Colon Cancer

A Silent Killer:  My Story

I was diagnose with Colon Cancer in August 2002, they were no signs or any symptoms that indicated me having cancer. The only symptom at the time was a sharp pain on the inside of my left shoulder , which I thought was gas pain. taking every thing possible to ease the pain that I think would work was useless.I walked to the Hospital which was not far from where I lived at the time.

 I arrived at the Emergency Station at 3:00pm, was placed into a room, and waited for about five hours before being attended tom the only reason it happened I told them that I was  a Diabetic and immediately the Doctors, and nurses started running test on me.

I had blood work done to make sure that my sugar level was not below the critical level, it was followed by an ultrasound, and was sent home to wait on a phone call from a Doctor from the Hospital. The following morning I waited for the call and about 9:00 am I received the call, it was the oncologist, saying that she wanted me to come to see her at the hospital, and to have some more test done.

I complied with the request because it was in my best interest, I had a couple test done within  three days, more blood work, two ultrasounds, a barium enemer, which was very invasive, and the most important one a Colonsocopy. After the last test was done I had to wait a couple day for the  biopsy results, it was not what I wanted to hear. the results came back positive, and had the pleasure of hearing that I had Colon Cancer.


When the doctor told me that news all that I could do was take a moment to compose myself, and asked the question where do we go from here? her answer was surgery. I went home and headed straight to the bathroom looked into the mirror and cried for a while.

Because my Cancer was caught early my chances of having it removed was good.  The surgery was done in three weeks after the diagoneses and spent seven(7) days in the hospital, according to the doctor account we removed five feet of your colon and reattached everything back everythink is okay, and we managed to get all of the cancerous colon eradicated, it was quite a relief to hear, i was discharges  from the hospital and started my recoupation at home.

In the early part of February I received a call from the Cancer Clinic, stating that i am scheduled for Chemotheraphy, with the date set  I arrived at the Clinic for my first treatment, it was not what I had in mind that it was going to be. First there were blood work, xray, before seeing the Doctorthen the Chemotheraphy Treatment can begin.

 I did not know what to expect, the doctor never told me that I had to take a special tablet before the treatment begun to prevent nausea. the needle was placed on the back of my hand and I felt the coldness of the solution as it went through my vein. My treatment lasted about fifteen (15) minutes, and had to have this treatment for thirty (30) sessions five (5) days straight with three weeks off.

Anyone who had Chemotheraphy would or may attest to the fact that it takes away your taste of food and the damage it does to your finger nails. It has been nine (9) years since my cancer and during my first  years had to undergo a colonscopsy every year, now my colonoscopy is done every two years. I am watching what I eat, getting lots of exercises, like walking and bike riding, and spending time with my daughter and grandchildren.

I make sure to keep my appointment when my time arrive for my colonoscopy examination it is all to make sure that it does nit return. My advice to all if you have not taken a test before please do so I am talking to men in partricular because I know that most mnen hate to talk about their health problems talk to your Doctor about having that test. To learn more about Colon cance visit www.Ontario.ca.

Death of a Homeless Person: It's Effects on Others

If you have not experience death in a homeless environment you have not seen the effects it has on that population. If you have then you know what I am talking about, especially to the individual that died close  friends or room mates

The death of any roommate in any residential environment takes a profound hardship on everyone living at the residence, those who knew the individual, the staff that knew or worked with that individual,or any other staff; that knew where they lived or slept during the night.

Having seen the effects and witnessing the death of such, and the amount of anger and disbelief that the residence showed, made it hard for them to really comprehend at first, by asking questions about the individual, how they died made it a little better for some, just knowing some of the facts was what most of them wanted to know, although some of t had to be kept  private.

The ones mostly affected were roommates, and closest friends, who had a very hard time coming to terms with the death of a friend. If you can imagine losing your roommate that you have just talked to that night, and the individual died while you were asleep, to find out that they died what would you think, is it going to have  a serious on you or not, if you say no, I think you would be lying to yourself.

Each individual is different  how they handle the death of someone or their grieve. It is how they choose to handle the death and the grief ,if it is difficult for them they would  need help, coming to terms with it. I cannot imagine how each individual feel because I have never walked in the shoe of  a homeless person, regardless to say it is something all of us in society have to deal with when death occurs; only they deal with it in different ways to main stream society.

It is not something that can be ignored, when it comes to the homeless, we all have a part to play in our community when death happens to anyone. The community would miss that individual and so would their friends, and all who knew the individual, my sympathy goes out to any individual, and the family remember that all individual's whether homeless of not do have families.