I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer stage III in April of 2021. I just had a colonoscopy and was awakened and was told that the doctor wanted to talk to me and my wife. He told us that he could not complete the colonoscopy because I had a mass about 4 inches in my colon close to my rectum and he could not get the scope pass the mass. He said he took a bit off for a biopsy but was 99% sure it was cancerous. He said he was going to set me up with the best surgeon he knew at M D Anderson.

I was somewhat stunned and relieved at same time of finally knowing what was wrong with me. I had frequent bowel movements and continuing to return to bathroom within minutes of just having a bowel movement. I also had lost about 60lbs within just a few months and grew weaker, harder to do my normal work load daily. Now the fight was on. I met my surgeon a few weeks later, he completed a sygmoidoscopy then told me the game plan.

I was going to have a ct scan, pet scan then meet the rest of my team. I had 4 months of chemo, then 2 months of chemo radiation, then surgery. I had an ileostomy then reversal surgery 3 months later. My body has been through a lot for the last 3 years but I am a survivor. I have LARS syndrome, painful sphincter muscle spasms at times, clusters and neuropathy but I have been cancer free since February 2022.