Heidi

Heidi and another member of her family tested positive for a polyposis syndrome about three years ago. Heidi then had annual colonoscopies – the first discovered 13 polyps, the second found 30 polyps and they kept increasing. At her oncologist’s suggestion, Heidi had a colostomy about three months ago, a J-Pouch, and resection where “everything hooked up well.” She says, “it could have been worse. I could have had an ostomy. I don’t.” The best news in her six-day hospitalization was the cancer-free pathology report! She notes, they (doctor included) all cried with such good news.

The surgery has posed challenges, including fatigue, pelvic floor issues, frequent trips to the bathroom, and major issues with eating that she sometimes finds depressing. A huge lover of salads, she can’t eat vegetables or fruit (except bananas) anymore. Instead, she eats “all the fattening foods”— avocados, potatoes, pasta, rice and meat. Eating at a restaurant is now a challenge. She purposefully does not eat before going someplace where there might be a bathroom issue. She used to be that woman who would never use a public bathroom, but acknowledges, “there's no way of getting around it.”

She is happy she did the surgery, to reduce her risk of colon cancer. She watched her dad die from cancer and does not want her kids to watch the same. And if she does get cancer, she says “I am going to fight it, and I'm going to win this because I'm not doing this to my kids.” She’s confident, because as she says of her care team, “I work with the best of the best so they would help me get through it.” Her relatives understand what's going on with having a polyposis syndrome. To protect her now teenage kids, she will encourage them to have a colonoscopy when they turn 18 and to consider genetic testing. Meanwhile, she is keeping her fingers crossed for them.

Heidi has a lot of blessings. She was out of work for six weeks, and fortunately that was not a problem. She has good health insurance, enough leave time, and co-workers who were and continue to be supportive. She has a very loving family, husband and tight group of supportive friends. During her hospital stay and recovery, someone was visiting or helping out every day.

She also maintains a positive outlook on life, and while not strictly religious, she, like her family, believes that everything happens for a reason, noting, “we might not know what the reason is right now, but there is always a reason for it long down the road.”