Making a Difficult Diagnosis More Comfortable for All
- After five years of undiagnosed symptoms, Melissa Rickenbacher was shocked when she finally learned she had anal cancer. It was stage 4. Thankfully, she is now in remission.
- As a proud patient of MD Anderson Cancer in Houston, Texas, Melissa recently wrote an essay about her journey, weaving in humor and hope as she advocates for anal cancer awareness.
- HPV is a highly common sexually transmitted virus, which can lead to several types of cancer, including anal cancer. Anyone can get it, and there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. It’s mainly important to be aware of what havoc it can wreak and get educated over its relation to cancer.
Though it took from 2013 to 2018 to find out why she had blood in her stool (she had chalked it up to the hemorrhoids she was suffering from), Melissa eventually learned that she had to accept the diagnosis and resist the shame that can come from it.
Read MoreMelissa said she then started experiencing pain while running. “I finally went in for another colonoscopy in 2017. My doctor again found the same concerning spot.” The biopsy came back “normal,” but luckily the medical pro advised her to see another surgeon.
“A different colorectal surgeon planned to take a deeper biopsy while addressing the hemorrhoid. The lymph nodes in my pelvis were also growing,” she added.
Related: Is It Hemorrhoids or Cancer? What You Should Know
It was Melissa’s gynecologist, however, who suggested a biopsy and MRI of her lymph nodes.
“The MRI results came back as probable metastatic cancer,” she recalled of the life-changing moment. “A local oncologist confirmed that diagnosis.”
She didn’t want to know the stage or prognosis; she didn’t even want to know where it came from. “I didn't want to give it a name and own it in any way. I decided from that moment on, I would call it an ‘invader.'”
Her care team diagnosed her with stage 4 anal cancer, and she was told she needed to start treatment immediately.
Where's the strangest place to get cancer? Uranus! Butt I didn’t planet! I’m happy to be one of the brave faces of anal cancer if it helps even 1 person avoid, find, and treat anal cancer early! Yep, I’m a “Butt” face- and proud of it!@MDAndersonNews https://t.co/XfilU8aVDN
NO SHAME-ANAL CANCER!" (@MelissaRickenb2) February 23, 2022
“I wanted a second opinion at MD Anderson. I knew the best thing to do was to see doctors that had already treated many anal cancer cases and are experts in the latest research and technology.”
And she feel so fortunate that she did, as she really clicked with the medical professionals there. “It was like a breath of fresh air. I like to joke about everything, and when they were able to laugh with me and understand me, the heavy feeling I had been carrying around was lifted.”
Having an uplifting doctor can be a night and day situation for many cancer patients. Yes, you want their credentials, but the bedside manner and the way they make you feel mentally is equally as important.
“Dr. Holliday was so positive. The day I first met her was the first time since my diagnosis that I felt like someone was saying odds were in my favor. I decided that day to call her ‘Dr. Happy!'”
I can’t believe it’s been 3yrs since we started our journey with @MDAndersonNews. Very blessed God led us to MDA and the amazing Oncologists & teams! #ANALCANCER #stage4 #imalive #NED #Godisgood #CHRISTIANSGETHPVTOO! @HPVAnalCancer @HPVAlliance @FarrahFawcettFN pic.twitter.com/BgFwScfj9U
NO SHAME-ANAL CANCER!" (@MelissaRickenb2) October 3, 2021
Melissa’s Treatment for Anal Cancer
Melissa started 6 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation very soon after her first appointment.
“I looked forward to going to MD Anderson every day knowing they were working hard for my best outcome,” she said of her positive experience with the hospital, which made her side effects, such as nausea and diarrhea, more tolerable.
A cancer diagnosis is life changing. That's why it's important to seek help from someone who can help you cope. During cancer treatments, we fight hard for our life, and it's important to remember to do the same for our mental health.
Her care team became like family. “As soon as I would arrive, I was able to start joking and connecting with people again. My care team encouraged me, supported me and gave me the medicine I needed to manage my side effects from radiation therapy and chemotherapy.”
In Remission and Healing
Melissa shared how fortunate she was that her faith, her friends and family, her husband, and her wonderful doctors and medical staff all collaboratively helped her through. The common denominator of all for her? Humor.
“I told jokes to my doctors, nurses and radiation therapists, and on the days I really needed them, Dr. Holliday's team told me jokes as well. A positive attitude and sense of humor made the hard days better,” she said.
Most people did not know what kind of cancer I had. Through my journey, I've been able to grow. Now I can say the words ‘cancer’ and ‘anal cancer’ with peace and know that I can help others going through the same journey.
All in all, she learned to laugh through the pain
“Earlier this year, I reached two years in remission. I've learned to take what I've been given and use it to help others with an anal cancer diagnosis.”
Melissa’s parting advice for her fellow warriors? “Talk to people in the waiting rooms,” she urged. “Connect with others going through the same thing. People have great ideas that you might not have heard of while you are going through treatment.”
Look for the positive. “There is always a positive, but sometimes you have to look a little harder for it. Joke about everything. Even in tears, you can find laughter.”
Anal Cancer and the Connection to HPV
HPV is a highly common sexually transmitted virus, which can lead to several types of cancer, including anal cancer. Anyone can get it, and there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. It’s mainly important to be aware of what havoc it can wreak and get educated over its relation to cancer.
"The vast majority of humans in the U.S., both men and women, will eventually get infected with human papillomavirus," said Dr. Allen Ho, a head and neck surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, to SurvivorNet.
"The important thing to know about HPV is that there are many different strains, and only a couple of them tend to be more cancer-inducing," Dr. Ho explained. "Probably less than 1% of the population who get infected happen to have the cancer-causing virus that somehow their immune system fails to clear, and over 15 to 20 years [it] develops from a viral infection into a tumor, and a cancer."
HPV and Cancer Risk: The Basics
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