Real Cologuard® Story: Meghan
Meet Meghan
Colon Cancer Survivor,
Screened with Cologuard®
“Has a colon cancer diagnosis changed my life? Yes. Am I a different person because of it? Yes. Do I share my story all the time? Yes.”
Will Meghan stop telling everyone she knows – from social media to strangers – to get screened?
No chance.
“People are probably sick of hearing about it, but I don’t care. I’ve had so many people tell me they got screened because of me.”
For Meghan, it started with asking her healthcare provider if Cologuard could be an appropriate option. It checked all the right boxes for Meghan, since it is noninvasive and done right at home, and for her provider, since Meghan met the screening age and was at average risk.
What she didn’t expect was to get a call from her healthcare provider telling her the Cologuard result was positive and that she’d need a colonoscopy to complete her screening. But Meghan tried not to get ahead of herself – no stressing, no searching, no thinking what if. Just one thing at a time.
That’s what made her stage III colon cancer diagnosis even more shocking.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was a path I was going to go down.”
But Meghan wasn’t alone on that path. Her husband, trusted surgeon, and healthcare provider all guided her through a blur of scans, tests, and the news that she’d soon have surgery and begin three months of chemotherapy.
“That was hard. Chemo is so taxing on your body, far worse than surgery,” she explained. “I was nauseous, I was exhausted, and I had lost a lot of my hair. But I made it through.”
The opportunity to share with as many people as possible is what pulled her through her summer of treatment. It required very little of Meghan – just a few moments on social media – and offered so much reward. It sustains her now: every message from a friend who said they screened because of her, every chance she has to help a friend get screened, every time she can proudly share that she is on the other side of treatment.
“I want to get the word out. I’ve had so many people tell me they got screened for colon cancer because of me.”
“I could have gotten my diagnosis, gone through treatment and been done with it,” she said.
But that’s just not who Meghan is.
She’s a helper, always has been. And she doesn’t want anyone to go through what she did, not a diagnosis and certainly not chemotherapy. Especially not when colon cancer is more treatable when it’s caught in earlier stages.1*
As tough as that was, though? Meghan wouldn’t change a single thing. “It’s interesting: I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to go through this and be OK,” she said. “Maybe this happened to me so I can help more people.”
This story reflects one individual’s experience. Not every person will have the same treatment, experience, outcome, or result. Cologuard is prescribed by your health care provider. Talk to your health care provider about available screening options and whether Cologuard may be right for you. There are potential risks associated with the Cologuard test and it may not be appropriate for all patients. For more information about the risks, talk to your health care provider or visit Cologuard.com/risk-information for more information.