Curing My Dad Of Colorectal Cancer

After surviving cancer myself, (see the about page) I had been given the all clear for 1 whole year. I got home that very same day, only to find out that my dad told had just been diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer (colon cancer. YES, a year to the day! I just couldn't believe it.

Colorectal Cancer is sometimes known as colon cancer, or bowel cancer, they are all the same illness and among the top three most common types of cancer today. Advances in treatment have helped survival rates dramatically but this type of cancer is unfortunately still a big killer. PLEASE, don't be dis-heartened when you hear people say this. Many people are cured and live long happy lives afterwards, including my dad.

There are various types of treatment for Colorectal Cancer sufferers, but generally, it will involve an operation followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or sometimes a mixture of the two. In the majority of cases, Colorectal Cancer starts off as a mushroom-like growth known as an adenomatous polyp. The growths are normally benign, (non-cancerous) but over time, they can develop into cancer.

Diagnosis of colon cancer is more often than not done using a method known as Colonoscopy. Diagnosis is performed by inserting a small camera through the anus and gives the doctor or surgeon a visual aid as well as the opportunity to obtain a biopsy so they can test a small sample of the affected tissue.

Well, here's the story of my dad. After returning from a monthly check-up myself I received a phone call. It was my dad telling me that he had been to the doctor as he had experienced problems when going to the toilet. He was also going far more frequently than usual. He did have some colon pain and the doctor had sent him to the hospital for some tests and he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, or bowel cancer. I was stunned but optimistic. Because I had survived cancer I tried to convince my dad that he was going to as well and luckily enough, he did.

In order for his colorectal cancer to be cured, he did have to have an operation and was given a type of chemotherapy. It was not as invasive as my treatment as it was in tablet form. Also, he did not lose his hair. He did, however suffer skin irritation and yellowing of his skin, which was extremely uncomfortable. Unfortunately, as a result of his operation he now has to wear a colostomy bag permanently but it doesn't prevent him going about his day-to-day activities and at the end of the day, the operation saved his life!