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Title:
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Vicki B.
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Huntsville, TX
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“My name is Vicki Barrilleaux… I’m the mother of two sons, and my hobbies include
baking, reading, and cancer awareness groups.
I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer six years ago. In January, I noticed rectal
bleeding, and at my well-woman’s checkup in April, I did mention it to my primary
care doctor who did a digital rectal exam and said at that time that he felt like
it was hemorrhoids and to try some over-the-counter prescriptions, which I did try.
The bleeding persisted and it did not seem right to me. It did seem like it was
more than what’s usually involved with hemorrhoids, so in July, I did return to
the doctor for further testing, and a scope was done and the mass was found at that
time.
My first thoughts on hearing that I had cancer was, of course, immediate fear and
wondering how I would approach this disease, and just the unknown and what the treatment
would entail.”
Title: Losing a sister
“When I was first diagnosed my thought was, ‘Now there’s a family history,’ and
I was concerned about my children and I wanted to know what the recommendations
were for them. I was told that they needed to begin screening ten years before the
age I was at diagnosis. And I was told at that time that also any siblings needed
to be screened also.
I approached my sister and told her that she needed to be screened, and she told
me she was fine. That she had no symptoms. And of course, my reply at that time
was, ‘Well, I had no symptoms either until I was at Stage III. You need to be screened.’
And she said, ‘Well, I’m just fine. Don’t worry about me.’
Two years after my diagnosis I received a call that my sister was in the hospital
with unexplained vomiting, and that they had done a CAT scan that was inconclusive
because of fluid. And I knew then, I thought this is cancer and it’s bad.
She had a colonoscopy and there was a mass, and she had follow-up surgery, and the
cancer was inoperable. And within 75 days, I had lost my sister to this disease,
and it was very hard. I am an advocate and I encourage things for colon cancer,
and it’s not for myself, because I’m just one of many that has survived this disease,
but I tell her story because she can’t. And if she were here, she would say “the
test is nothing, you need to be screened.”
Title: Being a buddy
“My best way to repay all those who had given things to me was to give back to the
newly diagnosed. So through the Colon Cancer Alliance I work with the Buddy Program.
I also am a Voices Ambassador, and my main objective is to promote education and
awareness of this preventable cancer. It’s tragic to me that a cancer that is so
preventable is the second leading cause of cancer deaths.
Through the Colon Cancer Alliance, I stay active and current in treatment options,
and just mainly there to speak with newly diagnosed patients and guide them through
their decision making.
Through the Buddy Program with Colon Cancer Alliance I’m able to visit with those
patients that are in need of help, either by e-mail or phone, and this is their
opportunity to ask questions and for me to help guide them through this experience
just with the knowledge that I’ve learned. And having that contact and that voice
that you know that you can reach out to, and it brings comfort to those newly diagnosed
patients. And then also helps me feel like I’m contributing and making a difference
in their journey through this disease.”
Title: A different person now
“During my journey through colon cancer, I learned a lot about myself, things that
I didn’t know. I found inner strength that I didn’t know was there. Cancer changed
me, it made me a stronger person in many ways and I think that it’s in moments of
adversity that we do find out about our real self, and things that I was able to
cope with that I didn’t know I could. But I am a different person now than I was
before I was diagnosed.”