About Spotting Cancer

My Cancer Journey

I have had three bouts with cancer in over 37 years. I have survived because I have learned, along with my family, how to spot cancer early and get timely treatment. We also learned the importance of monitoring our bodies between scheduled doctor visits and scheduled screenings.

At the age of 46, I spotted a pinhead amount of blood in my stool—one of the primary signs of Colorectal cancer. I immediately contacted my doctor who determined, through further testing including a colonoscopy, that cancerous polyps caused the bleeding. The doctor recommended surgery to eliminate the disease with no chemo or radiation treatments. This allowed me to maintain my normal, everyday life. As suggested by my medical team, I kept up with scheduled medical visits and screenings.

As recommended, I regularly checked my body for signs and symptoms between visits, and nearly 19 years later, I noticed one. Fortunately, and for the second time, the cancer was spotted while still at Stage 1. This allowed the doctors to surgically remove the cancerous tumor before it spread. 

Recently, I was diagnosed for the third time with cancer. Despite experiencing various symptoms, my own primary doctor initially dismissed the possibility of cancer due to my age. However, after advocating for myself and insisting on further tests, it was confirmed that I was facing cancer once again. I am currently under treatment. 

My Children’s Cancer Journey

Three of my children had bouts with cancer. All my children are aware of the impact of regular cancer screenings knowing the signs and symptoms of cancer, and how to monitor their bodies. Fortunately, this knowledge saved their lives. After having a low-grade temperature for a month and feeling constantly tired, one of my daughters thoroughly checked her body and noticed spots on her throat. She contacted her doctor immediately. After several tests, it was concluded that she had lymphoma. The treatments were started immediately before the cancer had a chance to spread. Fortunately her cancer never advanced past stage 1.

A couple of years later during a routine mammogram test  breast cancer was detected on the same daughter. She underwent surgery where it was immediately removed. I’m grateful to say she is now in remission.

Another daughter is also a success story. Having witnessed my cancer at a young age, she realized the importance of having routine, preventative colon screenings. At the age of 44 during a scheduled colonoscopy, her doctor detected premalignant polyps. They were removed before becoming fully cancerous. She is now on a prescribed screening schedule watch to stay at Stage 0.

During a routine body check, my daughter-in-law noticed dark, unusual skin on my son’s back. This led to a biopsy and a stage 1 Melanoma diagnosis. Thankfully, the infected area was promptly removed through outpatient surgery without the need for further treatment.