Biography

I had symptoms going as far back as 10-20 yrs. prior to dx. ‘Stitch’ on my left side while running late ‘90’s. Unusual fatigue which I did ask Dr’s about. Horrible IBS. Jan. of 2001 I went to a convenience care after having a completely bloody BM. Dr. dismissed me & sent me on my way. 6 mos. later was pregnant w/ my 1st. After he was born I had excruitiating pain when using the bathroom. Saw proctologist who started me on Metamucil. Only caused weight gain. Hardly worked. Then 16 mos. later pregnant w/ my 2nd. Noticed diarrhea really bad in 2nd pregnancy. Stopped going on long walks due to this. When my 2nd was 4 mos. old I went for routine physical & Dr. called to tell me that my AST & ALT levels were above normal. He wasn’t sure why & it sent me into a worried tizzy as my IBS was so bad & I asked him if this could be cancer. I was assured “NO” & the nurse even told me to take a walk & eat an apple when I was in tears over this. This was 2004. It wasn’t dx until Nov. 07! I thank Dr. Blank (gastro) & Dr. Vizzoni (family dr), in Freehold, NJ for their lack of medical knowledge. Sept. 05, I began having RAZOR WIRE LIKE pain horizontally down low, almost constantly. It was so debilitating, but I then began to suffer in silence as I felt everyone was tired of hearing me complain. I was doubling over in pain. Also, Dr. Reinertson in Puyallup, WA missed the signs. He casually mentioned I should have a colonoscopy in 1/06 & when I asked WHY, he told me to rule out Chrone’s or IBS. He was not proactive enough. In Aug. 06 I became pregnant w/ my 3rd. I was ‘thinking’ I had endometriosis. Even saw my Gyn. & had an ultrasound on my pelvis mos. prior to getting pregnant. The technician & radiologist missed the giant tumor. In hopes that my ‘IBS’ like symptoms would get better, I only got worse. Oct. ‘06 I drove myself to the ER during the worst vomiting session I had (couldn’t stop). I felt as if I was dying. I was left to wait for 4 hrs. before being seen. I was dismissed as probably ‘going to’ have a miscarriage. They gave me fluids & did an ultrasound to look at the tiny fetus & sent me on my way telling me that I had gastroenteritis. That ER Dr. didn’t notice the large tumor in my Sigmoid colon. I continued having horrible nausea & vomiting throughout my pregnancy. I never had vomiting in my other 2 pregnancies. I was always slightly anemic (going back to 01 in 1st pregnancy) & so they’d give me IRON pills, on top of the already constipating PreNatal vitamins. My OB recommened several fiber therapies during pregnancy, which baffled him because nothing was working. I began thinking, with my symptoms, that it seems like there is blockage. I figured it out myself. Too late though. Because I noticed when I drank Metamucial after eating that I became very ill. When I was in labor 5/1/07 I was in terrible & unusual discomfort. The razor wire stomach pain became to come back more in the fall of 07. I attributed it to not eating as much fruit, as every ‘Fall’ for the last few years, I was having issues & was dealing with constipation since well after my 2nd was born (I used to have nothing but diarrhea, so I’d say that was a warning sign with the change in bowel habits! Dr’s missed that too!) I decided to see the Gastro again. I found myself telling him that “I can not live like this anymore,” with the pain. I had 3 kid’s, a wonderful husband, yet I was in desperate need for pain relief. He felt my belly & during his consultation I heard him say the word ‘cancer’...as one of the possibilities, but not to worry sort of thing. Dr. Reinerston never said that. I wish he had. My aunt died @ age 40 from breast cancer. My grandfather died from colon cancer. The wonderful Dr. who dx me was Dr. Manam (Puyallup, WA). Finally, someone listened. He wanted me back in 2 days for the colonoscopy. He must have palpitated the tumor & didn’t tell me. He knew. I had my colonoscopy days later & never imagined I’d hear the words MALIGNANT in my Verscet haze. My aunt had a maligancy & she died. OH MY GOD. NO. My world has been flipped upside down & back up again. Nov. 12, 2007 I was dx. Thanksgiving of 07 I had my colectomy. The day before Thanksgiving I was given my new title: “stage3c colon cancer.” Surgeon, Dr. Anthony Kim also saved my life. He removed the tumor & 32 lymph nodes, 14 of which were positive for cancer. He also biopsied a small spot on my liver, which was later benign. I had my port put in 12/5/07 & had to stop breastfeeding & begin chemo 12/10/07. For 6 months I fought a war. Battered & bruised, broken and uplifted. I couldn’t eat or drink. Lost 55 lbs. I always felt dehydrated. I had 12 chemo treatments & 12 of Erbitux. So 24 in all, which meant I was at ‘the cancer center’ 2-3 times a week for roughly 10-15 hrs. sitting in that chair. Curled up & freezing. Unable to read, I would listen to music. Music has always lifted my spirits. I ‘graduated’ from chemo 6/3/08. My children did not know I was fighting cancer. I told them I was going for ‘vitamins.’ I hope to never have to look into my children’s eyes & tell them. They only need to know when they are old enough to understand. But do any of us really understand cancer. I have been NED at each CT & PET. I have this done every 6 mos. My CEA count is down to .4 SO thankful. Keep up the good fight! ~ Melanie

