Medical History: A Story Worth Sharing with Family
Stevi Jerrold is an employee of 窪蹋勛圖厙, Inc. The statements contained herein are her experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Please talk to your doctor regarding this important topic.
Its not my story, its my husbands, begins Stevi Jerrold, Senior Manager of Integrated Marketing Communications at 窪蹋勛圖厙. But when it comes to her advocation for her familys health, her willingness to share her own struggles with Crohns disease, and her determination to empower herself and her familys health journeyfrom finding top physicians in GI and pulmonary specialties to nudging loved ones to get screenedit really is her story to tell.
From colonoscopy to career opportunity
I was 27 when I found out I had Crohns, Stevi recalled. is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and irritation in the digestive tract.1 I was in bad shape. Probably 90 pounds. I couldnt keep weight on. I had bleeding. They did an emergency colonoscopy.
Armed with the diagnosis and new tools to manage her condition, Stevi eventually found herself seeking a career move and set her sights on a company that she believes plays a key role in health transformations like her own.
I was bound and determined to come work for 窪蹋勛圖厙, for multiple reasons, but mostly for the equipment that we develop and the technology that we have that [may have] helped save my life.
Stevi will soon be celebrating her 10-year work anniversary, and says she undergoes a yearly colonoscopy because her condition puts her at heightened risk for colon cancer,2 something her husbands side of the family knows all too well.
Aunts and uncles at risk, but a 28-year-old cousin?
My husbands grandfather died from colon cancer, Stevi said of her husband, who was 13 years old at the time. As a result, All of my husbands aunts and uncles have been getting screened regularly, she said. So far theyve all been OK, with the occasional polyp removal. But four years ago, one of the aunts sonsthen 28 years of agewas diagnosed with colon cancer that metastasized to his lungs. He is currently still undergoing treatment.
A wakeup call for the next generation
This prompted all of the cousins on my husbands side to get screened early for colon cancer, said Stevi.3* Immediately, I was like, weve got to go [get screened]. I know this great physician, she recalled, referring to a GI specialist she knew of in Philadelphia. Stevi described him as an early adopter techie of new medical device technology.
The Jerrold Family
What have we here?
Stevis husband had an upper and lower endoscopic procedure. During the procedure, the doctor found a massive polyp in his small intestine, said Stevi, adding that the medical team was surprised it wasnt a complete blockage, and that her husband wasnt in a lot of pain. A subsequent procedure was scheduled with a GI doctor who specialized in small bowel polypectomy. They had to take [out the polyp] in multiple sectionsmultiple chunks, and it was sent to pathology for analysis. They were really worried about it, Stevi recalled.
The good news, and the other news
To everyones relief, pathology determined the polyp was benign, but there was an interesting twist. The concerning size led to a recommendation to undergo genetic testing, which revealed that her husband is a gene carrier, according to Stevi. Theres only a hundred families in the U.S. that have this gene. It is rare,4 and we couldnt believe it. They said, were going to keep an eye on you and be in contact if anything is learned about this gene mutation.
They werent kidding.
Hes this board case they talk about, said Stevi of the genetic researchers in this Philadelphia-based medical center who now regularly review her husbands health records. They say, we talk about you so much. And hes like, OK, thats not what I want to hear, jokes Stevi. The POT1 gene confers a host of cancer risks.4 As a result, He has to go to the dermatologist and get screened every 6 months for skin cancer, he has to have regular MRIs [to look] for sarcomas and brain cancer. These full body scans can take four to five hours, Stevi said. Her husband also sees a hematologist to screen for leukemia. Theyre evaluating his bloodwork all the time.
Its a lot to undergo, Stevi considers. Yet she looks back gratefully on the screening colonoscopy that unfurled it all, the findings of which have implications for herself, her husband, and their two boys, as she sees it.
Its fascinating to me to think that we might get more time to spend with my husband because of a polyp that was found in a colonoscopy case, said Stevi. The potential benefit of prevention or the chance for early treatment justifies the vigilance to her.
For Stevi, it may come down to the fact that you cant do something about a condition if you dont know about it. And Stevi is a doer, as is her husband, who was OK with his wife sharing his story to encourage others to proactively pursue their own health journeys, and to loop in family. As for their shared story, she concludes: Were an open book.
Learn more about colonoscopies and colon cancer at .
Spread awareness of the Colorectal Cancer Alliances #TheyDidntSay campaign, which sheds light on aspects of colorectal cancer that often go unnoticed, especially for African Americans. Visit: for more information.
Footnote/References:
*Current recommend to start screening at age 45 for average risk individuals, but a family history of colon cancer can increase risk, and recommend patients and their doctors consider earlier and more frequent screening based on risk factors, according to the American Cancer Society.3
1. NIH.gov. Crohns disease. Accessed February 23, 2023.
2. NIH.gov. Definition and facts for Crohns disease. Accessed February 23, 2023. Updated September 2017. Definition & Facts for Crohns Disease | NIDDK (nih.gov)
3. ACS.org American Cancer Society. Accessed February 24, 2023, Updated November 17, 2020.
4. Henry ML, Osborne J, Else T. POT1 Tumor Predisposition. 2020 Oct 29 [Updated 2022 Mar 10]. In: Adam MP, Everman DB, Mirzaa GM, et al., editors. GeneReviews簧 [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2023. Available from:
