Tracy Ten

Story: "January 2020, I started having pains that would come and go. I also had some blood in my stools, and I met with a gastrointestinal (GI) doctor that brushed it off and said I needed to change my diet. According to the doctor, I was severely constipated, and I was sent home.

"A few months later, I was driving home and started having pains, which made me feel as though I was going to pass out. My stool at the time started to look ribbon-like, so I called the GI doctor back and made another appointment. In January 2021, I had my colonoscopy, which was during the height of COVID-19, so I was alone when the doctor woke me. He said I had a mass, but he could not say if it was cancer or not. However, he scheduled me with a surgeon, and the surgeon was the one to tell me that I had colon cancer. I was devastated as I was alone. Both my kids were away in the Army and my spouse was at home. I had to call my son in Afghanistan, as he is my eldest, and I had the doctor explain to him what was going on.

"I had my colonoscopy January 8, 2021, and I was given my diagnosis January 13. I had surgery January 26, 2021. I started chemotherapy March 3, 2021 and my last chemotherapy was August 2021.

"I am currently NED."

Advice: "Please get checked, and if the doctor does not think you should be screened, push harder because colorectal cancer is highly treatable if caught early. We know our bodies, and if we feel there is something wrong, we must be our own best advocate!"