Colette Dishman battled her hidden cancer with the help of a dedicated team at Baylor Scott & White Health.
Colette was fed up. Digestive issues continued to plague her, and she felt like she wasn’t getting the attention she needed to provide her relief.
At the urging of her husband, John, Colette began seeing a gastroenterologist, who suggested an endoscopy for Colette. The doctor called just a few days after Colette’s test in March 2022 to ask that she and John come into the office that same day. What could have just appeared to be gastritis was something her doctor found unusual: “A hard part about the size of your fingernail,” Colette recalled. “She said it was cancer.”
John, a retired business executive conducted extensive research to find his wife what he felt was the best care available.

On April 5, 2022, the couple met with Marc Ward, MD, a surgeon on the medical staff of Baylor University Medical Center, to talk about next steps for treatment of her adenocarcinoma. The doctor explained that the tests showed it was locally advanced. He recommended removal of Colette’s stomach, and subsequent reconstruction of a pouch that would function similarly to her stomach. The doctor proposed removing her stomach laparoscopically, using only small incisions, so that she would have a quicker recovery following
the surgery.
With a goal of providing Colette the treatment she needed quickly, her surgeon began making calls to additional specialists at Baylor Scott & White—including oncologists—while he was sitting in the exam room with the couple. The urgency with which everyone, including her surgeon, reacted gave the Dishmans solace in the face of a frightening diagnosis.
“Here he is, in the middle of our conversation, making the calls himself!” Colette said, impressed with how her physician became an immediate and active participant in her care.
“Baylor Scott & White treated us wonderfully. From the receptionist when you walk in, to the nurses and doctors telling you everything that’s going to go on in pre-op, to the people there with you post-op to make sure everything is OK—they’re all fantastic.”
–John Dishman
On April 20, 2022, Colette had a port installed that would provide chemotherapy treatment, which she began on April 27. Her stomach was removed July 6, 2022, and she completed two more months of chemotherapy treatment. She was declared cancer-free that summer.
“Along the way, Baylor Scott & White treated us wonderfully,” John Dishman said. “From the receptionist when you walk in, to the nurses and doctors telling you everything that’s going to go on in pre-op, to the people there with you post-op to make sure everything is OK—they’re all fantastic.”
Five weeks after her stomach removal, Colette mentioned to her surgeon that her birthday was coming up and that she’d really like a hamburger. (Because she and John are from California, she wanted an In-N-Out burger.) “He said, ‘Have some fries too.’” Colette laughed, recalling how her surgeon had been happy with her swift recovery.

Now a year past her successful surgery, Colette is back to enjoying her active lifestyle, which includes many walks with her golden retriever, Brook; going to mass every day at her church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; watching sports with John and enjoying fishing trips to Tennessee.
“We also like to go to nice restaurants,” Colette said. She enjoys eating a healthy diet and finds she can eat normally with her reconstructed stomach. “I was in great hands at Baylor Scott & White. They saved my life.”
John made it a point to tell Colette’s surgeon at every follow-up appointment how much he appreciated the excellent care his wife received, and then, one day, an idea hit him: “I turned to Colette and said, ‘I know how to show our appreciation!’” The Dishmans decided to commit an estate gift to help fund research into gastric cancers at Baylor Scott & White Health.
“The only way that cancer is going to be defeated is with people that donate funds to do the research needed,” John said, encouraging other grateful patients to identify the area of research that motivates them and also step up to the plate to help. “It’s not going to happen otherwise.”
“It has been a true privilege to care for this family and see them overcome this health condition and become cancer-free. With this gift, they are also paying it forward so that more patients can benefit from research that might not change their diagnosis or outcome, but will improve future patient outcomes,” Dr. Ward explained.
Colette has committed to staying as healthy as possible, taking up the practice of yoga and continuing to pursue her gardening. She talks excitedly about the new things she and John are doing with Brook, including exploring her pup’s potential interest in swimming. “She’s a happy, happy dog,” Colette says, a big smile on her own face. “She does spins in the morning and jumps on the bed because she’s excited to start the day!” Brook is likely not the only one in the Dishman household who’s excited about all the possibilities of a new day.
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