Colorectal cancer: my story so far 

Thanks Tami that’s really kind - and not sure it’s deserved Thanks for doing what you do to help the rest of us keep going.

@@NeilWalsh_UN No, no *NO MY FRIEND!* You're quite wrong. Tami is right. Many accolades to you! Her compliment to you is *SO* very deserved! As are all the others in this feed! And like her, I too am SO GLAD that I stumbled upon your video! You are one remarkable person. Thank you for sharing your story of bravery with the world. (by the way, you owe me a drink as I DID watch to the very end) Haha.. As for that part where you recorded the "if you're watching this, unfortunately I'm no longer here" videos, I can totally relate. I did this exact same thing in the summer of 2019. It was to be played at my memorial service in the event that I wouldn't survive, as so many of my doctors had suggested. On February 10th of that year I suffered a massive DVT in my right leg followed by double Pulmonary Embolisms... one in each lung. Three weeks later it was discovered that I had a genetic blood disorder called *Factor V(five) Leiden Mutation* Even though I had been born with this genetic defect, it was dormant all my life... dormant up until a routine gallbladder surgery two days before the DVT, which triggered a cascade of horrible medical events. Weeks later, I was placed on a in-home Hospice Care program and by the end of that summer I had experienced three more PE's. Doctors still don't know how I've survived so many. Even while being on high doses of both Xarelto AND daily Lovenox injections in the belly every 8 hours, I continue to have random clots and PE's. As of this year,, I've now had 7 PE's and you're right! They are painful. AND scary! But I'm still here to complain, somehow... Three years later, I'm no longer under Hospice Care. However I'm still seen monthly by pain management to help manage my very painful conditions & symptoms. The DVT resulted in a massive 27-inch long chain of blood clots that extended from my right calve, up into my abdominal area. I've had 9 Thrombectomy procedures, 2 stents placed in my thigh and an IVC Filter placed in my chest and am currently dealing with *PTS* (Post Thrombotic Syndrome). It has caused several open wounds and skin ulcerations on my right leg and the clots have completely destroyed my vascular system in that limb. Just five months before that DVT I had both an endoscopy and a colonoscopy done back in September, 2018. I had been having signs and symptoms very similar to yours. Even though no tumors or cancer were found that day, they did remove 26 polyps from my colon and 4 from the interior of my stomach lining. 8 were found to be precancerous and I was instructed on that day that I would need to begin having colonoscopy studies annually - at minimum. Well, with all the other medical stuff I've dealt with since then (PE's, all the clots and NOW "sick sinus syndrome" where my heart has several A-Fib, Atrial Flutter and V-tach episodes a day)... well? The annual colonoscopies took a back seat to everything else, needless to say. But about a year ago I noticed I was having occasional belly cramps again, weird pains and random bouts of constipation followed by excessive diarrhea. Then several more days of constipation. I also noticed my clothes weren't as snug and I was going down in shirt sizes. So I saw my GP and he started me on a bowel stimulant, prescription strength Movantik, to help move my bowels. He wrote it off "normal" since I'm on high doses of morphine for pain control. It's 10 months now since I first noticed a change in my restroom habits and the weight loss. To date, I've gone from a size 4× down to a 2× and I've lost over 80 pounds.. mostly due to the fact I barely eat most days. My constipation has gotten to the point that no movement for 10 to 12 days is my new norm ~ followed by 2 to 4 days of painful and uncontrollable diarrhea, then right back to another dry spell of at least a week to 10 or 12 days. 15 days is the longest I've gone and it was pure misery. At this moment, writing this, I am ONCE AGAIN at day number 9 and counting.. and feeling pretty miserable. And no matter how much rest I get, it's never enough. I'm so blasted weak & tired most days, I could cry. None of this is normal for me. Even at my worst while under Hospice Care, I don't remember ever feeling this poorly and overall "unwell". The past several weeks I've been nauseous more than I haven't. My tummy always feels distended and I eat very little. But when I do eat it's usually a softer diet; plain toast, applesauce, yogurt, bananas or applesauce. That's pretty much my go-to. I FINALLY saw a new GP back in July and she immediately wrote a referral for me to be seen by a Gastroenterologist... and I actually will see him for an initial consult this week. Just 3 more days! My biggest fear is that I'll be told there's *Colon Cancer* in there. I'm already dealing with news of a bone tumor above my left knee that they recently discovered kinda accidentally. It's in my left femur bone, my "good" leg. (which turns out now, isn't so good either) lol And I was just told a couple weeks ago THAT tumor came back benign but it will still need to come out as it has characteristics that COULD turn malignant eventually. Ugh! I'm starting to feel like, "Why me?! Where does all of this end?" I can't even wrap my brain around one more bad diagnosis... especially cancer. 😩 But then I watched your video and what you've gone through, and what you'll likely continue to deal with. Not to mention your upbeat and positive attitude with a little dry humor mixed in. You telling your story has helped far more than you could ever know, I'm sure. Including me! So please take the compliments Neil. Seriously. Because you deserve every damn one of them! Isn't it just amazing what some of us have to go through just to remain here on earth? It truly is crazy! But wow, what a rollercoaster ride you've been on... Thank you again for sharing YOUR story... I will keep you and your whole family in my thoughts and prayers. I just turned 55 a few weeks ago.. my wife and I were never able to bear children, unfortunately. But we have several nieces and nephews that look up to us and still depend on. So, like you, I guess I'll continue to fight back for as long as I can, just to stick around. Even though "our kids" are all grown up now, I know I'm still needed from time to time. For gas money, if nothing else! 💰 lol 😆 Sincerely, Troy Daniel Casa Grande, Arizona Southwestern U.S.A. P.S... If *YOU* made it through to the end of *MY* commentary, then it is *me* that owes *you* a drink. LOL 😆 Stay well my friend! And thanks again.

