Help increase screening and prevention for colon & rectal cancer.

Donate
952.378.1237

Faces of Blue: Carrie Peck

By March 31, 2016Faces of Blue
Carrie 600-300

I was diagnosed with stage IIIa colon cancer on December 28th, 2014. I was 43 and truly in what I thought was the prime of my life: two healthy kids, a loving husband, transitioning to a new career, active in my community, and still an avid runner. But I had been experiencing symptoms for a few months – symptoms that were slowing me down. I tried to ignore them and convince myself I was image2too healthy to have anything really bad. At the urging of my husband, I saw my PCP, who then sent me to a GI specialist, and after a thorough discussion of my family health history, we decided a colonoscopy was the best next step. Once I was diagnosed, things moved fast: scans and blood work took place just a few days after my diagnosis, Surgery to remove the walnut size tumor on January 9th, and the first cycle of chemotherapy on February 11th.

As of March 2016, I am N.E.D. (no evidence of disease) and I plan (and hope) to stay that way. I believe down to my core that being a colon cancer survivor means being an advocate for those that did not survive and have yet to be diagnosed. This is a cancer that can be avoided with early detection through screening. Had I known that both of my parents had polyps and that an aunt and uncle had both had colon cancer, I would have gotten screened earlier. So now it’s my mission to spread the word and share the knowledge I’ve gained in my cancer journey.

Return to Faces of Blue

Join the discussion One Comment

Leave a Reply