Dan Rodriguez
It was November 2006. I was finishing up a job in Fort Worth, Texas that been acquired by a larger oil company that year moving it to Houston. I had decided not to move to Houston because I had been living in Dallas/Fort Worth area over 20 years. I felt great because of the 6 month bonus I was getting when I would walk off the job I was doing in accounting as Senior Fixed Assets Accountant. I remember getting that large check of $20,000 after taxes and thinking I was on top of the world feeling so good. Two weeks after starting a new job in Plano which I had been easily selected because of my exposure to various systems, I took a colonoscopy to examine my colon. I was 52 and had a friend take the exam and he came out without any bad report. So, I decided to do mine as well since I had never had one done before this.
My wife Emily had been telling me for two years before this to see a doctor because she noticed some changes in me to where I was having problems in the bedroom and seemed to be having problems with my hemorrhoids bleeding regularly. I kept denying it by excusing myself as normal changes because I was getting older and my doctor had been doing my yearly physical exams showing me clear of any problems. It took my younger sister Nina sounding a concerning alarm for the safety of my health that year in August 2006 when she came to visit us in Texas from California which put the final bug in my ear to consider doing a colonoscopy.
It was a routine exam where I was put under anesthesia and the colonoscopy was done. I had taken the day off on a Friday just in case if I had any after effects I could recover over the weekend. I didn’t know it then but several bite size biopsies had been done when they did my exam of my colon. I guess the doctor was suspicious already something was wrong but he kept it under wrap until he got confirmation from the exam.
I was called in a week early to review my exam with the doctor. After waiting in the waiting area for an hour, I was called in a room by myself there. When the doctor walked in, he had 4 or 5 people walk in with him. I immediately got nervous thinking something was wrong to have all these people standing around me. He introduced them to me but it was a blur to me what there names were because my mind was only focused only on my doctor and what he was about to tell me. He then said it, “You have cancer in your colon with several tumors all around!” I can’t describe what I felt at that moment other than I felt numb and my hearing seem to be playing tricks on me. I heard the words but felt the doctor would soften the blow by saying that it was only a small area affected. The more he spoke of how my colon had to be removed and a bag would replace my colon, the more numb I was getting as each word came out of his mouth. He then told me this had to be done immediately within the next two weeks. I then felt my whole body paralyzed because of the heavy words my doctor spoke to me. I wanted to yell, “NO!” at the top of my lungs but kept reserved and quiet. I remember just asking if I could get a second opinion before deciding anything and discussing it with my wife and family. He told me, “Yes, you do what ever you feel necessary to prepare yourself “ I remember standing up but my feet felt like cement blocks I was carrying and my whole body moving but in slow motion as I walked out of his office. So many thoughts of how I would tell my family ran through my mind as I went home that day.
That weekend was a tough one for me carrying this new load I picked up at the doctor’s office. I thought I was in the best shape working out 3 times a week and eating right as far as I knew where I would do vitamins maybe once or twice a week then, ate soups, salads, and some greens every so often, but here I was labeled with the C word.
First thing Monday, I called an Oncologists and other colon doctors trying to get my second and third opinions. After, seeing two other colon doctors, I heard the same words spoken to me that if it was in a different area in my colon other than at the very bottom of my colon, then it wouldn’t have to be removed, but as it stood, drastic surgery was required to take the cancer out of my body.
After talking to an oncologist, I decided to do chemo prior to surgery. I asked the nurse as I was waiting for the doctor if folks usually did Chemo before surgery. She said one patient had cancer of her cheek and did not do Chemo but surgery immediately and months went by without doing Chemo. She soon discovered that the cancer was back and more surgery was necessary of her facial area. That definitely made my decision easier to do Chemo. My oncologist had made a program for me where I would do radiation and Chemo together at the same time because of the aggressive cancer I had. I went back to my first doctor who told me the news and I told him what I had decided and he agreed that was ok as long as the surgery was done after my Chemo/radiation treatments were done, but a port would be necessary in order to do the Chemo. So, the next week I was scheduled as an outpatient surgery and had a port inserted under my skin in a main artery vein near my heart in my chest to receive the Chemo.
