need to get checked out this is too weird." i was anemic, losing weight, wanted to sleep a lot (which is complete opposite of me cause my middle name is GO!), couldn't eat anything with any kind of fats in it without my stuff freaking out. and my stools started to get real weird. the first doc i went to thought it was gall bladder and thought i had an enlarged abdomial areorta (dude it was the tumor she was feeling). she never gave me the fecal occult blood test just the finger up the bum 'oh there's no blood there'. i ended up moving home to see my family doc here cause i knew something was seriously wrong with me. the very first thing my family doc gave me was the fecal occult blood test (i call it the poop on a stick test) ; ) none of my doc's here could understand how the first doc couldn't feel the tumor. in california i had an ultra sound and the tech was sooo mean and it hurt soooo bad when she kept going over the spot where my tumor was. they couldn't see the tumor and felt like i was making stuff up. i'm a strong advocate and knew something was seriously wrong with me. so glad i moved back home...of course it took till the 3rd scan here to finally see the sucker! but my doc never gave up on me and kept trying to find out what was wrong with me. also, the tech's here are soooo nice and wicked cool...i'm sooo glad i moved home!!! i'm kinda glad they didn't find it in CA cause i know i wouldn't have my family with me. they have been a source of strength and i've got the best group of friends that back me up 110%...my sister and one of my best friends chopped their hair for locks of love when i ended up shaving my head and donating my hair to locks of love. i wanted to do it before all my hair came out...stuff is already growing back but it's thinned out.

I've had one surgery so far to resect my colon but he couldn't get the rest of it out cause it was surrounding a major vein/head of my pancreas (sucks to be unique)! There was only a 10% success rate if they would've proceded so glad they stopped. I can't be more thankful for such a great treatment team (I call them my fellow Knight's in arms) I'm going through chemo now and starting round 8 tomorrow. My doc wants me to go through the whole 12 cycles to end at the end of january. The AWESOME news is as of my 4th round of chemo the tumor had shrunk 50%!!!!! So I'm responding really well to the chemo. I do a lot of meditation, positive imagery, praying, and THINK SHRINK!!! I've got "Shrink" signs all over my house...it kind looks like an upside down V and has Shrink in a decending font.

I can't wait till they do my next CEA test to see how it's going! I tried asking my doc what the next step is after chemo but he wants to wait and see how it all goes after the cycles are done. my family doc and first surgeon are pushing for the next surgery...which would be the whipple procedure (big time major yanking stuff out and rehooking you all up)...it's more for pancreatic cancer surgery but since mine spread there that's what the doc's at IU are planning. kinda ironic that the gall bladder would come out with that surgery since that's what the first doc thought it was!

So how is life after chemo???!!! i can't wait till my chemo is done. i can't wait to get my old energy back. When does the nasty metalic taste in your mouth go away? Man i'll be glad when i can eat spicy foods again too!
Stay Strong and Positive =)

[Magnolia]

I did have gallbladder disease years ago and my symptoms were just like yours! I can see why your docs were confused at first!

My cancer only went to the lymph nodes. I had 12 cycles of chemo and now there's nothing on the scan. It's all gone. Food tastes normal again. I still have some numbness in my fingers, but no pain. I'm getting Avastin on an experimental basis, as it is usually only used in Stage IV. It doesn't cause much problem for me except nosebleeds. It isn't considered chemo. It's a monoclonal antibody and is called biotherapy.

I was diagnosed at 51 with no symptoms whatsoever. I just got my "happy birthday" colonoscopy and there it was.

I have to run. Time to scoot off to my Avastin appointment.