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Sheri Rollins has had colon cancer twice
Sherry Rollins, from North Carolina (USA), has faced colon cancer twice, and has now decided to use her experience to raise public awareness about this disease.
At 50, Rollins seeks to raise awareness about subtle warning signs that are often overlooked or not taken seriously.
Sherry warns of one symptom that is often overlooked
In 2017, she began experiencing severe back pain, which seemed constant. Then the woman decided to see a doctor and the examination revealed a lesion in her liver.
But doctors said there was no reason for concern and that it was not serious.
However, Sheri realized something was wrong and turned to another doctor in 2018. The doctor sent the woman to undergo an MRI. That’s when she found out she had stage 4 colon cancer and that the disease had already spread to her liver.
To make matters worse, his father also had colon cancer and died at the age of fifty. People with a family history of colon cancer should be more aware of the symptoms and preventive screenings.
Colon cancer is often silent, as symptoms do not always appear in the early stages. As in Rollins’ case, the disease is usually discovered when it is at an advanced stage.
How is Sherri doing today?
Despite the challenges, Sherri confirms today that she never felt guilty, even after undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and news of the cancer’s return in 2022.
“I was in remission for four years – that’s what I thought (…) You feel like you’ve won. But then I started having symptoms. I lost weight. When I went to the bathroom, I felt like I wasn’t done. I had painful gas…” , he told the portal today.
In March last year, she discovered that she had cancer again, as there was a lesion in her rectum. Initially, the disease was not detected, as the tumor appeared in a different place than the first.
This time, the disease had spread beyond the colon to Rollins’ pelvic floor. She underwent intraoperative radiotherapy, which is radiation during surgery, and chemotherapy sessions.
Since then, Sherri has mentioned the importance of being your own health advocate: “Being your own advocate doesn’t mean you’re an unhappy patient.”
She hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others recognize the warning signs of colon cancer. For Sherri, it is essential to seek a second medical opinion if she feels something is wrong.
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