My name is Jennifer Brumley I was age 47 when I was diagnosed with anal cancer in November of 2023, but my symptoms had started almost a year before. I had pain and bleeding and truly believed it was just a hemorrhoid. When the symptoms continued to get worse, I finally went to the emergency room. The doctor examined me and gently said, “This is not a hemorrhoid. You need to see a surgeon.”
I remember explaining through tears that I didn’t have insurance until January. I was afraid no one would help me. She looked at me and said it was urgent and could not wait. And she was right. The hospital helped me get financial aid, and I was able to move forward. That moment restored my faith that help is there — even when you are afraid it won’t be.
I met with the surgeon, and she scheduled a colonoscopy and biopsy the very next week. When I woke up, my husband was sitting beside me. He told me I had cancer. Two days later, I had a port placed. After a PET scan, we learned it was Stage 3 squamous cell carcinoma. By December, I had started radiation and chemotherapy.
My doctor told me the treatment would be brutal and that I would lose my hair. The treatment was brutal — but I did not lose my hair. Radiation burns were intense. The simplest tip that helped me most was soaking in plain water to ease the burns. Chemotherapy made my bones ache. My mouth bled. My eyes hurt. I had headaches and overwhelming fatigue. There were days I didn’t know how I would get through it.
But I did.
And the cancer team helped me every step of the way. They answered questions, adjusted medications, encouraged me, and reminded me that this treatment had a purpose. It was temporary. The suffering had an end.
Today, two years later, I am in remission. I still deal with some physical effects from treatment, but I am alive — and I am grateful.
The biggest lesson I learned is this: do not wait. If something feels wrong, get it checked. Advocate for yourself. Push past embarrassment. Anal cancer is often caused by HPV, a virus. The HPV vaccine is important and can prevent cancers like this. Please get vaccinated. Prevention matters.
To anyone newly diagnosed: you can get through this. The treatment is hard, but it is doable. Lean on your care team. Let people help you. Take it one day at a time. You are stronger than you think.
You are not alone.
You can survive this.
And you can thrive.
