The first positive things I did..

When I first got diagnosed, it was such a total shock to me that I was walking around in a daze for about a week. I could feel the blood pressure surging in my neck and head. I thought I would have a stroke. I couldnt sleep or eat very well.

So eventually here are the first positive things I did when I got diagnosed with colon cancer:

- Deep Breathing exercises control stress. Something they teach in Yoga classes, and a Relaxation Techniques class I took to satisfy a PE requirement in college, so I could graduate... Just breath deeply thru your nose into your belly slowly. Fill up the belly before letting air into your chest. Fill the chest next.. Hold it for three or more full seconds, then breath out forcefully thru your mouth. Repeat and dont stop, keep a steady slow pace. This will make your body relax and calm you. Slow deliberate breathing. Real slow. Do it whenever you feel overwhelmed.

You know what, my Dr. gave me some anti-anxiety pills to take, and the pills had a backlash effect when they would wear off. My body felt the effects of stress even more. The deliberately slow breathing exercises worked the best for me.

-I read up on Colon Cancer as much as possible. The more information I read, the more I felt empowered. I read up on all of the procedures that I had to go thru to see what they do, and how they work. Mostly I used the internet, but on the advice of a friend, I also got a copy of Lance Armstrong's book, "It's Not About the Bike." It is a very inspirational story about how he overcame cancer.

-I told all of my relatives and good friends and didnt keep it a secret. I soon learned that everyone knows someone who has dealt with cancer. I also got a ton of advice. And I also got perhaps the most important thing to me, friends gathered around to give their support. Optimism, connectedness, and the realization of strength of friendship. When I told friends that I guess I'll be fine, the response was "No.. you WILL be fine."


-I kept exercising and increased my routine once I fould out. One of the things the Drs told me is that this tumor was growing in me for probably two or three years. It grew slowly and quietly. Exercise and diet helped.

Now here is the one bad thing that I did:

I ignored a telltale symptom of Colon Cancer for a long time. Actually I didn't ignore it, I just had no idea. I never felt sick, never felt ill, so what if there was a little blood in my poop from time to time? It would come and go. Sometimes weeks would pass and then it would come back for a few days.. Not enough to get all excited about. I mentioned it to my doctor once or twice, but it was assumed that because of my young age, it was probably due to a more likely reason, and it would probably go away on its own. Well I mention this because if you do have this symptom , you should insist on a colonoscopy right away. Dont wait because if it is cancer, then the longer you wait, the more involved your treatment will be.