Colon Cancer Alliance

Voices of Birmingham

Coordinator:
Donita Carmichael

Contact Information:
dcarmichael@ccalliance.org

About Me:
In 1995, at 29 years of age, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. I had extensive nerve damage done to the sphincter muscle in the rectum during childbirth leading to incontinence and diarrhea. I've had numerous surgeries to correct the problems over the last nine years and with more problems arising out of previous surgeries. In December of 2003, at the age of 37, (before I had a procedure to have an artificial bowel sphincter implant) I was advised to have a colonoscopy to rule out Crohn's disease. The colonoscopy revealed six polyps and they were removed and thankfully they were benign and I didn't have Crohn's. I was under the belief that you should start having colonoscopies at the age of 50. If I had waited till age 50, there is no telling what could have happened. I do not have colon cancer but due to the problems I've had in my personal life I feel that people need to be educated on colon cancer awareness. My brother-in-law passed away last year from cancer, my biological father is a survivor of cancer and my uncle is in the end stages of his life due to cancer. I also have a colostomy now which has lead me to many new friends that are colon cancer survivors and that have Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. I felt like colonoscopies was a word only for older people, which is definitely not the case. Anyone having any changes in bowel movements should have a consultation with a doctor, needs to be aware of colon cancer and needs to speak up and ask for a colonoscopy for prevention. colon cancer can lead to an ostomy surgery which could be detected earlier if more people where aware of colon cancer and colonoscopies.

- Donita Carmichael, Coordinator of Voices of Birmingham

Events:

Please contact Donita if you would like to join the Voices of Birmingham Chapter or learn more about future events.

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