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 dmsteach's Cancer BlogApril 10, 2008
As most of you know, I was diagnosed with colorectal adenomacarcinoma on July 17, 2006. I will always remember that day. It was pouring rain here in Florida and the gastroenterologist wanted to see me in his office at 4:30 p.m. I moaned and cried sounds that I have never heard from me ever. The dogs were so upset that they were doing things they never did before. It was like I was living someone else’s life. When I was waiting in the doctor’s office with my best friend, I saw one of the medical assistants leaving. And I said to myself, how blessed that person is to leave with a healthy body. My cat Rosie, disappeared the night of my diagnosis along with my other, Belle, two weeks previous. I do not know how I made the runs to the shelters between pet/ct scans and rectal ultrasounds, I know now it was Someone helping me through even though I was on a different plane of consciousness as my friend calls it. I call it shock while the body is going through the motions. Since then, I have not taken my life for granted and I pray that I never will again. I have gone through an implant of a chemo port to my heart, six weeks of chemotherapy (through an intravenous 5fu pump), six weeks of radiation, a bowel resection with an ileostomy bag, and now I am going through 18 weeks of 5fu, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin for the post-surgical chemotherapy. I was diagnosed stage IIIA with metastasis to one adjacent lymph node by the tumor. What was left of the tumor ,which was shrunk significantly by the pre-surgery chemo/radiation, was found one centimeter from the anal sphincter! The anal sphinter is the muscle which moves when you go to the bathroom and it also helps hold your bowel movements. Thus, my surgeon saved my anal sphincter with only a thread in which to work. I am blessed to be here today and I am working full-time. I finished chemo on April 20th. The pet scan came up clean. Now we are looking to the final cancer surgery which is the reversal of the bowel back into place so I can eliminate stool like others. It has been 3 months since the ostomy reversal surgery, and it seems like everything has gotten almost ‘normal’. My scans are clean, my cancer markers in the blood are good, and my colonoscopy found one baby polyp. I am very, very blessed. 
Please read Could you please sign and forward my guestbook through bulletins and email for people to sign? In the message box, type I support colon cancer laws in America. Please don’t wish me a happy birthday. :) Thanks. It is to support colon cancer laws. 13,000 people under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with colon cancer every year. Around 150,000 people total are being diagnosed every year. And 56,000 people are dying from it every year. It’s the 2nd leading cause of death in the country yet only 25 states support colon cancer screening for the unisured and the insured. My wish if for 1,000 to sign by my 43rd birthday on June 29th.A beginning to stop the pain and sorrow. You do not have to post your picture or email address. See if your state measures up on colorectal cancer legislation providing colonoscopies to all including people under 50. http://www.eifoundation.org/national/nccra/report_card/ Remember 13,000 people under 50 are being diagnosed with colon cancer every year. With colonoscopies being insured, we can cut this in half by early detection of polyps. Please sign my guestbook. http://www.slide.com/r/7N-kiQZW3z9JEWXIFbdBbXTvqT7pz-cE
Posted on April 10, 2008 at 9:59:48 PM by dmsteach (
 Colon Cancer Screening Should Be As Affordable as Mammograms in all 50 States!,  0 comments)
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dmsteach's…Cancer Blog (2)
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04.18.08 - 
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Welcome to the group!
yes welcome. How about a name? Keep us posted on your progress.