Cancer Symptoms

I put it all in my biography.

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects

I had 12” of my Sigmoid Colon removed on 11/19/07. The tumor was 4.3cm at the colonoscopy, but more accurately measured 6.1cm after resection. There were 14 out of 32 lymph nodes with cancer cells present.

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

I had my 1st chemo treatment on 12/10/07. If cancer cells remain, they are microscopic and floating around in my body and being ZAPPED by chemo! I qualified for a trial and receive Erbitux (usually for metastatic cancer) every week (which causes acne). The nausea is gone for now, mouth sores are fading, and acne is blossoming. The Oxilaplatin will be decreased next time due to the mouth sores. It also causes Neuropathy.

Clinical Trials

Erbitux 12/07 to 6/08

Comments:

Your story is a perfect example of how we know our bodies better than anyone else, even doctors. I was diagnosed initially by my internist with a bleeding hemorrhoid. I had a gut feeling that there was more to it than that and saw a colorectal doctor a couple weeks later. She told me on her initial digital rectal exam and anoscope that she was 99% sure I had anal cancer. Two days later, I had a colonoscopy with biopsy and her diagnosis was confirmed. It really makes me angry that doctors dismiss us as if we’re just making things up. I’m so glad you finally found a doctor who correctly diagnosed you, but I’m sorry it took so long. I hope you are doing well. By the way, I am familiar with Puyallup and its famous fair—I lived in Woodinville for a couple of years—lovely area! Take care.

Martha

Posted on July 28, 2010 at 4:12:10 PM PDT by mp327

Thanks for your comment on my blog, I accepted your friend request on Facebook tonight when I got online. It’s a sad statement that we both could have been dx much earlier, had drs at ER’s not assumed to not look for something more serious. I am so tired of colon cancer being called an old man’s disease, the more I’m on here, the more women I see, several of us in our 30’s, I am hoping that something changes for me so that there is more they can do surgically or something. I don’t know what they can do about my lining of my diaphraghm…not sure there is much? Maybe the chemo will eraducate it? But first I need to kick this infection out of my skin before I can start back on it, I think it will get better in another week or so, maybe more antibiotics? Then things can get back on track. It’s just so painful (my facial acne isn’t bad I’ve got that managed with the ointments, it’s the cellulitis it’s turned into on my abdomen,breast, arm and leg that is so dang painful in places.)(((hugs))) to you.
Gwen

Posted on March 16, 2010 at 9:48:16 PM PDT by gwen

Thank you for your comment, your a very strong wondeful woman, you give me inspiration for my voyage

Posted on June 24, 2009 at 10:01:18 AM PDT by sailgal

Congratulations on kicking colon cancer in the booty!!

I am a 36 year old mom who was diagnosed a year ago with Stage 3 colon cancer. Thankfully only one lymph node was positive out of 23. I did the standard bowel resection and 12 rounds of FOLFOX. I was just wondering if you have experienced any pain in the joints since you have discontinued therapy? I have heard of chemo-induced arthritis but haven’t discussed it with my doctor. Just feeling like a baby right about now.

Posted on June 8, 2009 at 5:08:18 PM PDT by jrenee72 (unverified)

thanks for comfirming..you are right there are ways..putting down your general practitiner is one way to do it

why not a a new law that says we get the results at our fax machine..why do docs only get our stuff
where can we go to start a new medical prodecure law

Posted on May 27, 2009 at 4:19:51 AM PDT by maryellen