Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer at 32: My Story

After months of struggling with symptoms that I had no idea were common for colorectal cancer, on June 7th, 2012 I heard the dreaded words: You have cancer.

I was fatigued and losing weight, but I thought that was from all the Zumba I was doing. My bowel habits changed, but I thought that was from my change in diet. I had abdominal pain, but I blew that off as indigestion, but blood in my stool triggered warning signs that something was not right.

Luckily I had a doctor that listened to me and scheduled a colonoscopy. Waking up from it, she told me that she had found something unusual, but she didn’t think it was cancer. I had to wait for my biopsy results.

Waiting for the news was awful

For three days I could not eat, sleep or work, I was a nervous wreck. Then she called me and asked me to come to her office and I knew that life as I knew it was about to change. When she told me I had cancer, my life flashed before my eyes. I was only 32 and had no idea colorectal cancer could happen to younger people.

What next? Where do I go, who do I call? How do I find a doctor? Those were all that questions that were running through my mind, along with will I live? All I knew is that I had a 13 centimeter tumor blocking anything from moving down my colon, so there was a sense of urgency to start treatment.

I am lucky that my doctor listened to me

I was told later that if I had not had the colonoscopy when I did, the tumor would have broken through my colon wall, and I might not be here to tell my story. I was lucky that a doctor listened to me, but I have heard many stories from younger people who have had that same symptoms and they have been ignored or told they must have hemorrhoids or IBS and told to come back if things got worse.

Sadly, many of those younger people were diagnosed later with Stage 4 cancer. I dedicate my life as an advocate to helping others and spreading awareness about colorectal cancer, and how if caught early enough, it can possibly be prevented.

You know your body best

It is so important to be your own best advocate, because it could save your life, like it did mine. I often tell people who reach out to me when they read my story on social media that if one doctor doesn’t listen, don’t stop until you find one who does, because you know your body better than anyone else.

I am 12 years cancer free and I owe that to listening my body when it was telling me something was not right.