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From Facing Advanced Colon Cancer to Growing Our Family

When I was 29, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, recurring when I was 31. After beating it twice, I thought my health challenges were finally behind me. I was determined to live life to the fullest, which at 38 meant enjoying time with my wife and infant son, closing out my term as a school board trustee. Unfortunately, life can change in an instant, and in 2022, misfortune struck again.

On December 24, when a lab test revealed my hemoglobin was critically low after discovering blood in my urine, my family insisted it was time to go to the Emergency Department. I agreed but delayed one night, so I could be together with my wife and son to open presents on his first Christmas morning.

From Facing Advanced Colon Cancer to Growing Our Family

From Facing Advanced Colon Cancer to Growing Our Family

When I was 29, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, recurring when I was 31. After beating it twice, I thought my health challenges were finally behind me. I was determined to live life to the fullest, which at 38 meant enjoying time with my wife and infant son, closing out my term as a school board trustee. Unfortunately, life can change in an instant, and in 2022, misfortune struck again.

On December 24, when a lab test revealed my hemoglobin was critically low after discovering blood in my urine, my family insisted it was time to go to the Emergency Department. I agreed but delayed one night, so I could be together with my wife and son to open presents on his first Christmas morning.

That afternoon, I headed to the Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg Emergency at North York General Hospital (NYGH). Testing revealed that I had a growth in my colon, and I was admitted into the hospital. A colonoscopy (and subsequent biopsy) confirmed my worst fears – I had colon cancer and it had spread to some lymph nodes, so it was at an advanced stage.

So many emotions went through my mind. Initially I felt defeated, wondering what I did to deserve this again. I was extremely worried about not being there to help my wife with our young son. But thanks to the incredible support of my wife, our family and our friends, I realized I wasn’t fighting alone and found the strength to confront this disease.

I was referred to Dr. Jeffrey Myers, an oncologist at NYGH. My cancer was complex, as the tumor involved multiple organs (such as the stomach) and needed to be shrunk as much as possible before surgery was done to remove it. At first, I considered returning to the hospital that had treated my thyroid cancer, but after a conversation with Dr. Myers in January 2023, I felt reassured that I was in good hands at NYGH. I wanted to take a modern approach and Dr. Myers suggested immunotherapy as an option. I was encouraged that we were on the same page and fortunately my biology allowed me to pursue this new treatment.

Cancer Care at North York General

I started on the immunotherapy treatments, which were administered through an IV. Although the treatment made me tired, I was tolerating it well, and didn’t have the vomiting often associated with chemotherapy. A few months in, I had a CT scan to see how my body was responding to the treatment and was happy to learn that the tumor had shrunk significantly. I continued with immunotherapy until September, when I was ready for surgery.

My surgery was scheduled for October, and I felt trepidation about it. However, when I spoke with Dr. Usman Hameed, he communicated such calm, kindness and knowledge that it gave me confidence. He successfully removed the cancerous tumor and lymph nodes, but I still had to wait for the pathology results to come back. I will never forget Dr. Hameed calling to tell me I was cancer-free. I was so overwhelmed with emotion and relief. It’s difficult to describe what it feels like to get your life back. I couldn’t wait to share the good news with my family.

I currently go for bloodwork every six months and a colonoscopy and a CT scan yearly for monitoring. I’m pleased to report that I’m still healthy and thrilled to share the best news – during treatment, my wife became pregnant with our second child, due in April. It’s amazing to go from someone who thought he might widow his wife to someone who is expanding his family. As I said earlier, life can change in an instant, and I will always be grateful to NYGH for being there for me and my family when we needed it most.

Chris, A grateful patient

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