March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Colon Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the US.  But 60% of colon cancer deaths can be prevented with regular screenings. ​

James's first year to join the 5k

This time of year is very special to me. It does happen to be my husband's birthday month, but that's not the main reason it's special:)...Don't tell him that!!

You see, my mother is a colon cancer survivor, so every March we celebrate and support her by  walking in the Rumpshaker 5k.

The Rumpshaker is a 5k race held in Birmingham, AL each year with the mission to promote awareness about colorectal cancer, raise funds to fight and treat it, and provide hope for colorectal cancer survivors and those affected by the disease. 




I still vividly remember the day she told me she had cancer. We were living outside Birmingham, and she showed up at my front door after work one day. I immediately knew something was not right, and questioned her in our front hallway before she could even get in the door.

That's when she told me. She had colorectal cancer.

She followed it with, "I'm going to be okay, I'm going to fight it."

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Mom fought it all right. I'm forever grateful that she chose an aggressive route of treatment and is cancer free today. This July she will celebrate 8 years of remission. 

That was such a scary time. I thank God for helping us through it, putting one day infront of the next. So when March rolls around each year, I am overcome with gratitude for my mom.

For her life,
for her fight,
her resilience, 
and her humility.
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I am the woman I am today, in large part, because of my mom. Even as an adult I look to her, and lean on her in so many ways. She is my rock. And you may not even know it, but she is the CFO of Beyond Home Care and we wouldn't be the organization we are today, without her. 

Here is my plea to you and the reason I am writing this post...

Colorectal Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths affecting both men and women equally. But it is largely preventable with early detection and regular screenings. So if you know someone over the age of 50, ask them if they have gotten a routine colonoscopy. Don't assume they have or know they should!

Ask someone you love to get screened.

And if you are reading this post today and have not gotten a colonoscopy, hear me when I say, this minor inconvenience of a screening is just that...a minor inconvenience. Get your colonoscopy today! Get it for yourself and for the people that love you!
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These pictures are of the Rumpshaker 5k over the last 7 years.