Survivor Story: Glen Minton

I was diagnosed with stage IIIc colorectal cancer last year. I was 34 years old and had just gotten married six months earlier. It was so surreal when they told us. I didn’t get as upset as I thought someone might. I immediately focused on how my wife would handle the situation. It obviously upset her, but I let her know I can handle the treatment and we’ll get through it. I think this whole experience has been harder on my poor family than on me. In my head, I know I’m going to get through this just fine. At least that’s what I have convinced myself of. If I’m wrong, at least I didn’t spend the rest of my life worrying.

There was no history of colorectal cancer in my family or any cancer for that matter.

My symptoms prior to diagnosis were noticeable to me for about two months before I went to the doctor. I was passing some blood in my stool; I never had a feeling of relief after I would use the restroom. It would feel like I still had to go (that was due to a tennis ball size tumor near my rectum).

After telling my G.I. doc my symptoms he stated, “If you were older, I’d say you may have colon cancer, but you’re too young.” I was 34 years old. So I had a colonoscopy.

First, I had oral chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor, so it would be smaller before surgery. Then larthoscopic surgery to remove the tumor. I currently have a temporary ileostomy bag. Now I’m in six months of chemo (10 treatments down, two to go… whoo hoo). Then a final surgery to remove the ostomy bag. My post operative PET scan has shown no current signs of cancer. I’ll take those results all day.

Currently, I take off of work during my chemo weeks, but I work on my non-chemo weeks. The physical effects of the chemo seem to get a little worse and last a little longer as you progress through treatment. I started off with very mild effects. Now I get a little nausea, my brain feels cloudy, and I can’t seem to gather energy or pep. That lasts for about four days after my treatment. Then I begin to feel better every day until the next round.

I used to go the gym five days a week. Due to a leak my chest port, I’m backing off the gym for the last two months of treatment. I actually eat a little worse since my surgery than before. Until I was diagnosed, I was the one out of all my friends that had the very clean diet. I ate so healthy it was maybe a little neurotic. Now I’m a bit more relaxed with my diet. Partly because different foods taste good due to the chemo and partly because I think, screw it, that clean diet did not work out like I thought it would. Bad rationale, I know. I’ll get back to the good diet soon though.

God has blessed me with a positive attitude and the confidence to know that I can accomplish anything. I try not to focus on all the bad stuff. For example, as undesirable as an ostomy bag probably sounds, it’s saving my life and allowing me more time with my beloved wife and family. When looked at that way, I realize I’m fortunate to have the modern medicine of today that allows me alternatives.

I try not to complain. Obviously cancer sucks, but I feel like vocalizing all of my ailments to everyone only makes me more aware of them and focus on them. I try to put a positive spin on things in order to maintain perspective. It could always be worse. This is probably just a personal coping mechanism but it’s what works for me.

PART 2

So I am checking back in to update my story. My last posting was in early March 2012. In late April 2012, I had my ileostomy reversal and began that recovery. It was nice not to have to deal with the bag anymore buy the surgery recovery was no treat. I guess when all of your internal plumbing goes through such a traumatic surgery, it does not always want to cooperate with you once it is put back together. The doctors told me to expect several bowel movements a day (some controllable, some not) for the first few months. I did not know how serious they were. That was probably the roughest part physically of the whole experience. You just make sure you always know where the nearest restroom is because your body is healing and doesn’t always listen like it used too. The same way your heart and lungs move involuntarily, your intestines do too. Like any injury it definitely gets better over time though. You will find your new normal.

So I had my periodic check-ups (PET scans, CT-scans, ect) every three months. I thought it was going to be all smooth sailing. Not so much. In late July 2012, my doctors told me that my PET scan showed cancerous activity that had spread to my lung and what appeared to be recurrence in my colon. Now this news I must admit threw me for a pretty good scare. I guess it is rarely done, but they restaged me to Stage IV. That’s academic I guess. The next week I had part of my left lung removed and the biopsy was positive for cancer. The lung surgery and recovery was really no big deal compared to my ileostomy reversal. I can breathe fine and have no side effects.

This left the issue of recurrence in my colon. They told me that if I had another surgery in my pelvis/colon that it would mean a permanent colostomy bag. My doctors in Austin referred me to MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, TX for a second opinion. I had mentally prepared myself to have the permanent colostomy bag at this point. Without directly saying it was inevitable, my doctors were preparing me for the scenario. After several tests (including a biopsy by putting a long needle through the small of my back down into my colon) they could NOT find positive cancer cells in my colon. Three months later they ran another PET scan and the activity did not even show in my colon anymore. The doctors said it must have been inflammation that had subsided. To me, it was as if God took his hand and wiped me clean. If anyone tries to convince me otherwise, we can just agree to disagree. It was better than winning the lottery.

Throughout this whole process, my wife and were going to the fertility clinic to try to have a baby. At the beginning of all of this cancer business all of my doctors and nurses pleaded with me to pay a visit to the sperm bank. They said that there is potential for becoming sterile because of the location of all the radiation and surgeries. I never thought I would need it but turns out I did. The good news is, we are expecting a little boy in March of 2013. I feel great and I’m getting better every day. Even with all the craziness that has happened to me, it pales in comparison to all the blessings God has given me. My plan is to be around for a long, long to enjoy them.

Part 3

I am blessed to provide the following update.  It is September 2019 and I have recently passed the 7 year anniversary since my last recurrence of cancer.  Functionally, my gastrointestinal tract is more sensitive than pre-cancer but I have mostly acclimated to my new normal.  I can no longer have certain types of food that do not agree with me or too much alcohol.  With the removal of a large portion of my lower colon, I tend to make more trips to the restroom than before.  Generally speaking, I am pretty active.  When I had an ileostomy bag, I was concerned that I would not be able to do certain sports or activities.  It took a few years after the reversal for me to heal up.  I think I was longer than normal because of some abnormal scaring when my intestines were put back together.

Before all of this, I always had an interest in jiu jitsu and during my treatment, I regretted that I never tried training.  Now, I have been training for over a year with no issue.  The removal of the portion of my left lung affected by the cancer initially seemed minor.  Under normal daily activities, I have no breathing issues.  However, I do find that I get extra winded when I exert myself.  I am unsure if that is from the lung surgery or just normal exhaustion from hard cardio training.  Overall, a small price to pay.

The physical changes are one part, but I would probably say there have been some mental changes as well.  Mentally, parts of me feel like a different person than I was pre-cancer.  I would say that I am probably less care free and now a bit more serious than I was before.  That could also be from age or maybe from kids.  Maybe it was the gravity of the whole experience, like going through a war.  I know how lucky I am to be here with all of these blessings around me.  Since my last update, we had a little girl in 2015.  That is two kids thanks to modern medicine.  I have been blessed with a wife that has been with me in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.  I will love and honor her all the days of my life. When I was first diagnosed, it was helpful for me to read what others experienced. I hope my survivor story is helpful to educate or give hope to others.