Janine Stellacci
Patient/Survivor
Rectal
Age at Diagnosis: 44
"Focus on the spaces in between the pain, nausea, and fatigue."
I had been an athlete since I was a teenager. At around age 40, I started experiencing extreme fatigue and erratic GI symptoms that I mistakenly attributed to being a woman, job stress, and hormones. After a few years, I started seeing blood occasionally in the bathroom, which quickly became a daily occurrence.
I saw a GI doctor, and he sent me for a colonoscopy as soon as possible. He diagnosed the tumor on the spot, on 1/2/24.
I spent almost all of 2024 in treatment – 4 1/2 months of FOLFOX chemo, then 30 days of another chemo and daily radiation, then tumor resection surgery and a temporary ileostomy, which was reversed on 12/5/24.
I kept up an exercise routine as much as possible during treatment and recovery. I can’t advocate enough for early screenings– if I waited, I’d probably not be here.
