A Bowel Cancer Warrior's Emphasis on Faith
- Fiona Johnston is a 32-year-old mother of three fighting stage three bowel cancer. But in her darkest hour, she’s turned to her faith to help keep her going.
- Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally we use the term colorectal cancer in the United States. Possible symptoms to look out for can include a change in bowel habits, a feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, cramping or belly pain, weakness and fatigue and unintended weight loss.
- Although it's not for everyone, leaning into faith can help cancer warriors stay positive when times get tough.
Johnston is a specialist pharmacist and mother of three Amber (5), Cody (3) and Finn (7 months). She’s always been religious, but COVID-19 restrictions had her feeling distant from her faith. She even wondered, “if I hit a rough patch, would my faith stand?” But facing cancer has made her more sure the answer is a ‘yes’ than ever before.
Read More“From when I first started noticing symptoms, it was clear that God was already fighting for me,” she wrote. “Getting a face-to-face appointment as I had not long given birth; the GP referring me on almost immediately to the surgeons; getting scans sooner due to cancellations; the closest parking spaces becoming available at appointments; Gloria Gaynor's 'I will survive' playing on the radio as I had an urgent MRI; meetings with people falling through who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 and would have delayed appointments and, ultimately, surgery.
“These things cannot be coincidental – and they're only a handful of the many 'coincidences' I have experienced so far.”
So, when her life was forever changed by the word ‘cancer,’ Johnston knew where she wanted to turn to.
“When everything was turned on its head and I was completely out of control of the situation, I chose to respond by placing all my faith and hope in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to thoroughly make fun of my very embarrassing condition,” she said. “Who wants to admit they have butt cancer?”
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And while it’d be more than understandable for Johnston to look at the negatives of her situation, she’s bravely focusing on the positive.
“I've cried more times over the kindness and generosity of my amazing God than I've cried for myself out of grief,” she explained. “I'm not scared about the future; I'm optimistic! There's an underlying feeling that my situation is a very small part of something far bigger. My faith has led me to a point where, despite the less-than-ideal situation, I'm excited to see what God is up to in my own life and others.”
“It would have been easy to run, to be angry at God and shut him out, to become overwhelmed with grief and sadness for myself and my family – but I don't have the energy or the time to dwell on such things.”
She’s only a few months into her bowel cancer journey, so Johnston has a ways to go. Even still, she’s confident her faith will carry her through.
“I'm only at the beginning of my cancer journey but God knew it before, is in it now, and will continue to be there every day in the future, as he is with you, whatever you face today,” she said.
What Is Bowel Cancer?
Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally we use the term colorectal cancer or colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on the location in the United States.
Bowel cancer, like all cancers, presents its own unique challenges for patients on the road to recovery. But Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, wants to remind people how far the treatment of this disease has come.
"One of the most exciting things about my job is that we've made a lot of progress on treatment options," Dr. Yeo says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "However, patients are still while they're living longer, they are still living with colon cancer, and so I think it's really important that we talk about how some of the things in your life affect you."
Dr. Yeo also reminds people of the importance of colorectal screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
"In the United States, on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years," Dr. Yeo says. "And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer."
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer (Colorectal Cancer)
Colorectal cancer might not immediately cause symptoms, but these are possible symptoms to look out for:
- A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
- A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Blood in the stool, which might make the stool look dark brown or black
- Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
Faith during a Cancer Battle
Faith has played a huge role during Johnston's cancer battle, and she's been very open about how faith has helped her during her bowel cancer journey.
“I want people to be made aware of bowel cancer in younger folks, but also to see the impact my faith has had, knowing that God is faithful and good,” she wrote.
For some people, turning to faith can be a great way to keep spirits high when cancer starts taking an emotional and/or physical toll. Monica Layton, for example, also believes in the power of faith during a fight with cancer. She turned to her church congregation for support as she battled ovarian cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic and then went through recovery.
Ovarian cancer survivor Monica Layton shares how her church was her biggest support system
"[I've] gone to the same church for a long time, so it's like another family that really supports me," she told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "We're Episcopalian, and when I was having surgery my priest came to the hospital and stayed and prayed with my family the whole time and it was a long surgery. And then he came back to the hospital every day to pray with me."
In addition to praying for her, Layton's church also sent flowers, cards and a prayer blanket and often visited her.
"They were so kind," Layton said. "I think my faith has been very important, crucial for me. Just the prayer really helps, I think."
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