Health and Fitness Help

I will always remember the moment I found out I had cancer.  As an attorney I had handled claims regarding the delayed diagnosis of cancer and yet even this experience had not prepared me for hearing those words applied to me. Because I had worked as a delayed diagnosis of cancer attorney and learned the symptoms of a number of distinct types of cancers, including advanced colon cancer I did not hesitate the moment I began to show symptoms myself.

I consulted with my family doctor who agreed that even though I was too young for routine screening for colon cancer and even though I had no family history of colon cancer (at the time) that I should nonetheless get a colonoscopy to rule out cancer as the reason for my symptoms.

The colonoscopy showed that I had a substantial cancerous tumor in my colon. Surgery verified that it had by then started spreading and was stage 3 colon cancer Bad news. And I had a moment of genuine fear and uncertainty when I received the news.  I understood that my odds of long term survival were only about fifty percent.  The fact that I was a lawyer and had previously handled medical malpractice cases, even lawsuits involving colon cancer, did not prevent that instant of real panic and fear. For at that moment I thought I would die.

At that time I reached out to a friend who was also a lawyer and had been one of my mentors.  I believe it must have been instinct that I reached out to him first.  He did not sugar coat it.  This was precisely what I needed.  Someone else to express out loud what the actuality was and what needed to be done.  He then offered to help with whatever I needed.  And later the managing partner at the firm, another colleague and fried, offered to handle all my cases during my treatment.  He did not ask for anything in return.  The offer was made as a colleague and a friend.  I have alwats been grateful to him for that.

Although I required several weeks to recuperate from the surgery and while there were times during the chemotherapy when I just did not feel well enough to do anything, I was, by and large, able to continue working.  This gave me immense pleasure.  I felt that I was able to carry my weight and lead pretty much a regular life throughout my treatment and seven years later I present with no evidence of cancer. If I had waited perhaps even just a few months the cancer could have continued to advance and I in all likelihood would not have survived.

Obviously, when you have symptoms that could be attributable to colon cancer ungerdoing the correct test without delay may save your life.  If you can discover the cancer early enough best of all before it is anything more than a a polyp you will have additional treatment possibilities and a much better chance of surviving.  This entry above is just for basic educational uses and is not meant as medical advice.  Confer with a physician without delay if you exhibit any symptoms of colon cancer.

If a physician does not make a suitable referral or order proper tests given complaints of symptoms (especially blood in the stool) and the patient eventually dies on account of the cancer, then a wrongful death lawyer may be able to assist the loved ones