The support of a family

Joel Saxon still remembers the day he learned he had stage 4 colon cancer.

“There was an initial kick in the gut,” says Joel. “I took a few deep breaths, and I just said, ‘Oh my goodness.’ Cancer is scary. It’s a scary word.”

And though the loving husband, father and accomplished chef was terrified of the battle ahead, he found a champion supporter in his wife Julie.   

“The first thing Julie did was call her best friend,” says Joel. “And she asked her, ‘What do we do?’ And her best friend said, ‘Well hands down, you go to Piedmont.’ We reached out to MD Anderson for a second opinion. Their top surgical oncologist wrote me an email back three days later and said, ‘You’re getting the best of care. You’re doing exactly what we recommend. You’re in good hands.’”

A difficult journey

The road ahead would be difficult for Joel, especially when the cancer spread to his liver and lungs. But Julie stood by him every step of the way.

“Part of what got us through this was having a plan,” says Julie. “It was chemo, surgery, chemo, surgery, chemo, surgery. And we have loved the level of support and care for us as a family.”

A new lease on life

For the last year, Joel has been cancer free.  He counts his blessings and appreciates every day he gets to spend with his family.

“I consider myself an optimist,” says Joel.  “Cancer is good in that it taught me to cherish the moments with my children even more than I already did.”

Piedmont is the only healthcare system in Georgia to become an affiliate of MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a program of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. This collaboration ensures patients receive cancer care based on best practices developed by one of the nation’s leading cancer care providers. Click here to learn more.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.