Dana Lee

Dana Lee woke up in the recovery room with the physician next to her bed. Right away, she knew something was not right.

Dana had gone in for her first screening colonoscopy in 2020. She had just turned 50, the screening age recommendation at the time, which has since been lowered to age 45.

As the physician began explaining what they had found and what the next steps would be, Dana was shocked. She was an avid runner, routinely running mini-marathons and marathons. She was going to school to get her master’s degree, aiming to be a nurse practitioner. She considered herself a healthy, active woman. But during her colonoscopy, they had found polyps, which looked like it could be cancer.

When speaking with her friend about the diagnosis, Dana was comforted by the fact that because it had been caught in a routine screening, it was hopefully caught in an early stage.

Soon after, the physician called Dana while she was at work as an oncology nurse navigator to confirm that both polyps were cancerous. Dana was told that she needed to have a scan done to make sure that the cancer didn’t spread. That could then be followed with a procedure in which the two cancerous polyps would be burned.

Before she did anything else, Dana called Rebecca Redman, M.D., a provider she works with at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center and asked if she could come talk to her. Medical records in hand, Dana headed to Dr. Redman’s office, who advised her to still get the scan, but to opt for a surgery to remove the polyps due to her younger age.

Dr. Redman referred Dana to colorectal surgeon Jeffrey R. Jorden, M.D. Shortly after her appointment with Dr. Jorden, Dana had surgery to remove the polyps.

“I knew I was going to be treated at the Brown Cancer Center because it is an academic center,” she said. “I’ve been working there since 2006.”

At first, it was an adjustment for Dana to be the patient instead of providing the care at the Brown Cancer Center. However, Dana trusted the team and knew that they were all in this together.

Since her original diagnosis, Dana has had two recurrences. She has had more than 60 cycles of chemotherapy. She has now opted into a treatment that is prepared to keep the cancer at bay if it comes back again.

Through it all, Dana and Dr. Redman have gotten really close, bonding over their love of the outdoors. Dr. Redman has worked with Dana to help her meet her goals so she can keep moving.

“There is a big trust that I have in the Brown Cancer Center and in my provider,” Dana said. “I’ve been able to experience the care that other patients are getting. I knew we were a great place, but now I’ve experienced that firsthand.”

Although she can’t run marathons anymore, Dana has been able to find a way to stay active. Since she was originally diagnosed in June of 2020, Dana has hiked in many state parks across 12 different states.

Now, Dana focuses on advocating for others to get their screening colonoscopies. She has also taken to social media to share her story and has had a lot of people reach out to further discuss her story. Dana is also active in the Colon Cancer Prevention Project support group. She knows the importance of advocating for yourself and wants to pass this onto others in similar situations.

Dana is now taking time to enjoy her family and friends because although cancer momentarily slowed her down, she was able to adjust her sails and keep moving.

How can we help you?

Connecting with our team of specialists at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center is the first step in getting treatment.