Keith Cox

Keith Cox's Story

I had started to suffer with stomach issues, irregular bowel movement and shape of output during COVID. I did not see my doctor as normal. I had some prescriptions called in. Then I started having bloody stools, so right away I went to my doctor who said it was mostly internal hemorrhoids.

I wasn’t given a physical exam, and I was told it would go away. I was given more meds that didn’t help. I called my doctor's office back, and the nurse recommended the doctor give me an at-home test, which he said was unnecessary.

I had bled through my clothing at work and my HR manager who happened to be walking behind me suggested I go see our nurse partitioner, who gave me an exam, and said I needed to call my doctor back as soon as possible and schedule an exam with him. My doctor decided I needed to see a surgeon. I went to see the surgeon who said I had a small tumor that he could remove the next day. I went in on Dec. 23, 2020, for the procedure. When I woke up after the procedure, I was told the surgeon could not remove it all, but he would biopsy it.

He never spoke with me about what the possibilities were. He sent a text to my friends who drove me to the procedure, and they had to tell me I most likely had cancer. Because it was the holiday season and end of the year, it was over a month before I had the results back. He stuck his head in the door and said, "As I thought — late-stage colorectal cancer. Someone will be in to talk to you."

Keith Cox's Advice

Stop fearing the unknown! They can’t treat what they don’t know!

Keep telling your story. Every time I tell mine, I always get a private question about symptoms.