Cancer Screenings Save Lives
Renae Patterson, Director of Environmental Services at Andalusia Health, and 2023 recipient of the Monarch Award, ScionHealth’s highest honor bestowed upon its caregivers.
On February 7, 2025, Renae Patterson, Environmental Services Director at Andalusia Health, checked into her own hospital for a routine colonoscopy. She had no major symptoms and no reason to suspect anything was wrong, but when the procedure was complete and general surgeon Dr. Timothy Day walked into the room, he shared some life-changing words:
“We have cancer.”
The tumor was so small that it didn’t even show up on a CT scan, but it was there, and it needed to be removed.
A week later, Renae underwent surgery, and the Andalusia Health team removed the tumor, part of her colon, and 20 lymph nodes to check whether the cancer had spread. A few days later, Renae was informed that the cancer had penetrated the colon wall, and one lymph node tested positive. She was told her cancer was Stage 3.
“The shock was overwhelming,” recalled Renae. “I couldn’t understand how something so tiny – something that didn’t even appear on a scan – could be Stage 3 cancer.”
Weeks later, Renae was back in the hospital with a pulmonary embolism, a very unexpected complication. She was started on blood thinners and had a port placed to begin chemotherapy, to avoid any damage to her veins.
Her oncologist told her that she would need 12 rounds of chemotherapy, one round every other week for six months, and that she would have to carry a pump for 46 hours after each treatment. Renae completed all 12 rounds – from April 22 to October 2 – without a single delay, something she said she was incredibly grateful for.
Today, Renae is cancer-free. She continues to have regular screenings, and says she is “so thankful for the entire care team who helped me through every step of this journey.”
Along with expressing her gratitude, she wanted to share her story for a very important reason – to advocate for preventive screenings.
“Colon cancer is often a silent killer,” she said. “Many times, it shows no signs until it’s too advanced. That’s why early detection is absolutely critical.
“Screenings really do save lives, and I am standing here today as proof.”