Mary Groothuis

Story: "After a year of unexpected things happening to my body, I talked to my doctor about the issues. I had my first colonoscopy on April 22nd, 2016, at the age of 47. The doctor found a mass in my rectum. On April 26th, I was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer. I started 28 days of radiation and chemo pills. Months later, I had surgery to remove my rectum and part of my colon. In addition, I had a full hysterectomy and an appendectomy. I have a temporary ostomy which took 2 1/2 months to get to work just right. Because there were still some active cancer cells, I started chemo and chemo pills in November. I will have eight total treatments - I have two left! After treatment, I will have my take-down surgery. There have been some rough days but I remind myself that there are people who have it much worse. This journey will take a little over a year of my life - a fair trade if I can get 30 more years of life in exchange!"

Advice: "Listen to your body. If something doesn't seem right, go to your doctor!"