Heroes were a fixture in Greg Williams’ life long before he started writing action comic books. So he knows them when he sees them.
The Gulf War veteran saw that heroism on display in the doctors and nurses who helped him beat colon cancer at Methodist Charlton Medical Center.
“All of my doctors were like the Avengers for me,” says Greg, a 56-year-old Navy veteran and information technology professional. “They were excellent at every step and so supportive.”
Now, a year after his initial diagnosis, Greg looks forward to devoting his next graphic novel to the caregivers who changed his life.
“The day that they told me that I was cancer-free, I could have jumped up and run through the wall like Roger Rabbit,” says Greg, again using his love of comics to illustrate his emotions.
CATCHING CANCER EARLY
Greg first knew he was sick in 2024 and initially drew on the health benefits offered through his time in the military.
“The VA was just too slow with getting the testing going,” he says. “So I found a primary care provider who was worried enough about my symptoms to send me to the ER right away.”
Colon cancer is one of the most treatable forms of the disease when identified early. But it’s also one of the most insidious because it may be too late by the time these symptoms appear:
- Change in bowel habits, including constipation, diarrhea, or a feeling that the bowel doesn’t empty completely
- Bloody stools, whether bright red, black, or tarry, and stools that are narrower than usual
- Abdominal discomfort, including gas pains, bloating, and cramps
- Unexplained weight loss and a constant feeling of fatigue
At Methodist, we don’t just focus on your cancer. We care for you as a whole person. Learn more at MethodistHealthSystem.org
What’s more, patients like Greg who develop cancer before age 55 are 58% more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage disease because they haven’t been screened yet. That’s why experts have lowered the initial screening age for a colonoscopy to 45, a decade earlier than guidelines dictated in the past.
“We’ve recently decreased our age of screening from 50 to 45,” says Rathan Reddy, MD, gastroenterologist on the medical staff at Methodist Charlton. “In my opinion, it should actually be earlier than that. We’re definitely diagnosing colon cancers at younger ages.”
MAKING PATIENTS EXPERTS
Greg’s 2025 visit to the emergency room ultimately led to an appointment with Dr. Reddy and later Anand Lodha, MD, colorectal surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Charlton.
“Choosing Charlton was the best decision I could have ever made,” says Greg, recalling his first consultations. “They sat me down and said, ‘Mr. Williams, we are here for you.’ That’s how this journey started.”
Dr. Lodha says educating patients about that journey is critical to their recovery from cancer.
“We try to be as straightforward as possible, go over the procedure multiple times,” he says, “and that way when they show up for surgery, they’re experts.”
Several rounds of chemotherapy came next, followed by radiation treatments to shrink the tumor in Greg’s colon.
“The chemo was not as bad as I thought it would be,” he says. “I did six rounds and then I rang the bell.”
Ringing the bell in the clinic signifies the end of a patient’s chemotherapy treatment, but Greg wouldn’t get the news that he was cancer-free until follow-up testing.
“It was the best news I’d heard since my children were born,” Greg says.
CREATIVITY FOR A CAUSE
With his cancer behind him, Greg has found purpose by combining his computer know-how with his knowledge about the military to create digital comic books.
“I went from tinkering with computers at Skyline High and DeVry University to keeping aviation logs in Iraq,” says Greg, who also gives back as a life coach for at-risk youth. “But my passion has always been in storytelling.”
While he’s always had stories to tell, Greg lacked the artistic ability to illustrate those stories — until artificial intelligence came along and put him “light years ahead.”
“I’m creating a comic for my doctors and all the other caregivers who are out there fighting the good fight against cancer,” Greg says. “My own fight has given me a whole new purpose in life to raise awareness and educate people about their health.”
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