Cherish Wright
Irving, TX
I am a wife and a mother of three very active boys ages 16, 13 and 8. I have lived in Irving most of my life. Graduated from Irving High School and have been working for the Irving ISD for 10+ years. I have been married to my best friend for 17 years. I am active in my community as well as my kid’s schools and my local church. My boys are avid baseball players, which pretty much consumes our lives during the spring and summer months and sometimes the fall as well. They also all three enjoy playing basketball in the winter months.
There is no history of Colon Cancer in my family. My Aunt and my cousin are both breast cancer survivors.
In laymen’s terms, I had no symptoms prior to my diagnosis. On the way home from work one afternoon I started having excruciating pains on my right side. These pains persisted throughout the evening and into the next day. My co-workers convinced me to go to the ER because the pains were getting worse by midday, and they (I) knew it was appendicitis.
The ER doctors immediately prepared me for a CT scan. They CT scan results showed and large blockage in my colon. Once admitted to the hospital, I was prepped for a colonoscopy bright and early the next morning. After having a colonoscopy performed by a digestive disease consultant at our local hospital, it was found that I had a golf ball size tumor in my desending colon, hence on my right side. It had spread to at least three lymph nodes, which was considered stage 4.
The first step to my treatment was to have the tumor removed. They performed a colon resection and removed six inches of my colon and four lymph nodes. I then began four months of Chemo treatments twice a week. Once those four months had been completed, I went in for reevaluation. At this time, they determined that I had a few spots on my liver and they appeared to be cancer cells as well. My next step was a liver ablation to remove these spots. This surgery was a little bit more evasive and quite frightening if I may say so myself. This surgery was a complete success. Next was four more months of Chemo. I am very happy to say that after a year of treatment, I am officially Cancer free!
The effects of being diagnosed with Colon Cancer had really turned things around in my life. My immediate family, husband and kids, were in shock. The first thing that most people assume when they hear those terrifying words “CANCER” is immediate death. I know I did when I heard it. Me, my husband and my kids are very strong Christian believers, and the first thing we did was pray and hand it over to God. My parents, mother in-law, sisters and brothers were all in shock. Especially since we had just lost my husbands youngest sister to breast cancer a year before. I had/have the best friends/support network in the entire world. My closest friends rallied together and started the biggest (nation wide) prayer circle that I have ever known. They organized a “Tea Party” for all my friends and families to donate money and hats to help with my hair lose (which I did not lose) and with the impending medical bills that had begun to accumulate. My kids schools all rallied together to help with meals as well as our church family and neighbors. I had no worries that my kids and my husband would have been well taken care of if any thing ever happened to me. I know that being diagnosed with Colon Cancer has brought me closer to God especially and closer to my family and friends and my surroundings.
My lifestyle today has changed a bit since being diagnosed. Before my diagnosis, we would eat a lot of fast food, being on the go all the time for baseball. Now I do my best to prepare something at home that we can eat before we go or have it ready for us to eat when we get home. I do not eat as much red meat as before. I tend to eat more fruits and more veggies, as well as make my kids do the same. I exercise as much as possible when I am able to squeeze it in. I walk, and I just recently started running on the treadmill. My goal is to run in a 5k marathon by next year. I certainly know which one that will be 🙂
The one thing that was missing throughout my treatments and my recovery was the time that I got to spend with my boys. They are the most important thing and I do not feel that I got to spend as much time with them as I should. I do not like to be down for anything. I would fight and fight just so I could be at one of their baseball games or be at their school function. I am convinced that with God’s healing hands and the fact that I did not give up is what got me through the rough times during my treatments and recovery.
I think the biggest challenge that I faced early on was the thought of losing my family. I was not willing to not be there for my kids as they grew up.
My words of wisdom to anyone who has this disease or has just recently been diagnosed is keep your faith in God, your family and friends and never give up the fight. My main coping skill that helped me through my treatments was prayers and just the comfort of my husband/best friend not letting me give up, stop fighting and lose the battle.