"Within two months, my stools had changed shape, and I was losing weight. I reached back out to my doctor, who referred me to a gastroenterologist. From the onset of my symptoms to when I was able to finally see a specialist was six months. They ordered a colonoscopy, but it was initially denied by my health insurer. My GI doctor appealed and had to move the procedure to a hospital before it was approved."
"When I woke up from the colonoscopy, my gastroenterologist told me they found a 7-centimeter mass that was likely cancer. They took biopsies, and a few days later, those were confirmed as malignant. I had blood work and a series of imaging over the next month and was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer with metastasis to the pelvic organs, lungs, and one adrenal gland."
At age 40 the patient experienced rectal symptoms including a feeling of fullness when sitting and bright red blood on wiping. Initial primary care labeled the problem as hemorrhoids. Two months later stool changes and weight loss prompted referral to gastroenterology, but specialist access took six months. Insurer initially denied colonoscopy, requiring appeal and hospital scheduling. Colonoscopy revealed a 7-centimeter mass; biopsies confirmed malignancy. Imaging and labs staged disease as stage 4 rectal cancer with metastases to pelvic organs, lungs, and an adrenal gland. Chemotherapy and planned chemoradiation have markedly reduced tumor burden and cleared detectable cancer DNA.
Read at BuzzFeed
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