Colon Cancer Interview

Our group interviewed one of our member's aunts, who had recently been told that she was in remission from colon cancer.

Q: How were you diagnosed?
A: I went in for an Ob-Gyn appointment and they did some blood work because I was having clotting and becoming heavily anemic. I had another test done, which takes about six months to get the results back from. After one month my iron count was at 8.4 (normal is 12-16), so I talk my doctor that I did not want to wait for the test results. I went to a hemotologist who gave me some iron and also told me that I was a poor iron absorber. I then went to a gastroenterologist and got a colonoscopy. It was during the colonoscopy that they found the cancer.

Q: How advanced was your cancer when you found out about it?
A: There are four different stages, the worst being stage four. Within stage three, there are four different stages, A, B, C, and D. Mine was a 3B. It had gone through the colon wall and three of the four lymph nodes that they tested. The more they test, the better chance of survival. Now they say that you should test a minimum of 20.

Q: How was your cancer treated?
A: First I had surgery. The doctor tood out my ascending colon and stapled and sewed the small intestine to the remaining portion of the large intestine. Then I started chemotherapy. They hooked me up on Wednesday to steroids and anti-nausea medicine. They gave me two bags, oxaliplatin and 5-fu. For my third chemotherapy, they gave me a portable pump that would pump for 46 hours. On Fridays I would go in and get unhooked and I did this every other week for six months. After this, I had my blood tested often because chemotherapy attacks all rapid growing cells in the body. I also received a shot to stimulate my bone marrow to make more white blood cells. I took medicine to make my red blood cell count go up. I also took iron to raise my iron count. Since I still had nausea after I was off, I took oral anti-nausea medicne. I also had scans to make sure the cancer did not spread.

Q: Do you have any idea about the cause of your cancer?
A: I don't know the specific cause. I do know that my cancer was not the genetic kind of colon cancer. Some triggers are stress, red meat, smoking, and alcohol.

Q: What was the most difficult symptom you had to battle?
A: Physically it was the nausea. Emotionally it was the hair loss. I also still have neuropathy to the point that sometimes it is hard for me to button things.

Q: Did you have any significant signs prior to diagnosis?
A: No.

Q: Do you have any advice for other people worried about colon cancer?
A: Don't wait to get your colonoscopy. Also, diet and exercise can decrease the chance of recurrence by 60%.