During the procedure, Gastroenterologist Alexis Ayonote, MD, discovered a tumor in Keith’ s rectum.
“ It’ s an overwhelming thing to hear‘ you have cancer,’” Keith said. Keith’ s parents and daughter, who was just 12 at the time, were devastated by the news. His brother and sister, Kevin and Kathy, immediately scheduled colonoscopies at the SBL Gastroenterology Clinic upon their doctor’ s urging, since the three are triplets. While the siblings gained peace of mind, Keith began the fight of his life.
Keith was scheduled for an aggressive chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimen to shrink the size of his tumor prior to surgery, but doctors stopped his chemotherapy treatments early when Keith became extremely sick. He suffered through bouts of nausea and diarrhea, yet he continued to receive radiation treatments daily. Keith had to dig deep for strength that he didn’ t know he had.“ There were times when I didn’ t want to go through it anymore, but I have to give credit to my family and friends,” he said. They helped him become a fighter.
In February 2009, Keith underwent a five-and-a-half-hour surgery at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis to remove a portion of his rectum and lower colon. The pain and soreness he experienced during the recovery are still vivid in his mind.“ The ride home from the hospital was the worst. My parents took the seats out of the van and piled blankets in there to make it more comfortable, but I cringed whenever we hit any little bump in the road,’’ he said.
Keith also needed a colostomy bag, which he had a difficult time adjusting to both physically and mentally. What made it tolerable was learning a month after the surgery that the procedure had been successful and that the cancer hadn’ t spread. After healing from the surgery, Keith went through high-dose chemotherapy treatments every other week for six months as a preventive measure.
Keith captured his journey on his CaringBridge website, which allowed many of his friends and relatives to travel by his side to make the journey a little less scary. Their support both motivated him to push through the dark days and taught him just how amazing his friends and family are.“ I will say that no part of this journey was easy, but I did overcome the obstacle. You must fight the fight,” he said.“ I’ d say the best thing after it was all said and done was getting to sit on the toilet again. It’ s just great to feel normal again,” he said.
While Keith still struggles to eat certain foods and he can’ t be far from a restroom, he is grateful to have his energy back. As soon as he could, Keith returned to his full time job as a press operator and maintenance mechanic at United Graphics, LLC., in Mattoon, where he has worked for nearly 30 years. He receives follow-up care from SBL Family Practitioner Gary Mikel, MD, and he undergoes screening colonoscopies.
Colorectal cancer( cancer of the colon or rectum) is the third most common cancer in the U. S. in men and women, with nearly 150,000 new cases each year. The rates are rising in adults under age 50 – people who, like Keith, are not typically screened for such cancers. Colorectal cancer is one of the easiest cancers to survive, if caught early.
Keith’ s message to everyone is to trust your instinct.“ If something doesn’ t seem right, then it probably isn’ t. Please do not ignore the symptoms you have. They could be the warning you need to save your life,” he said.
FREE Colon Cancer Screen
A limited number of free Hemosure colon cancer screening kits are available on a first-come firstserved basis.
Who Should be Screened
• People between 50 and 75 years old
• People with a strong family history of colon cancer
• People who have never had a colonoscopy
• People with the following symptoms: – Diarrhea / Constipation – Rectal bleeding – Black or tarry stools – Change in bowel habits
What is involved with the screen? The kit you receive allows you to easily collect a stool sample in a plastic container. Return it discreetly in a provided brown bag to any Sarah Bush Lincoln clinic or the hospital outpatient lab. Test kits should be returned to Sarah Bush Lincoln by June 29.
Where and when can I get a kit?
Available while supplies last.
11 am to 1 pm
June 2 Mattoon Rural King
June 9 Sullivan Ace Hardware
June 16 SBL Tuscola Clinic
June 23 SBL Casey Clinic
How will I receive the result? If your test result is negative, you will receive a letter in the mail from the Sarah Bush Lincoln Gastroenterology Clinic. If your test result is positive, you will receive a phone call from the SBL Gastroenterology Clinic and a certified letter alerting you to the results and the actions you should take for further investigation.
For more information, call the Sarah Bush Lincoln Gastroenterology Clinic at 217-258-4155. may 2017 healthstyles 9