My name is Britt and this is my stage 3 thriver story.
I was a healthy 52-year-old living my dream with my husband in a rural small town in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. I had a routine colonoscopy in August of 22, got the all clear, see you in 10 years. I had been having blood once in a while prior but the colonoscopy allayed my fears. 9 months later, I started having pain in my bum, a raw kind of ache accompanied with blood here & there. Having just had the colonoscopy not even a year before, I wasn’t overly concerned but I decided to mention it to my primary care physician. She diagnosed me with a fairly large hemorrhoid and prescribed a 10-day regimen of suppositories. The pain continued to worsen over the next month to the point where I used a heating pad to ease it some and I was becoming increasingly more concerned. I returned to my PC due to this and she still was not concerned but decided to refer me back to the facility that had performed my colonoscopy and she said I would be getting a call from them to schedule. I waited a week and never heard anything so I called back into her office and spoke with her scheduler who apologized and told me my PC had never sent in the referral. Wow! The scheduler told me she could try and get me in with Dr. P, a General Surgeon who was the one who saved my life!
I met with Dr. P and he did an exam in his office and agreed it most likely was a large hemorrhoid but wanted to schedule an exam under anesthesia just to be certain. I remember waking up from the anesthesia and him telling me it was a large mass and quite likely cancer but would need to order a cancer rectal protocol MRI to confirm. My world instantly stopped spinning hearing the “C” word. My exam with him was on a Monday and he had me in Asheville on Friday, the large town an hour+ away from where we live, because our small hospital was not equipped to do it. The MRI was nerve wracking to say the least but I got through it. My husband and I headed the hour+ drive home and Dr. P called us enroute. The MRI confirmed our fears. It was a 4CM tumor with 4 lymph nodes involved. How in the world am I going to break this news to my daughter who was 23 at the time? Fast forward the biopsy confirming anal squamous cell carcinoma and a diagnosis from my chemo oncologist, Stage 3. I met with my radiation oncologist, got measured and tattooed all within a week which was amazing considering where we live. I have an incredible team of doctors for which I will be forever grateful.
I had my port installed and started chemo (5FU & mitomycin) & radiation (30 consecutive sessions, 5 days a week for 6 weeks 2 days before my 53rd birthday. Treatment was absolutely brutal. I had a terrible reaction to the chemo & the side effects of the radiation, 2nd & 3rd degree burns started sooner than expected. My white blood cell counts tanked and I was hospitalized for 7 days. I had platelet & blood transfusions & every single side effect including oral mucositis preventing me from talking or eating any solids for weeks & I even lost my hair which they said I most likely would not. It wasn’t looking good for me. I say all of this because I want anyone reading this on their own journey to know that no matter how bad things get & how bleak the outcome may seem, there is HOPE! I am living proof and I am thankful every day. Treatment won’t go on forever and you WILL heal. Our bodies are amazing vessels! Most importantly, be your own healthcare advocate! Keep pushing until you get the answers and the help you need.
Having a strong support system is important. My husband and family really stepped up and fences were mended with my sisters. For all the bad, a lot of good came out of this ordeal. Don’t hesitate to ask for help with housekeeping, meals etc. Staying ahead of nausea & pain with meds is crucial. Stay hydrated and don’t hesitate to ask for fluids at your cancer center if that is an option. Rest as much as you can. Our local pharmacy even compounded lidocaine lollipops and mouthwash for my mucositis. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste is a miracle salve for the radiation burns. Connect with a peer through this foundation for extra moral support. It does help to talk to someone who has been on a similar journey. You are not alone in this. I am thankful I found this amazing group of people through the Anal Cancer Foundation. Reading the stories of others who have been through this gives me continued HOPE. September 19 will be my 2-year post treatment anniversary and I am grateful for each and every day.
