Sharayah Delavern

Sharayah's story

My husband went to doctors due to rectal bleeding, stomach pain and overall uncomfortable.

He was diagnosed with hemorrhoids even after two hemoccult tests (he was unaware were even taken) that came back positive each time. After a year and a half, he demanded to get "hemorrhoids" removed, but through colonoscopy then found the tumor in his rectum size of a fist,

He went through chemo and radiation then had a bowel obstruction with temporary ileostomy bag. He had nodules in lungs, and the thought was bacteria growth.

It took three biopsies to figure out it was cancer after surgery. He lost 35% of his lung on one side, then 65% on other. He completed chemo. He had a reoccurrence in his lung cancer, and he is doing chemo again.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms included rectal bleeding or blood in stool, ongoing change in bowel habits, narrow stools, stomach cramps/bloating/fullness, unexplained/sudden weight loss, fatigue, unable to have a bowel movement (bowel obstruction) or constipation.

Side effects

Side effects included fatigue, bowel irregularities, mouth sores, chemo induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), pain, neuropathy, hand-foot syndrome, chemo brain.

Sharayah's advice

Do it [seek medical advice or a colonoscopy] before it [colorectal cancer] becomes too advanced.