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God loves you I admire how brave you are ❤

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Ha! You’re allowed to feel sorry for yourself (“the joy of work” as it could be defined….)

Thanks so much!

I’m sorry to read this Lynn 😞

That’s so kind - thank you Claire! Wish you all the best with recovery and seemingly never-ending scans, bloods and things being stuck up your bum! Best of luck Neil

My prayers go out to you and your family 🙏 Have you now been staged? If so, I hope it's in the early stages and thus better chance of survival

God bless you with 🙏

how's it going?

I can’t describe what it feels like to read your post Kim. Both of my resections took 4-5 years to settle - and I had many moments of questioning why I didn’t retain the stoma(s) Wishing you the best! Neil

@@NeilWalsh_UN Thank u my friend and if I would have known the length of time, discomfort, weakness and pain I was going to endure for so long, I too would have kept my colostomy bag. Best wishes to u always! Kim

How many years cancer survivor and what stage

@@prakashsudha1999 Are u asking me or Neil? Mine was stage 4 and Im at 7yrs now 😀

Did your husband have symtoms before it was diagnosed if so what symtoms he had

@@AhmedDiiriye-gm6um A little bleeding infrequently and a lot of diarrhea the last few months.

My brother was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer last June. He went through 6 weeks of radiation with chemo infusion 24/7. Followed by chemo infusions for 2 days every 3 weeks until early February. March 21, 2024 he had surgery and has a ostomy that can not be reversed. April the 8th, biopsies came back negative. He is 58 and doing well. @NDETV316

@@AhmedDiiriye-gm6umMy husband was just diagnosed with stage4 cancer. A year ago he started having some gas issues, but nothing serious. In the late 5 months he started losing weight but we thought it was because of fasting. In the last two months he started getting tired and out of breath easily and then he turned yellow after a trip overseas. After a doctor’s appointment they found out he had a bad anemia, which was caused, of course to an 8 cm tumor growing in his colon. We trust God and know that only good comes from Him. We’re taking whatever comes from Him as a test and blessing!

Wishing you guys the very best on your journey. I hot my four year cancer anniversary - for the second time - earlier this week 💪

My wife was just diagnosed with colon cancer last week and we're in the beginning stage of this journey.

God will be with her 🙏 in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit. Did the CT scans show tumor in colon ?

Wishing your mum (and you!) the very best with this horrid journey.

Prays your way

Said a prayer for her. Can relate to your last sentence as my mom is also all I have and she currently has stage 4 breast cancer. Going with her to the doctor later

🙏🙏🙏💓🙏🙏🙏

Thanks for writing Susan and I’m really sorry to read about your brother - terrible news. There was some fascinating research done way back in 2008 showing that men had double the risk of bowel cancer than women and one of the hypotheses was that we present much later because we consciously ignore symptoms and are much less used to routine genitourinary investigations than women. It really spoke to me….. Wishing you all the best Neil

Thanks for taking the time to write - and there’s never enough use of “shits and giggles” 😃 - now get back to that doc…. Good luck!

That’s really kind - thank you Emma The healthcare absence that many have is stark. If I wasn’t well-paid I think I’d have died years ago We all need to look-after each other. And that starts with universal healthcare

@@NeilWalsh_UN please answer me 😢😢😢

Ya healthcare is free in Cuba too! Taking away People's Autonomy is never right or injecting them with experimental drugs.Socialized Medicine sucks ask a Canadian Canadian

Oh Michael I’m really sorry to read that. Wishing you all the best with your journey 💪

How was your blood stool I’ve had mine for a month now but it’s bright red only when I wipe plz answer I’m scared

My prayers are with you Michael. Hope you get well soon. I have been having fresh red blood at the end of my stools since a little more than a month now. I visited my GP two weeks back and after visual rectal examination he said he can't see anything wrong there and that there's nothing to worry about. On my insistence he has however, given me the contact of the hospital where I can undergo colonoscopy. I am worried what should I do now.

@@sandythemonk a visual rectal exam which one, Did you do a CT scan ?

Thanks Jeni; wish you the best with your journey

Do u have colon cancer & can’t get treatment? Why can’t you get treated?

I can’t remember the last time a doctor actually touched me during a GP visit.

Appreciate you watching it - thanks George

Thanks Angela!

Oh Fran I’m sorry to read that you’ve got mets…double shit with shit on top 😞 Even the dark moments I hope you still find the humour in this madness. Wishing you all the very best N