At age 45, Scott Heysell, MD, realized he had colon most cancers. The information got here final April after a routine colonoscopy. Heysell had no colon most cancers signs. He had no relations with colon most cancers.
Colon most cancers wasn’t one thing Heysell anticipated to face — and particularly not as a dad of two younger kids and on the peak of his profession as an infectious illness physician tackling well being points at house and in Africa.
During March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, Heysell took over our UVA Health Instagram for a day. He was honored to do that for 3 causes:
- To let you know extra about his story
- Raise consciousness of an all-too widespread most cancers that’s preventable with screening
- Express gratitude for the household, mates, colleagues, and medical groups that contributed to his present well being
Routine Screening Uncovers Colon Cancer
Heysell knew that colorectal most cancers screening is now beneficial for everybody beginning at age 45. There’s motive: More colon most cancers is going on in youthful individuals within the U.S. We don’t know precisely why, however UVA Health researchers are searching for solutions.
Heysell shares: “When a knee damage introduced me to my main care physician’s workplace, we made some extent to atone for all my common preventive care, together with colon most cancers screening.”
“I scheduled my colonoscopy on a Friday afternoon. The process itself was actually easy. Dr. Dennis Kumral and the endoscopy crew are true professionals.”
“That day, I had simply mentioned goodbye to mates and colleagues visiting from Tanzania and Uganda. But as I awoke from the process, my consideration rapidly shifted from our work in infectious ailments in east Africa to a brand new illness of my very own and a dreaded phrase, most cancers.”
Sharing the News With His Children
As Heysell ready for surgical procedure, he and his spouse needed to break the information to their two youngsters. Heysell’s spouse, Tania Thomas, MD, additionally works at UVA Health. She too cares for individuals with infectious ailments.
Heysell shares, “My daughter, Dahlia, was 13 and my son, Asher, was 9 once we needed to break the information.”
“No one needs to share the information of most cancers with their family members — loaded with connotations of loss of life, struggle, and naturally, hair loss. Dahlia was introspective and affectionate, whereas Asher was fearful and inquisitive (no, Asher, I might not want an ostomy bag).”
Facing Exhaustion & Numbness
Sook Hoang, MD, carried out Heysell’s colon most cancers surgical procedure. She eliminated a part of his proper colon, small gut, and 36 lymph nodes. “Yet, I used to be out of the hospital after two nights, and shifting sluggish, however shifting. Thanks Dr. Hoang,” Heysell shares.
When Colon Cancer Strikes
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One lymph node had most cancers. This meant Heysell’s colon most cancers was at a later stage. He wanted chemotherapy. He shares, “While I knew chemotherapy was doable, I had actually needed to keep away from that half. My buddy and neighbor Dr. Tri Le took on a brand new position in our life: my oncologist. With nurse practitioner Jenna Campo and nurse Michelle Colley, I used to be in good arms for what can be an exhausting adjustment.”
Chemotherapy is life-saving when going through most cancers. But it brings tough uncomfortable side effects. Heysell confronted exhaustion and consuming grew to become a wrestle. He developed numbness in his toes.
“The fatigue was profound,” Heysell shares. “I needed to cease and relaxation with every flight of stairs, or take a break when strolling from my workplace to clinic … Cold objects may style burning sizzling, and it was months earlier than I may attain for one thing within the fridge.”
1 UVA Health Department, 2 Doctors With Colon Cancer
On Instagram, discover out what it was like for Heysell to study {that a} buddy and fellow infectious ailments colleague, Amy Mathers, MD, additionally had colon most cancers.
“She credit the colonoscopy with saving her life,” Heysell shares. “So take it from us (docs get sick, too), and create the moments that you just want on your personal wellness, in an effort to maintain going robust on your circle of relatives and neighborhood.”
