colorectal cancer
When I was 50 and supposed to get a colonoscopy, my friend was also getting one. I was with her when she was drinking her prep and she complained about it so much, I made the decision that there was no colon cancer in my family so I would be okay. At 65, changes were happening and I decided I should get the colonoscopy. I'm glad I did because a cancerous tumor was found. It was small, Stage 1 and only 1 inch long; however, because it was so low in the rectum, surgery was not an option as it would leave me with a permanent ostomy bag. Therefore, I was treated as a Stage 3.
I went through 6 weeks of radiation in April and May 2025, which eradicated the tumor. Because those cancer cells have some free radicals, I had to go through chemo as well because....just in case. Originally, they had me down for 6 cyles of chemo and, believe me, chemo is no joke! The things it does to your body is amazing! That first day by the time I got home, I could not touch nor drink anything cold. I had decided to choose joy the entire time so I just found it fascinating how my body was responding to this poison as opposed to how awful I felt. It helped me stay positive and I was able to make fun of it all. I was told early on that I would be okay due to my positive attitude.
After 3 cycles, I had to question why I had to go through so much as I was told that there was a hole where the tumor was. I asked my radiologist how the new radiation machine worked, i.e., does it blast the tumor or just shrink it to nothing. I was told that it shrinks it, not blasting it throughout my body. I spoke with my oncologist about this and we agreed that I could be done in 4 cycles. I was excited and relieved.
When I got home, I wondered it I messed myself up and instead of worrying, I went to God because he had been with me the entire time----especially starting the 4th week of radiation. I asked Him to give me a sign at my next appointment. If the doctor asked how I felt and if I could do another cycle, then that would tell me I still have it in my and I should do the last 2 cycles. However, when I walked in on that last day, the doctor immediately congratulated me on my last session. I trusted that God had this taken care of this.
A couple of weeks after I was done, I met with my surgeon who did a probe and found something he didn't like. He took a piece for a biopsy and said it would take a few days for the results to come. If it was cancer, I would have surgery and a permanent ostomy bag. The great thing was that I wasn't nervous! It was the first time that I trusted God 100% and He did not let me down. The surgeon never did call, but when I checked my records, the biopsy contained nothing malignant. I was so sure of God's promise to me that I didn't even give a huge sigh when I read it. I KNEW I was done with this cancer!
I haven't been writing on this blog for a while, but I've kept it, hoping I would continue to write. Since this is an exercise blog, I wanted to let you know that because I was in shape and had some muscle mass, my outcome was good. Muscles are amazing! I will tell you what muscles do for you next time.
muscles help with your cancer diagnosis
When I was completing the questionnaire at the oncologist's office, I noticed that it was more detailed than a regular doctor. Because of that and as a Toastmaster, I wanted to find out why so I could pass it along. You see, when I started exercising, I only knew it was good for me; I didn't know how good it was, especially strength training. Strength training not only makes you feel younger, it builds muscle that helps with all kinds of ailments. Regarding my cancer, I found out that (1) muscle mass is associated with better cancer outcomes; (2) It helps Stage 1 tumors from growing further; (3) It potentially lowers the risk of recurence and mortality; and (4) It is supposed to help with side effects. Is that amazing or what?
As mentioned earlier, I only had a one inch tumor. I don't know how long it was in process, but it was 15 years that I should have had a colonoscopy, but looking back and realizing that what I thought was just growing older, it had to have been in the making for at least 3-5 years, and yet, it was only one inch. Most people I spoke with had tumors in the double digits. As far as recurrence & mortality, I will have to let you know in 10 years about that. Well, we can't have everything. I thought I had horrible side effects and they began by the time I got to the car. By the time I got home, I was unable to drink or touch cold. Even going to the grocery store, I wore gloves and closed shoes. I learned that the hard way! I had many other side effects, but the neuropathy was the worst. Finally, I felt like God had been preparing me for this for years since I believe it was Him that led me to the place that changed my life through exercise. I'm not a planner, but I'm sure glad I've been exercising, specifically, building muscle for all these years. Muscles are amazing! Exercise is hard and not a lot of fun, but the results make it worth it!