At 72 years old, 杰里 Rolland had always considered himself a healthy person. So, when he noticed blood in his stool in early 2021, he tried not to think about it.
“It was easier to brush it off and hope it would go away,杰瑞说. “But when the problem persisted, I finally made an appointment for a colonoscopy.”
杰里 found that undergoing the procedure that he had put off for so long was relatively easy but learning the results would be a different story.
“诊断结果是癌症，这让我非常痛苦. 是什么让我们觉得自己是不可战胜的?他事后问道. “I was grateful that my wife, Merrie, was there, assuring me we would get through this together.”
漫漫长路的开始
在接受诊断后, 杰瑞和梅里, 还有他们的女儿, 凯利, 和儿子, 杰森, 开始为未来的旅程做准备. “我心里充满了恐惧, but I also wanted to do whatever I could to help arm my dad for what was to come,凯利回忆道. “杰森和我开始研究，我们开始抱有希望. 如果是1期或2期结肠癌，存活率很高.但经过进一步的扫描，这家人的希望破灭了. The diagnosis was devastating: stage 4 colon, rectal and liver cancer. 杰里说:“很难让我的头脑完全接受它。. “预后并不好, but I appreciated the empathy and compassion shown to me by the physicians at Altru. I also felt fortunate to have my family with me, reassuring me that we would give this our best shot.”
很快他们就去见肿瘤医生了, 丹尼尔。沃尔什, MD, who determined a treatment plan and consulted with specialists at Mayo Clinic. While 杰里 was initially unsure if he wanted to undergo chemotherapy, 因为他知道副作用会很严重, 他明白这是他战胜癌症的最好机会.
“Dealing with cancer can be one of the loneliest feelings in the world, 但我们很快意识到，我们并不孤单,杰瑞说. “We discovered an entire team at Altru Cancer Center pulling for us, 我感谢他们每一个人. 他们简直太神奇了.”
保持强劲
复活节后的第二天，杰里开始了化疗. 他总共有12个周期, 每隔一周三天, each consisting of three to four hours of IV infusions at the Cancer Center, 然后用便携式仪器48小时, 可穿戴式化疗泵. While chemotherapy and its side effects are unique for every patient, 杰里’s consisted of three different drugs with numerous side effects. 包括极度疲劳, appetite and weight loss (35 pounds plus another 10 pounds after 手术), 口腔溃疡, 脱发, 听力损失, 化疗雾, or a decrease in mental sharpness as a result of the chemo drugs. 他的手脚也出现了神经病变.
“神经病变引起了几个问题, 包括平衡问题, 精细运动技能困难，如扣衬衫扣子, 系鞋带, picking up small items or turning pages of a book—frustrating for an avid reader like me,杰瑞说. “But it was a small price to pay for the privilege of being here.”
For most patients who undergo chemotherapy, neuropathy is temporary. 杰里, 然而, was told to expect that some of his could turn out to be permanent, 考虑到它持续了这么长时间. 对杰里, the neuropathy includes a sensation of pins and needles and ice-cold hands almost constantly.
回答祷告
As chemo neared its end, scans were showing positive results with tumors on the liver barely visible. 这是他们一直在祈祷的消息. 杰里 was referred to colorectal and liver surgeons at Mayo Clinic. “Once again I was astounded by the degree of compassionate care I received, 有一整个专家团队为我合作,杰瑞说. “这一切感觉就像一个奇迹.回家后又接受了两轮化疗, 杰里 and his family returned to Mayo Clinic in September for a liver ablation and colorectal 手术, followed by an ileostomy—a rerouting of the small intestine to an opening in the abdomen used to expel waste while the colon heals. 杰里会得到最好的结果.
就在手术后几天, 梅奥诊所的结直肠外科医生凯文·贝姆说, MD, 肿瘤学家金朝晖, MD, delivered the news: They could detect no remaining signs of cancer.
“I recall the doctors telling us that they rarely see such a complete response to treatment in patients with his diagnosis and stage of cancer,凯利说。. “这是一个奇迹.”
祷告果然应验了. 路上又有几个颠簸的地方. A post-手术 checkup in October revealed and treated a blood clot on 杰里’s lung. That was followed by the final four sessions of cleanup chemo (adjuvant treatment) to lessen the chance of the cancer returning.
11月. 24, the day before Thanksgiving, 杰里 got his pump unhooked for the last time. 和他的家人一起庆祝, he finally got to ring the bell signifying completion of his chemotherapy.
“这对我来说是音乐，”杰里说. “我有太多要感谢的了.”
展望未来
In January, 杰里 returned to Mayo Clinic to have his ileostomy reversed. 他对又一次成功的手术表示感谢, even though his recovery has been difficult and continues to have its ups and downs.
他现在每三个月做一次检查, circulating tumor DNA tests monthly for two years and is scheduled for a colonoscopy and CT scan in April. 虽然他的化疗后遗症还在, 其中一些可能是永久性的, 杰里 is filled with gratitude and hope for others on a similar journey.
Both 杰瑞和梅里 expressed how grateful they are to everyone who has been a part of their journey—especially 凯利 and 杰森, 他们似乎经常互换角色. “We could not have gotten through this without them,杰瑞说. “我知道我今天在这里是通过上帝的恩典, the power of prayer and the wonderful medical teams at Altru and Mayo Clinic. 我在世界上再也得不到比这更好的照顾了.”
什么时候应该做结肠镜检查?
The American Cancer Society recommends that people with average risk for colorectal cancer begin screenings at age 45, either with a colonoscopy every 10 years or another screening method. 和你的医生谈谈哪种选择最适合你. If you are at higher risk for colorectal cancer due to family history or other factors, 你可能需要早点开始检查.
It’s also important to be aware of the signs of colorectal cancer. If you experience symptoms such as a lasting change in bowel habits, 大便带血或腹痛, 马上和你的医生谈谈.
病人 with an average risk of colorectal cancer should begin screenings at age 45. 要预约结肠镜检查，请致电 701.780.6533 或使用 MyChart.
