Colon Cancer Survivor

Wendy Willis

Elkhart, IN

I will never forget the day, it was two days before Thanksgiving 2005. My husband had lost his job on Monday and on Tuesday I was told I had colon cancer. Just one week before I had a colonoscopy and they found a tumor. I just remember asking the doctor what do we do now? He said you need to have the tumor removed and then we will go from there.

After my surgery a week later I was told I had Stage III colon cancer. It was the holidays by this point, so my chemo started the first of the year 2006. I went through 12 chemo treatments every other week. I hated taking a chemo bag home with me two days in a row for a 24 hour period. I was so tired and the nausea was unbearable. After I was half way through, my hands and feet were numb and to this day they are still that way. My family was there for me always and I don’t know what I would of done without my oldest sister Linda and Curt my husband of 30 years.

I have been cancer free for four years and I will never take anything for granted. I will always remember the birthday gift I got from my dad on my 44 birthday he gave me 44 dollars, two twenties, two ones, and one two dollar bill. I have that two dollar bill on my dresser, so every time I look at it I know I’m a survivor. I told myself I will spend that two dollar bill when I turn 50.