When JJ Singleton noticed a throbbing pain in her abdomen in May 2015, she chalked it up to a torn muscle.
After all, the 27-year-old’s goals for this year are: “Let’s get our lives together,” that’s how he started 2015. crossfit Train with your old soccer coach.
singleton, Now 36, he told Business Insider that his worsening symptoms were his own fault. new healthy meals And squat regime.
“I was a typical stubborn guy and didn’t think I needed to go to the doctor,” he says, when he lost 5 pounds in a week after CrossFit and was bleeding and shivering in 90-degree heat. Even he spoke. Contest in August of the same year.
His body “crashed” after the competition. “Every time I eat or drink something, I have severe pain in my stomach and feel like throwing up. I hardly ever went to the bathroom, maybe once every few days. defecation,” He said.
“I was lying in bed observing my symptoms, but the bottom was always colon cancer Or cancer. “I just thought, ‘No way,'” he said. patient story.
Singleton was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer.
Singletons endured these symptoms for a month until his mother forced him to go to the doctor in early September.
“At that point, I put my shirt on my stomach and could see the tumor throbbing through my skin. As soon as the doctor saw it, he said, ‘You should go get it checked right now.’ I said,’” Singleton said.
An examination on September 4th revealed a mass in his colon, and he was immediately asked to undergo a colonoscopy. I had a colonoscopy on September 8th and was diagnosed with stage 2. colon cancerthe third most common cancer in the United States.
His colon was 98% blocked by a tumor, so he had to undergo immediate surgery. On September 16, surgeons removed 80% of his colon and 36 inches of his small intestine.
Genetic predisposition to colon cancer
Because Singleton was young and had no family history of colon cancer, doctors sent him for genetic testing.
he tested positive Lynch syndromeThis is a genetic disease where mutations in certain genes increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 20% to 80%.
Mr Singleton shared his story with BI to raise awareness. colon cancer, the proportion of young people is increasing. Singleton’s case was hereditary, but scientists don’t know why the disease is affecting people under 50.
“I joined a group of men called Man Up to Cancer, and they gave me the confidence to tell my story,” he told BI. “It’s important to educate people about colon cancer, even if they don’t like talking about bowel movements.”
“It may sound cliché, but advocacy has given me purpose in life. It makes me feel like I’m not just a wasted cancer patient,” Singleton said.
Cancer has returned despite chemotherapy
Colorectal cancer is usually treated with surgery to remove cancerous tissue. chemical treatment It kills any remaining cells if the cancer is large or has spread to other tissues.
Singleton underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy between November 2015 and April 2016. Six weeks after starting treatment, she felt a throbbing sensation in her abdomen again.
The cancer had spread to the abdominal wall and lymph nodes throughout the body.
“Over the next six months, I tried about four different chemotherapy cocktails, all of which failed. The cancer actually grew around my stomach and intestines,” he said.
Finally, he ended up undergoing an experimental treatment that has helped others reach the point where they are considered cancer-free.
For singletons, there was no such effect. Rather, it is effective enough to prevent his cancer from spreading. But, he said, “I’m still alive and I can do more because of it.”
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