A Surprising Colon Cancer
From diagnosis to treatment, a fighting tale
An Unexpected Challenge
Wed., Dec. 7, 2005
At the time, I had no idea anything at all was wrong. I just knew it was time
for a colonoscopy. In fact it was past time, since I was 61 years old.
I don't remember the procedure itself. What I do remember is waking up at
home and Kim, my husband, telling me that they'd found a tumor at the very far
end of my colon and that the doctor wanted to speak to me when I was awake and
ready to talk. I called the doc right away. The doctor told me that he was
totally surprised when he found the tumor, that it was being biopsied, and that
he asked them to rush the results.
No matter what the outcome of the biopsy; the tumor had
to be removed, the doc said. He asked who I wanted to do the surgery. I somehow
remembered that a lady I play golf with is a nurse for a gastro practice. I
called her and found out who she'd ask for if she needed colon surgery. Once I
got a name, I called my gastroenterologist
back, told him who I wanted, and asked for an appointment.
My reaction when I got the biopsy report a few days later was much different
from what I would ever have expected. I was totally calm and businesslike during
all of my talks with all of the doctors. I never cried or felt panicked like I
would have expected. I just "went with it." I've continued to do that for the
past several months since my diagnosis.
I don't think I'm in denial, but I really do feel that
everything will be fine, whatever happens. My faith has played a huge part in my
attitude and I also have felt so much support from family and friends that I have just known
that I can get through this very scary challenge.
The final word? I have stage III colon cancer. The first day I met my
oncologist he told me
that stage III colon cancer is curable. I was really
surprised. I didn't think it was curable. From that point on I felt that I could
be cured. I would do everything the doctors wanted me to do to be cured and if
that didn't work, at least I would have done everything in my power. At that
point it's up to a higher power.
Anyway, about three weeks after I was diagnosed with
colon cancer I had surgery. I had a colon resection. The surgery went well, but the tumor had invaded the
colon wall and cancer was
detected in some lymph nodes. This was not
the news we had hoped for.
I Am Not Cancer!
Fri., Jan. 6, 2006
It's hard to believe it's been four months since I was diagnosed with stage
III colon cancer. During that time I've had a colon resection and four chemo treatments AND
played lots of bridge, some golf, taken trips to New York,
Atlanta, and Orlando, gone out for lunch with friends dozens of times, continued
my Monday morning with Meals on Wheels, and -- well you get the idea.
Some days, even some weeks, I have so many medical appointments, see so many
doctors and nurses, and have so many tests, that I start to feel like my whole
life is about cancer. I just want to shout, "I'm not cancer!"
I am Patti. A Christian woman, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, bike rider,
golfer, volunteer, card player, lover of books and music, traveler, and animal
lover, and I have cancer.
But make no mistake, I AM NOT CANCER!
The holidays have been really wonderful this year. So
many people have told me that many blessings come with having a serious disease, in my case stage III
colon cancer.
It's hard to believe at first, but it's absolutely true. There is hardly a
day these days that I don't have something special happen in my life. I've
noticed that everything about the holidays took on a special significance this
year. The trees and decorations seemed especially pretty, the lights were
brighter, the carols sounded sweeter, and I realize more than ever how important
my family and friends are.
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