Supportive Care for Colorectal Cancer: 31 Real Stories
31 stories match colorectal cancer and supportive care. 29 of them mention surgery.
Colorectal Cancer: Lisa’s Survivor Story
Lisa Roth was 59 when she reflected on colorectal cancer connected to Lynch syndrome, also called HNPCC. She was about 45 when the diagnosis first entered her life. One morning before work, she suddenly had intense urgency and heavy bleeding from the bowel…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Klaus’s Survivor Story
Klaus Wippich was 64 when he described rectal cancer that began when he was 28. After moving to a new city, he noticed blood in his stool. He had previously thought his symptoms were hemorrhoids, but a new doctor diagnosed rectal cancer. Treatment moved…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Dieter’s Survivor Story
Dieter Loewe was 68 when he described rectal cancer diagnosed in 2006. He had pain during bowel movements, but an initial medical visit did not find anything abnormal. When the pain continued, his wife pushed him to seek care again. Colonoscopy found 2…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Henriette’s Survivor Story
Henriette Schiller was 44 when she described rectal cancer diagnosed 5 years earlier. For several months before diagnosis, she noticed that her stamina was lower. Then she developed digestive problems, pain while sitting, and blood in her stool. Her partner…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Anna’s Patient Story
Anna Rusch was 71 when she described living with colon cancer and a permanent end stoma. About 3 years earlier, she noticed blood in her stool and went to a doctor, who first thought hemorrhoids were the cause. Only after a friend urged her to seek another…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Laura’s Patient Story
Laura Filip was 34 when she was living through treatment for rectal cancer diagnosed in December 2022. Blood in her stool during summer 2022 led to testing, including a colonoscopy that found the tumor. A coronavirus infection delayed her hospital admission…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Margarete’s Patient Story
Margarete Reichle was 78 when colorectal cancer was discovered only recently. She first noticed blood in her stool, pain, and dramatic weight loss. Because she was taking blood-thinning medication, she initially thought the bleeding might be related to that…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Clara’s Survivor Story
Clara Ott was 75 when she looked back on rectal cancer diagnosed at age 49 after many years of ulcerative colitis. She had been under regular medical observation since ulcerative colitis was found at age 25. When several examinations eventually showed rectal…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Emil’s Patient Story
Emil Groh was 56 when he described living with end-stage rectal cancer that had spread to the lungs and liver. About 1.5 years earlier, blood in his stool and major weight loss led him to medical care. Blood tests prompted hospital admission, and colonoscopy…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Rosi’s Survivor Story
Rosi Blumenthal was 75 when she described colorectal cancer that was found after a screening test for hidden blood in the stool at her gynecologist’s office. A colonoscopy followed. At first, she thought the problem might be another bowel fistula, something…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Erna’s Survivor Story
Erna Hettich was 72 when she described rectal cancer in the context of a strong family history of colorectal cancer. During a vacation, she noticed blood in her stool and frequent bowel movements, even though her yearly occult-blood test had not shown…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Uwe’s Patient Story
Uwe Dierks was 63 when he shared the long-term effects of rectal cancer diagnosed in 2011. For about 1 year before diagnosis, he had worsening bowel problems, nighttime toilet trips, bleeding, and weight loss. Colonoscopy found a tumor, and his doctor was…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Jan’s Survivor Story
Jan Holgersson was 59 when he reflected on colorectal cancer diagnosed at age 55. He had lived with persistent diarrhea for more than 6 months but did not take it seriously until the symptoms worsened. Hospital testing found cancer, and he initially feared…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Julia’s Survivor Story
Julia Weithe was 29 when colorectal cancer was diagnosed in October 2022. For years, her bowel had reacted strongly to stress, but in 2022 she developed severe bloody stools that clearly felt different. Colonoscopy found malignant polyps, and surgery was able…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Petra’s Survivor Story
Petra Markert was 52 when colon cancer was found after months of severe constipation. Several examinations had not explained the problem, and preparation for a planned colonoscopy failed because of intense nausea and vomiting. She was admitted to hospital as…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Johanna’s Patient Story
Johanna Vogel was a 24-year-old student living with familial adenomatous polyposis, or FAP, an inherited condition that can fill the colon with polyps and greatly increase colorectal cancer risk. Her father died young from colorectal cancer, and his illness…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Gerlinde’s Survivor Story
Gerlinde Zeigert was 59, in a long-term partnership, and a former teacher and principal when she described life after hereditary colorectal cancer. Because her brother and a cousin had developed colorectal cancer early, she had already been advised to attend…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Susanna’s Patient Story
Susanna Zier was 66 and a widow with 4 adult children when colorectal cancer was found. Ten years earlier, bowel symptoms had led to a colonoscopy that found and removed a polyp. In the years that followed, she faced several other illnesses and many…
Read this storyStage II Colorectal Cancer: Deondre’s Survivor Story
Deondre Williams was diagnosed with Stage II colon cancer in 2017 after blood in his stool kept returning. He first thought the bleeding was hemorrhoids and tried to manage it himself, but his wife encouraged him to see a doctor. Colonoscopy found multiple…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Gabriel’s Survivor Story
Gabriel Leblanc was 36 when worsening health problems finally led to a Stage III colon cancer diagnosis. His symptoms began with trouble breathing and becoming winded during simple activity, but early concerns were dismissed as asthma. Two years later, he was…
Read this storyStage I Colorectal Cancer: Rachel’s Survivor Story
Rachel had lived with digestive issues since she was 10, but after losing more than 100 pounds and feeling healthier, nausea, bloating, and stomach discomfort returned. The symptom that pushed her to seek help was blood in her stool. Her family doctor took…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Kristen’s Survivor Story
Kristen developed new abdominal pain and severe constipation around the end of April. At first, she wondered if food was the cause, but the episodes kept returning almost every 3 weeks. Doctors repeatedly told her it was IBS-C, even as she struggled to use…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Amber’s Survivor Story
Amber Mike was 44 when bleeding after earlier fibroid surgery led her gynecologist to recommend a colonoscopy. She delayed the appointment at first because she was busy traveling for work, but in May 2023 the colonoscopy found a tumor and she was diagnosed…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Natasha’s Patient Story
Natasha McCants had her first screening colonoscopy in February 2023 at age 45 after a suspicious Cologuard test. The initial biopsy did not show cancer, but her gastroenterologist trusted what he had seen and sent her to surgery. Two months later, a…
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