After several months of chemotherapy her tumor shrank and was surgically removed. The doctors told Paula that there was no longer evidence of the disease. "Now I feel I am truly ready to take on the world," she said.

As a cancer survivor, Paula has been intensely involved, dedicating her time and efforts in every way she can to help in the fight against cancer. She has been an advocate from the beginning. While battling with the disease, she was busy writing letters to legislators. She has also attended Indiana Lobby Day and is a member of the ACS Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). "It’s made me really want to fight for other people, to get them screened so they never have to go through what I went through because it’s a largely preventable disease," she said.

Paula is also an active member of the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Network (CRAN), utilizing her talents to spread the word. She recently designed a "Captain Colon" costume for the Ohio Valley Colorectal Surgeons, who are associated with CRAN. "In my previous life I was a costume designer. I was really happy with how it turned out because I’ve never made a mascot costume before," she laughed. "Once my pug gets to her full growth she’s going to get a polyp costume made and become the Polyp Pug!"

Paula’s CRAN group is involved in big events every March, in conjunction with Colorectal Cancer awareness month. Captain Colon was at this year’s "Flush out Colon Cancer" event. "My local CRAN group is probably the biggest thing that I look forward to, as the people involved with it are so passionate about helping others," she said.

Paula is also involved in colorectal activities outside of ACS. She has worked with the Colon Club, a non-profit organization founded by young colorectal cancer survivors, keen to teach the world that anyone can get colon cancer. They dedicated a line of toilet paper to Paula called Wipe Out Colorectal Cancer, with messages and facts about colorectal cancer printed directly on the paper. "That’s my biggest accomplishment in life. I’ve got toilet paper dedicated to me!" Paula laughed. She was also Miss April in the 2008 Colon Club Colondar, a calendar of colon cancer survivors.

Paula wants young adults to be knowledgeable of their family history. "Definitely check to see if you have a family history [of colorectal cancer]. And if there’s a family history, whenever that person was diagnosed, you need to go back 10 years from that and that’s basically when you need to get screened," suggested Paula. "Also be aware of the changes in your body, it could save your life."

If you would like to know more about the signs, symptoms, and screening guidelines for colorectal cancer, call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org/colon.

Pictured: Paula Ries and "Captain Colon", the costume she designed