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CLIFTON – Jennifer Waller went to the doctor to check for some "vague abdominal pain". After a colonoscopy, her doctor announced the news that no 32-year-old woman was expecting to hear.
She had colon cancer.
A few days after the diagnosis, the mother of two young children consulted social media to share her diagnosis and spread a message about the importance of early detection of cancer. The video was shared hundreds of times by people who were moved and inspired by his message.
Waller said she had no family history of colon cancer, and none of the warning signs that she – as a nurse – would not be looking.
"Here I say the word that makes me so nauseous," she said. "Just to say that I have cancer is so weird."
His journey against cancer began in the spring with abdominal pain coming and going. It became more common and eventually began to "feel a little disappointed". She also lost about 12 pounds, which drew her doctor's attention during a regular physical session. She said she planned a colonoscopy in June, but her insurance company only covered part of it, leaving her to pay nearly $ 3,000. She finally got the procedure to be covered and found a doctor who brought her for the screening.
Regular screening for colon cancer usually begins at the age of 50. If she had waited, she pointed out, she would have died.
After the initial diagnosis, she felt a wide range of emotions. In the end, she found a determination that she believes will take her through the next steps in this process. The determination is also clear in the video.
"All I can say is to bring it in. You have no idea how strongly you are fighting a woman," she says, adding that she is determined to fight. "What is my other option? Reversing and giving up? I came from too little to do that."
Since the video was released on August 29, it has been shared more than 200 times and viewed by more than 23,000 people. Waller said the reaction was almost entirely positive and helped him overcome the initial shock. She said that it also showed her that she was fulfilling her awareness goal.
"You hear about women who have breast cancer and things like that at a younger age, and you rarely hear about colon cancer," she said. "I thought I would let someone know that he could, hopefully, get tested early, because obviously, the sooner you are diagnosed, the better your treatment plan is, the further away you are from and you have more options. "
Waller said that she had told her 8-year-old son that Mom had a "boo boo in her womb" and that she would be in the hospital for five days, which, according to him, was fine She said that after her 3 year old daughter heard her talking to her brother, she told her mother that she was going to take care of her mother for the same reason.
Dr. Howard Hochster, Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey, said screening for colon cancer is important for anyone over the age of 50. Although this is the norm for screening, it is important that suspicious of certain symptoms.
The most disturbing problems, he said, are gastrointestinal problems such as bleeding, difficulty in having regular bowel movements, and sometimes even fatigue or shortness of breath, because people can become anemic as a result of blood loss. Although there are different ways to screen for colon cancer, Hochster said colonoscopy was the most effective method available.
"Colonoscopy is the one that people probably avoid the most, but it's the only test that has been proven to reduce the incidence of cancer that they are looking for," he said. "If you are going to do a colonoscopy and you are removing your polyps, you will not develop colon cancer in the next few years, which is the main reason why we encourage people to undergo these colonoscopies."
Waller says she's really nervous about her next surgery and the possibility of chemotherapy, but she said she hoped her message could help other people get the "best" treatment. help they need to get cancer early.
"I really hope that people care for each other, the world we live in is crazy and we have to help each other and bring back kindness," she said. "I think it's the purpose of this crazy life, to help other people.I hope this video will help others to help more people and more people and more people."
Informations about colon cancer screening can be found on the website for an organization called Screen NJ. On his website the project is described as be "committed to reducing the incidence and mortality of cancer through an effective cancer prevention and screening program".
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