Sharing Your Story
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he Cancer Center Without Walls celebrated Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month throughout March to bring support and awareness to colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. Abnormal growths or polyps can form in the colon or rectum and sometimes turn into cancer. Early screening helps find polyps for removal and cancer at early stages when treatment works best. The Cancer Center Without Walls invites people to recognize March alongside them to support the 1.4 million people battling colorectal cancer today. One of the biggest events during March is Dress in Blue Day. On March 5, people across the nation are encouraged to wear blue to show their support and join the mission to end colorectal cancer. The number of colorectal cancer screenings dropped dramatically with the COVID-19 pandemic. The past March, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance had a goal of 10,000 pledges, providing participants resources and reminders to get screened. In support of encouraging people to get screened and sharing their stories, the Cancer Center Without Walls will be featuring local stories about colorectal cancer in the following months. ddd
Yvonne Edwards has been a school nurse for 26 years with the Scott County School System. She is always at church on Sundays, where she assists with Sunday school. Any other free time she has available is spent with her granddaughter, who is one-year-old. She is also on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Advisory Board and a member of other organizations devoted to fighting cancer, including colorectal cancer and lung cancer. Edwards lost her father to colorectal cancer, so she did not pass up on the opportunity to get an early screening. She was aware of her family’s history of cancer and knew the actions she needed to take to be safe. 26 | April 2021 | voicemagazineforwomen.com
Yvonne Edwards Edwards said, “There is always the fear of the unknown and the apprehension that comes with getting screened, but you can take charge and take care of yourself by getting screened.” Her grandfather also suffered from colorectal cancer and had to have several feet of his colon removed. He was able to get treatment because he had received his screening early, which ended up saving his life. Edwards encourages others to “not let pride get in the way, and to not think that anything is wrong.” She also said that her father’s sense of pride might have attributed to his unwillingness to be screened earlier for colorectal cancer. Individuals are encouraged to put their pride aside and talk with friends and loved ones about getting screened. Edwards emphasizes the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer and says the relief from getting screened outweighs the fear of the unknown. The Cancer Center Without Walls Southwest Virginia Community Advisory Board addresses cancer disparities and access to care in Appalachia. For more information, visit the Cancer Center Without Walls’s website: https:// med.virginia.edu/ccww/community-advisory-boards-2/ community-advisory-boards/.