"It was October 28, 2016 when I was diagnosed. It was two weeks after my son tore his ACL. It was a very unreal experience to have all of that happen at the same time. For the year before then, I was having symptoms that I dismissed - particularly extreme fatigue that I said was from stress. It is very often that extreme fatigue is the warning sign that something is wrong. I wish I had gone to a doctor to see if anything was wrong. Instead, during that school year, I would fall asleep on the couch right after I got home from work, wakeup, make dinner, do things around the house, and turn around to do it all over again the next day. Over the summer, I had bleeding, and I finally went to the doctor; my doctor said I should have a colonoscopy.
"I had no family history of colon cancer, so I didn’t think there would be anything wrong. My parents from St. Louis insisted on coming, and I said no, but they came anyway. After the colonoscopy, I came out of the anesthesia, and the doctor told me on the spot: I had a tumor. My parents were right there, and we were all shocked because there was no history of colon cancer in the family.
I found out later that it is a growing trend for people under 50 years old to be diagnosed without any family history. There are some cancer care centers, like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, that are dedicated to studying colon cancer; twenty to thirty years ago, it was really unheard of for middle-aged people to be diagnosed with colon cancer with no previous family history.
"This is concerning, and this is why I’m very passionate about this fundraiser. People don't know the symptoms and end up in the later stages. We need to have earlier prevention and know the signs. If you have extreme fatigue, you need to be screened by your doctor. Bloating and fatigue aren’t necessarily from old age. I need people to be aware and to talk about it.
"I was diagnosed at Stage 3, and cancer had affected my lymph nodes but had not yet spread to other organs. I had a surgery to remove the tumor and another outpatient surgery for a port. The port allows you to access veins without constantly using the veins your arm; frequent chemotherapy can wear down the strength of the in your arm veins, and getting a port was a requirement for me because I had chemo for 2.5 days every two weeks - 12 rounds of chemo in total.
"On Wednesdays, the clinic would check my blood and immune system, and the doctors would start anti-nausea medicine using the port; I would have four straight hours of harsh chemo, and I would get a portable pack where chemo would be pumped into me, and I would have to wear it for the next 48 hours. Without the port, I would be stuck in the hospital; with the port, the chemo treatment is more gentle instead of a harsh 8-hour treatment. Our bodies can better absorb the 48-hour chemo instead of the 8-hour. The clinic also checks for neuropathy: incredible cold sensitivity (touching something cold and feeling a burning sensation). People with neuropathy couldn't eat ice because their throats would close up.
"Chemotherapy targets all cell growths - both good and bad - and destroys your immune system. I continued to work at school (wearing a mask around my nose/mouth) except for the days I had chemo; I would also wear a heart-shaped sign that says “no hugs” and had students wash hands when they walked into my classroom each day. I just tried to be consistent.
"I have noticed that the sea of our everyday lives is very important even if there is a big life change. Plus, I liked being around my students - it was a source of happiness in my life, so I didn't want to let it go.
"My chemo treatment finished in July 2017. I still my oncologist regularly, but my blood checkups have graduated from every three months to every four months, and I will have to do yearly scans for a long time. I have had one colonoscopy, and I don't have to have one for another 3 years since colon cancer is slow growing (stages 1-2 can be easily removed without chemo or surgery).
"Bleeding, bloating, fatigue, and changes in digestion are the main symptoms of colon cancer. We, as a society, cannot afford to not talk about it particularly because we will see more people who are not expecting it, but who will be diagnosed. Breast cancer is often caught at early stages because there is a good source of education and awareness, but no one talks about colon cancer, they don’t know the symptoms, and they don't get screened.
"Once people are finished with chemo and surgeries, survivors aren't done with cancer spiritually. I wanted a platform to talk about colon cancer especially due to the increasing number of those who have diagnosed with it early onset.
"My friend suggested that I partner with a marathon in New York, and I’ve been raising money for treatment and research. The reason I'm doing fundraising on campus is that so many of my students walked through the journey with me and wanted to contribute to the campaign, so fundraising gives them the opportunity to give back if they want.
"I would like to thank Coach Raney and the football players who are helping to raise money. Additionally, I want to the all of the faculty, staff, and students of Spain Park to know how much I appreciate their support."
Colorectal Cancer
2nd leading cause of cancer death among women and men combined
3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer
60% of deaths could be prevented with screening
Stage 1 and Stage 2 have 90% five-year survival rate; Stage 4 drops to 7-12%
Early onset (people being diagnosed under the age of 50) is sharply on the rise. Very few people know the symptoms, or do not expect to be diagnosed, so they often ignore symptoms, and are more likely to be diagnosed in late stages. Diagnosis in early stages is critical, so education is key!
