By Anna Lachman

Who knows your body better than yourself? We are programmed to trust the professionals. Doctors know best right? After all, they have the education, they are experts in the field, right? After advocating for myself I finally was scheduled to have a colonoscopy in August 2011. Once I was awake from the anesthesia, a nurse came over to my bed. She had a solemn look on her face. I immediately knew that something was terribly wrong, but if I am being honest, for several years prior, deep down, I’d known that this was going to be bad news. I’d had all the symptoms. Weight loss, blood in my stool, pencil-thin stools, abdominal swelling, and lethargy.  

*The screening process has changed dramatically since 2011 with the rise of colorectal cancer. A decade later, physicians take these things much more seriously. 

The nurse just stared at me for a moment, so I asked, “What did they find?” It took her a moment to reply and she said, “You have a large tumor”. My heart raced, I started shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. Within a week I was sitting across from the surgeon who had performed my colonoscopy. Holding my biopsy results, he mouthed three words that no one ever wants to hear. “You have cancer”. At that moment, my world stood still, as I hung onto those three words. 

To be exact, I was told that I had stage III (3) colorectal cancer. I felt like I was unable to breathe when I asked, “how bad is it? What are my chances? What happens now? He went through the steps of what needed to happen. MRI, CT, blood tests. Once it was determined where exactly the tumor was and what its dimensions were, we would have an in-depth discussion about the steps that would have to be taken. In that moment, my world came crashing down around me. I hung my head and sobbed. The next week was filled with appointments and tests, and once again I found myself sitting across from my surgeon. He told me that the tumor was large, the size of an orange. It, apparently, was a slow growing cancer, which meant that it had been growing for a number of years before it was discovered. If only my physician had listened to my complaints sooner! 

In September of 2011, I started a heavy regimen of chemotherapy and radiation. The goal was to shrink the tumor, and eradicate the cancer. Then I would have surgery to remove the diseased upper part of my rectum and a portion of my small intestine. I was 51 years old, and in the prime of my life. My adult daughter had blessed me with two beautiful grandchildren, Trysten at that time was 11 years old. His sister Kayden was only six. This should be the time in my life to be able to just enjoy my grandchildren. Yet, there I was thinking that I wouldn’t live to see them reach adulthood. How heartbreaking. 

On December 11, 2011 I had surgery to have a bowel resection. The surgery was complicated and lengthy, over eight hours. After my surgery, while riding on the stretcher in the elevator up to the unit, I placed my hand on my abdomen. That’s when I felt it. An ostomy bag! I was in and out of consciousness, tubes were coming out of my body, machines were beeping, and I was in excruciating pain, but in that moment panic set in. I screamed, “No!” 

My surgeon attended to me the next morning, I didn’t want to talk. I had given up, I wanted my old life back, and I wanted this bag gone! I would not accept this. Please God wake me up from this nightmare. The good news was that they had gotten all of the cancer out. The bad news was that I would have to live with an ileostomy for the rest of my life, and this wasn’t all a terrible dream. 

Over the ensuing months, with the help of my medical team, I learned how to take care of my ostomy. It was a huge learning curve. Since that day in December I’ve had 12 surgeries, I have suffered intestinal blockages and subsequently had my entire large intestine removed. I have spent months in the hospital recovering. My last surgery was in February 2021. I had my ostomy moved from my right side to my left side due to scar tissue. Since that surgery I’ve had no problems and things are going great. It’s definitely been an uphill battle to get to where I am today, but I’m here! I have been able to see my grandchildren grow up! Trysten is now 24, and Kayden is 19. I am blessed. 

I’ve learned so much about living with an ostomy. There are many products available. It takes time to find the product that works best for you. Most companies give out free samples to try which saves you from having to purchase products that you may not use. I have the care of my ileostomy fine tuned now which makes things very easy. If you just stick with it, you will learn too! I also had to change the way I dress. I find leggings very comfortable. They allow room for the ostomy bag to expand and can be dressed up or down. There are plenty of tops that are functional and beautiful. You will find your style, just be patient and kind to yourself. 

This is not someplace I’d ever thought I’d be but it is more than manageable! Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us, so my advice is to take care of your health. Go for your yearly physicals. Visit your physician if you are experiencing anything out of the ordinary. If you are having symptoms, don’t ignore them. Advocate for yourself. You know your body better than anyone does! I try and live a healthy, active life. I really can do all the things I did before. Has my life changed? Absolutely, but I am now cancer-free and am one of the fortunate ones to have my life to live! Living with an ostomy doesn’t have to be a terrible, scary thing. There is support, and help is available. I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep a positive attitude. Have faith and believe. You can do this! This is just a bump in the road and when you get over this bump, it will be clear sailing all the way! 

Anna lives in Edmonton, AB 

This story was sourced by Lisa Gausman, Ostomy Canada Senior Editor.

Disclaimer: The information shared by Ostomy Canada Society is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every person’s ostomy experience is unique. Please consult your health care provider with any questions about your condition, care, or treatment plan.