After a couple years of asking for the check up, the doctor finally sent me to a General Physician for a complete top to toe check up. The Physician was excellent and I was put through every test under the sun. The tests came back and my health was excellent except for one test that found small traces of blood in my faeces. He immediately referred me to a colorectal specialist and within two weeks I had my first colonoscopy. Still with no symptoms I had the procedure knowing that they may find something. After the procedure I was informed that they had found a 4 to 5 cm tumour and it needed to be removed immediately. I handled the diagnosis well as I was expecting them to find something. My wife on the other hand didn’t handle it well but she held it together for me.
The following day I had another appointment with my surgeon and he informed me in detail of the surgical procedure that was to be undertaken. The operation was going to be bigger than I thought and it started to hit me how serious this was. That afternoon, I broke down in tears while informing one of my business colleagues about my situation. I was a mess. Thoughts of my young family and that they would have to experience what I did as a child really hit me hard. Luckily I had my wife beside me to help me through this but she was not handling it well herself behind the strong presence she presented me.
After that breakdown I made a resolution to myself and my family that would be the first and last time I would let this disease get the better of me. I needed to be strong and this was not going to beat me. I started to write a journal about my experiences and thoughts, removing them from my mind so I didn’t have to relive them over and over again. This gave me clarity and finalisation of what was happening to me. Never would I have to revisit these experiences until I was ready.
I had the surgery the following week and it went well. They removed the tumour and the surrounding tissue to make sure. The following days are a blur as I was on morphine for pain management but as I got stronger physically I got stronger mentally. My resolve was stronger than ever and I needed to do this not only for myself but also for my family. I had several complications during the weeks after the surgery seeing me return to hospital but I was over the worst of it. It took me over three months to fully recover from the major surgery and on the first review appointment with my surgeon he gave me the best news of all. They had removed the tumour early enough that it hadn’t spread out from the bowel and that I wouldn’t need Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy.
Now two years after the initial diagnosis I am still cancer free and enjoying life. I still have some side-effects from the surgery but I consider these nothing compared to what it would be like to have Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy. Some say I was lucky and I suppose I was but if I hadn’t pushed my family doctor to get me checked out, it would have been a different story.
Cancer is a physical disease that affects your body in many different ways but it also affects you mentally in a way you don’t expect. The impact of having a disease that can result in death puts your head in a spin that can be difficult to stop. This is where I believe you need to be the strongest. If you can be strong, the people around you can be strong as well. If this experience has taught me anything it is that life is short and you need to enjoy it with the people you love.
So if you or you know someone that is facing a mental battle like this I have the following tips that helped me:
- Start a Journal of your experiences and thoughts. It will help clear your mind and may provide finalisation;
- Talk about you are going through, it will help you release emotions, tensions and anxiety;
- Don’t bottle up and keep everything to yourself. It will only eat you up from the inside. Share your thoughts and experiences with your family and friends. They will be there to help you and it will also help them deal with the events if they understand what you are going through;
- Look at the brighter side of the situation. It can be worst;
- Remain positive as it will get better;
- Set yourself some goals you want to achieve. It will inspire you;
- If you have a family history of a serious disease get it checked out immediately; and
- Be proactive with your health. GET CHECKED OUT.
I hope this article helps others as it has certainly helped me knowing that someone may benefit from me writing it. Remember you can beat it.
I would love to hear your comments, thoughts and experience. Please comment below
