January '22. Just diagnosed w/Stage 3 Colon Cancer. Called them and talked to 1 person. She told me all about "getting the bag". I didn't know anything about that. She talked all about herself and her situation. I was really trying to get advocacy and assistance from their BLUE foundation to keep my esa dog with me as I went through 6week Major Resection Surgery & recovery. What followed that call:
Meanness.
Refusal to help me at all.
Aparently even though I had all the Colon Cancer illness they refused to help me with their BLUE foundation. Mentors. Support.
Z E R O support. It was really hurtful. Then the emails started. Tons and tons of constant emails all from this Org. in Washington plus their huge pictures. Now I realize many of us have pictures on our email address. I do too. What I don't understand is why they sent me literally over 50plus pictures of ALL WOMEN in their emails to me. ALL telling me about their big fancy fundraisers and asking ME (disabled and dealing w/Colon Cancer), for MONEY $$$$$. THEY REFUSED TO STOP EMAILING ME ASKING FOR $$$$. I tried to call many times to talk to anyone besides that 1st young woman. No one there would:
a. Be nice to me and
b. Try to help me in ANY WAY.
I kept asking to be matched with a peer and that woman told me NO.
It was humiliating. Disheartening and so very cruel to me. I asked about the Katie Couric fund bc I was dealing with a huge bill for my dogs care while I was in Surgery. They all told me that is only for a small CHEWY.COM GIFT CARD. "That is it." I Never ever received that Chewy gift card. The cruelty shown to me by this organization really hurt me.
Colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death. 2nd only to lung cancer. Most people do not realize this. It effects both men and women equally. It is 90% curable if caught early. Screening saves live and as much as people do not like the prep, it is a whole lot better then the alternative. The No. 1 symptom: THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL. 75% have no family history.
I was feeling tired at 55 and started running at charity 5k's. At 56 my doctor suggested a colonoscopy. Like everyone, I put it off. At 57 everyone in the office decided to go I did, and drew the short straw. Now I am a Stage III colon cancer survivor since 2007