Meet Leigh

Caregiver

Lynbrook, New York

Leigh's Story

My husband was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer in 2014 at the age of 47. He had no symptoms. His doctor ran a routine blood test required to get his blood pressure medication re-filled, and found that he was anemic. My husband was then referred to an internist who performed a colonoscopy, which is when the tumor was found.

My husband received chemo and radiation, surgery to remove tumor, temporary ileostomy and chemo again. He sees his oncologist and surgeon every three months and gets a colonoscopy every year. He is currently.

His quality of life is forever changed due to treatments and surgery, but he was very lucky. The doctors all say that if he did not get that colonoscopy at 47 instead of the recommended age of 50, his prognosis would have been grim. The colonoscopy saved his life. We were told that our children should have their first colonoscopies no later than the age of 30, or earlier if they have any symptoms.

Now I feel that it is my mission the spread the word on the importance of getting screened. It can save your life!

Leigh's Advice

Reach out and ask for help, advice and support. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Seeking advice from previous cancer patients helped greatly.