Dr. Bridgette Defeats Stage 3 Colon Cancer

My Story:

Hi! My name is Dr. Bridgette Bienville and on December 16, 2022, my life changed forever when I received the unexpected news from my doctor that I was diagnosed with colon cancer. It wasn’t until after my surgery that I learned that I had Stage 3 colon cancer with one lymph node involvement. Despite my diagnosis, God saw fit that I didn’t have to do chemotherapy and I THANK HIM for his continued GRACE and MERCY! However, with having an unexpected cancer diagnosis comes unexpected and expensive medical bills.

My story began on Sunday, November 27, 2022, when I had an episode of “bright red blood” in my stool which was very concerning to me. I didn’t ignore the symptom or try to self-diagnose myself, but I acted on this. My colonoscopy was already scheduled due to streaks of blood in my stool from my fecal test and this happened while I was waiting to have it done. After getting my colonoscopy done, my doctor found a 4cm polyp in my right colon. A week later, on December 16, 2022, I received a call from my doctor, and I was diagnosed with colon cancer. This is the news that nobody ever wants to hear, and it was a lot for me to process. Through prayer and my faith in God, he gave me peace through it all.

My Testimony:

After I had my CT scan and surgery done, there was no spread of cancer to my other organs. I only had one lymph node involved which put me at the lowest stage of Stage 3 colon cancer. The praise report behind this is that even though my oncologist wanted me to do chemotherapy for “precautionary reasons”, God had already spoken to me and said you don’t need chemotherapy. While I was sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to see my oncologist, I was reading up on a few clinical trial studies that were done with patients with Stage 3 colon cancer and one lymph node involved and the results were very promising. It showed that patients with my diagnosis don’t have an added benefit of doing chemotherapy and that they do very well without it. The timing of me reading this while waiting to be seen by my oncologist just confirmed what God had already spoken to me. During my visit with the oncologist, he asked me what my decision was regarding chemotherapy, and I told him that God had already spoken to me to not do chemotherapy and that I’m stepping out on faith. I mentioned the studies I had read to him, and it surprised him that I had already done my research on this as he was already familiar with the studies. I also asked him if he had other patients with my diagnosis that declined chemotherapy and did well and he said “yes”. This only confirmed even more what God had already asked me to do and that was to step out on faith and follow his lead. Sometimes we must be an advocate for our own health and trust what God is saying to us and not be afraid. My faith has always been strong despite the many obstacles I have faced over my lifetime, and I am still standing.

Isaiah 53:5 "With My Stripes, You are Healed"

My Financial Hardship:

Life will bring the unexpected sometimes when you’re not totally prepared, and that is the case for me. Not long after I started my new job on November 21, 2022, a few weeks later, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. My last day of work was December 19, 2022, and my surgery was on December 21, 2022. Everything was happening so quickly that I didn’t have much time to get things in place before I went on medical leave. You won’t ever know the financial hardships that lie ahead when you have a diagnosis of cancer. During the moment, you’re just trying to get through the process of having your surgery, recovering, and healing. You’re not thinking about medical bills, doctor visits, and the next five years of having to follow up with your colorectal doctor and oncologist.

With that being said, for the next five years, I will have to get a colonoscopy every year, blood work every 3-6 months and CT scans periodically and these bills will add up quickly, along with my current medical expenses (hospital and provider bills, genetic tests, and lab bills). Unfortunately, short-term disability does not provide a full paycheck and some of my medical expenses were not covered or partially covered. Along with the everyday necessities of life and just starting back to work, my medical expenses have left me in a financial hardship. Because I am single, being able to take care of my regular bills along with dealing with the unexpected financial hardship I'm in can be overwhelming.

My Gratefulness:

When I received my cancer diagnosis, I didn’t question what God brought my way, but I embraced it and drew closer to God, my family and my friends. It’s a journey that has taught me to continue to live, love and laugh out loud as tomorrow is not promised. This diagnosis has definitely given me a different perspective on life, and I value my life even more so now because life is so precious. I am a stronger woman because of this journey that God allowed me to go through. I’m also thankful for the outpouring of love and generosity from those who have stepped in to help and uplift me throughout my cancer journey.

My Goal:

Because of the current national trend of more people getting diagnosed with colon cancer in the United States that my doctor shared with me, my cancer journey has inspired me to raise more awareness about colon cancer and encourage others to get their colonoscopies done at the recommended age of 45. I believe the age should be lowered to 30-35 years of age since more people are being diagnosed with colon cancer before 45 years of age. Colon cancer takes a long time to grow, and my doctor believes that I had a mass growing inside of me for 10 years. Colon cancer normally does not present itself until more advanced stages so it’s important to get your colonoscopy done and not be afraid of what the doctor might find. It’s better to find and treat it than to wait too long and it’s more advanced.

Donations:

As a physician, my passion has always been to help those in underserved and low-income communities by giving back and meeting the needs of people where they are. More specifically, I met those needs by helping communities get better access to health care, donating to charitable organizations, and helping family, friends and strangers that God placed in my path over the years. I have always been a cheerful giver because I know God cheerfully gives to me without hesitation. I have overcome many challenges in my life and my strength and faith in God have brought me through every storm.

My fundraiser is important to me because it will ease my financial burdens and shed light on the importance of getting your routine colonoscopies. Your generous donations will help me with everyday living expenses, current medical bills and future medical expenses during the next five years of my follow-up with my oncologist and colorectal doctor!

Thank you for the outpouring of love, prayers, donations, and positive thoughts throughout my cancer journey!

With Love,

Dr. Bridgette Bienville