If you are one of the 155,000 Americans who develop colorectal cancer this year, you will probably experience a rotor of emotions.
Colorectal cancer occurs when cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control, creating tumors that can spread to the rest of the body if left untreated.
Although people over 50 are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer, there has been an alarming increase in diagnoses among younger adults.
That is why adults at moderate risk of colorectal cancer are encouraged to begin examination at 45. Those with higher risk may need to start examination earlier and be tested more often.
About 1.5 million Americans are living with a colorectal diagnosis of cancer. The disease often causes diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, fatigue and/or unintentional weight loss along with less known side effects.
“When we think of cancer, we often focus on major symptoms, but colorectal cancer comes with side effects that do not always get attention,” Dr. Cedrek McFadden, a South Carolina -based colorectal surgeon and a medical adviser at the colorectal alliance of cancer, told The Post.
McFadden discovered three side effects of colorectal cancer that patients often do not speak but are manageable with proper support.
“Talking about them can make a big difference,” he said.
Emotion
“Beyond the physical symptoms, the emotional impact of treatment of a diagnosis and treatment can be overwhelming,” McFadden said. “Anxiety and depression are common, but they are not often discussed.”
The California resident, Mahon, said she suffered panic attacks and periods of depression, which she foamy to be a young mother of premature twin boys.
Blood in her pit and a “out of control” request to go to the bath driven her to get a colonoscopy, which found that she had colon cancer in phase 3 to 31.
“I’m pretending I’m fine, but I’m not,” Accept Mahon with tears in Tiktok last year as I passed chemotherapy. She later reported that she is without cancer.
Changes in body image
“Whether it is from surgery, weight changes or a colostomy, patients can fight self -esteem and body image issues,” McFadden noted.
Media manufacturer Joe Fararatzis, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in phase 4 in 28, said he was “psychological traumatizing” to see piles of his hair on his pillow or in the shower while passing chemotherapy.
Fararatzis scans have been clear for nearly two years – and his hair has grown.
Digestion paparagual
“Even after treatment, survivors can cope with long -term bowel changes, which can be a source of embarrassment or disappointment,” McFadden reported.
Elayne Gorhum, a mother and author of Houston, said in Tiktok that she was left with symptoms that resemble irritated intestinal syndrome – indigestion, diarrhea and cramps – after doctors removed a large part of her colon to treat its colon cancer 4.
She discovered that she experiences ignition when stressed or eats something that disagrees with her stomach.
“It can just be a really harsh time,” said Gorhum, who has been without cancer for more than five years.
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Image Source : nypost.com