I remember starting my Chemo program on a Monday early in January in 2007 not knowing what was in store for me the next 12 weeks with Chemo and radiation being pumped in my body. The next 6 weeks was intensive chemo where for 5-6 hours of lying in a chair while drips of various drugs slowly ran through my port starting at 9am until approximately 3pm where immediately I walked across the street to get my radiation treatments. After the first 6 weeks of this, I continued only Chemo for the following 6 weeks. Radiation had left me so weak that I could hardly move as I got up each morning to finish my Chemo weeks. A pump would be attached to my belt over the weekend to complete the Chemo for the weeks that I received the drugs scheduled for me. I continued to work at my job all through Chemo and radiation up to my surgery on April 10th of that year in 2007. I did not look or feel like the same man after doing Chemo and radiation in preparation for my surgery.
In April 10th 2007, I had my mass surgery done of my colon and a hole was made in my lower abdomen area on my left side to where a bag would be changed as my new colon. I spent 6 days in the hospital recovering from the operation. On the 5th day, my oncologist showed up and told me that 45 limp nodes were removed and 36 were cancerous. He then told me that I would have more Chemo needed to make sure the cancer would not return. Again, I was devastated with this news.
Another 12, weeks of chemo followed starting in early May 2007. I remember being so happy after my last treatment in early August that I would never have Chemo again because it felt so bad. By this time, I looked like I was 80 years old with all white hair even though I didn’t loose my hair on my head. Prior to seeing my doctor again, I did an 18 day program of herbs I had received information from a friend of Black Walnut, Cloves, and Warmwood which came in tablets. I remember getting enough strength after doing this program that I started doing pushups which I had not done since the previous year. I was doing 30 push ups now and felt better than I had in months.
I saw my doctor on a Monday following a brief celebration of 3 weeks of my last Chemo therapy session in early August. My doctor again told me I would need another 12 sessions of Chemo. I knew that my 26 week Short Term Leave was over at my job since I was a brad new employee there. So, I would no longer be covered and I probably would be fired since I would not report in October of 2007 if I started a third session of Chemo. I told my doctor, “ I can’t start another Chemo session because I will be fired from my job and you will not get paid because I will no longer have insurance.” He thought for a while and then said,” the only way I can release you to go back to work if we get biopsies of your limp nodes to make sure no cancer is present there. I told him I was certain my cancer was gone because of my faith in God and the 18 day program I had done, but would follow through with the biopsies. My doctor had me do several scans prior to the biopsies as well and all showed no cancer any where in my body.
I was scheduled for the biopsies in late September. When I was at the limp nodes doctor, he said after scanning my whole abdomen/torso area,” I don’t know why your doctor wants biopsies of your limp nodes since I see them very normal, but I will do as he requests” He then took the biopsies of my limp nodes. I limped out to my car but I was flying in my thoughts with joy and couldn’t wait to tell my family of my good news. I felt God had mercy on me and spared me from further Chemo and surgeries at that time. I was going back to work and was overjoyed to do so.
It’s been 4 years since I have been diagnosed with Cancer and I have had regular scan exams making sure I do not have it and I continue to have a clean bill of health.
Now, I do take my vitamins daily and watch what I eat as well. I do not drink cokes or eat fast food since I know the grease in these foods build bad things in my body and the caffeine carbonated drinks have no nourishment for my body. I drink Olivera daily as well as taking my multiple vitamins to insure my immune system is up to fight anything against my body. I believe this continues to be my success as well as God’s mighty hand on my life.
A word of advice to all men and women, get yourself checked by doing a colonoscopy early in your life. Don’t wait until a group of doctors tell you that you have Cancer and suffer the consequences of it as I do in my life daily.
By Dan Rodriguez
November 22, 2010