| Thursday, July 29, 2010 | |||
| NEWSRoom | |||
| 03/02/2010 | |||
| Source: WellSpring Oncology Cancer Center | |||
For March’s National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, One Woman Speaks Out on the Disease |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rate It! Thea Wilson, 51 years-old, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer exactly one year ago on March 5–during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Wilson and her husband are both registered nurses in St. Petersburg, Florida–but having a medical background didn’t make the news any easier. “We chose to have a friend, who happened to be a surgeon as well, help to keep us grounded. We needed someone who was not as deeply and emotionally involved give us the information, give us the type of decisions we had and the timeframe we had to make the decisions,” said Wilson. Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in America. There are over 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, according to the World Health Organization. Wilson was diagnosed at the exact age that is recommended to begin screenings for this disease. Fortunately for Wilson, she listened to her body. Her menstrual cycles were coming closer together and were heavier than normal. She was experiencing a lot of discomfort in her back–something she never experienced before. Wilson went to see her gynecologist for an exam and all came back okay. She wondered about the discomfort, so they did a vaginal ultrasound. Again, all came back okay. Wilson had no family history of the disease and really had no other reason to get a screening although her GYN suggested it. “Thank Heavens for the good GYN practitioners,” said Wilson who a couple days later tested positive. After visiting her primary physician and a gastroenterologist she went in for her colonoscopy. “God forbid you take off work to take care of yourself,” said Wilson after pursuing the advice of her doctors for tests during a one-week vacation she opted to take from work. After her colonoscopy, Wilson tested positive for a large colon tumor that appeared to be in a stage four cancer. “I was told to get my affairs in order because it didn’t look good,” said Wilson. Calling herself an “AARP Parent,” (American Association of Retired Persons) with her still strong sense of humor, Wilson’s gravest thoughts were on her nine-year-old daughter that she waited a lifetime for. “My heart was stopping; I waited a lifetime for this baby of mine–finally I have my daughter and now I won’t get to watch her grow-up.” Wilson and her husband decided to tell their daughter, Anna, the whole truth. “There’s always that possibility of death and how wrong would it have been of me as parent to not let her have a hint of that. I laid it all out for her but not in FULL detail. I told her everyone was working really hard to make Mommy better,” said Wilson, “We’re going to put our best foot forward.” After a slew of medical visits–PET scans and CAT scans–all, “fell into place brilliantly,” said Wilson. In less than a week her illness was pinpointed and a plan of action was taken from her medical team. Wilson was scheduled for surgery: a diverting ileostomy (surgical opening constructed by bringing the end or loop of the small intestine (the ileum) out into the surface of the skin where waste is collected into an external pouch system stuck to the skin), then chemotherapy for six weeks and radiation therapy every day for five days a week–Monday through Friday. During a five week rest period, Wilson thought she could handle it all but wasn’t quite sure after the chemotherapy. “It was horrendous. I had an unusual response to the chemotherapy–every joint was swollen about three times the size as normal. It was the freakiest thing and very painful,” she said, “But I knew I was under good care, everyone worked so hard to get me feeling better again.” While undergoing radiation treatment, Wilson was comforted by an entire squad of medical professionals that she said was just “incredible.” Wilson received radiation treatment at WellSpring Oncology Cancer Center in Pinellas Park, Florida. “The caregivers along the way were exceptional. If Obama needs a model of healthcare, a place for him to look is WellSpring,” says Wilson, “There were days that I thought I could not do treatment but there, I wasn’t rushed. I could sit aside and all offered caring arms, giving me time to work through my issue for that day. It was just phenomenal.” “Thea is such an incredibly strong, vibrant, confidant woman,” said WellSpring oncologist, Zucel Solc, MD, “She persevered through her entire battle and made many friends here at the center. We wanted to do anything and everything in our ability to get her back to her normal life again–where she can touch her patients the way she touched us.” Wilson soon saw the light at the end of the tunnel–“They put Humpty Dumpty back together again,” she said. Wilson was in remission. “When they told me about me being in remission–it’s almost the same as when you hear you have cancer,” she said–allowing the shock to settle in. “I was so thankful for the news. But I was going to sit on this for a little then get giddy about it later.” Wilson took her “transfusions of love” from family, friends and a support system online that allowed loved ones to leave her messages on a web site called, CaringBridge.org. This whole experience has taught Wilson how important it was for her as an RN to continue showing compassion and care for all her own patients. She was always more than a nurse to her patients before but now she says she plans to “turn-up the volume even more” to truly hear what they need and how she can help–the way she was helped. “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a patient after they’ve been declared in remission. We are so happy for Thea,” said Dr. Solc. For more information, visit www.wellspringoncology.org. |
|||
Share This!
| Short Link: http://www.news-line.com/?s13812 |
0 Comments
Post Comment
