Cancer Journey From Day 1 – Day 33
It came as quite a surprise to find out that what I thought was probably just a hemmorhoid turned out to be an aggressive anal cancer. Shocked is more like it. I eat a healthy diet, exercise, don’t smoke, drink, or do anything that I thought would contribute to developing cancer. Sounds familiar, right?
My sister called me one day and told me she just had a colonoscopy and had 3 polyps removed. Her advice was for me to go and have one done. I rolled my eyes and said sure . . . not having insurance kept me from following through. Not even a week later I decided it would be a good idea to go to my doctor and let her know that I was noticing some blood in my stools lately. I didn’t have any other symptoms, so wasn’t real worried. She found a “mass” upon rectal examination and scheduled me for a colonoscopy the following Monday.
Within two days of that test I was scheduled with a radiologist, oncologist, and a PET Scan to determine if it had metastasized. Fortunatley, it had not. So, from the time I was diagnosed to the first day of treatment with chemo was about 24 days. Seems like a whirlwind with no time to think.
I have just completed the first week of chemo (pump)and radiation and have 24 more radiation sessions and another week of chemo at the end to look forward to.
Tagged with: anal cancer • cancer • healthy diet
Filed under: Healing from cancer
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Hi Theresa, my beautiful “older” sister, : )
I love you and I can’t wait to see you in a week. How do you feel today? I pray for you every day and want you to know lots more are praying for your recovery too.
Thank you for putting the subject in your blog. It is an uncomfortable subject and no one wants to have a colonoscopy but dammit! It will save a life! I put mine off for a year and a half after it was recommended by my doctor. Then a friend at work said “just do it dumbass”. So the dumbass finally got her colonoscopy and mine turned out more optomistic than yours. But, if I hadn’t done it for another three years I’d be having chemo/radiation therapy too or dead.
Theresa, you are my hero. I’m so proud of you for making the decision to see a doctor. Now I’ll have you for an older sister for many more years to come. Hang in there and I’ll see you in a week.
so much love, hugs and kisses for you my dear sis and friend,
Jane