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Kris MacDonald - There Were Warning Signs, I Just Never Thought Much of Them.


I was 39 when I was told I had cancer in the emergency room at a local hospital. I was there for severe stomach pains, and never even thought cancer was a possibility. Even that WebMD app on my iPhone said it was probably my appendix, besides colon cancer is the 60 year-old fat mans disease. I was just told I had Stage 4 Colon Cancer in my 30's. C/T scan results showed several spots on my liver, lungs and lymph nodes, in addition to my colon having a baseball size tumor blocking my intestines. It was just 24 hrs later that I had 16 inches of my colon removed and those 6 pack abs destroyed forever. After being released from the hospital a week later I went to my first appointment with an oncologist. His prognosis and recommended treatment involved chemotherapy and the hope of giving me another year or two of life. Life! I went overboard and went for not only a second opinion, but all the way up to a 6th. I found a doctor who was willing to go a bit beyond the standard of care, assemble a team and tackle the problem with many approaches. He was my guy! I learned more about medical procedures than the average person, took a proactive approach and managed my care along with my team. I went through 8 more minor surgeries and 3 more major ones, preceded and followed by rounds of chemotherapy. Liver, lungs, lymph nodes... even the tiniest spots of cancer were cut out of me. Some of the surgeries carried a genuine risk of death, the chemotherapy drugs were so strong and powerful that I had even experienced anaphylactic shock during one dose. I chose to work throughout my treatment, utilizing the free wifi from the chemolabs and hospital rooms and even pulling my mess of tubes with me to the end of the hall that got better cell phone reception for necessary work calls. I still had a little bit of that invincibility in me, even when faced with such a devastating disease.

I never expected to become a cancer patient. I worked out 6 days a weeks, was in perfect shape, ate healthy and was no longer smoking. I did find out from one of the members of my "dream team" that age markers on my primary tumor suggest it had been growing for 5 to 6 years. So I was just 34 or 35 when all of this started inside of me. Had I missed something along the way, it was a stomach ache that sent me to the emergency room. Turns out there may have been some signs given I now know what the symptoms or warnings are, I just never thought much of them. I was young, in good shape... must have been something I ate. I wish I had taken those minor warning signs seriously, my treatment may have been much easier and things caught before they spread. All of my research since being diagnosed has taught me so much I wish I had known earlier. I do remain cancer free one year after an incredible 14 months of treatment, it just left me with 27.5 inches of scarring and a whole new perspective life.


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