Anal Cancer — Who Knew?
When I first heard the news, I had to hold strong. She was a mess — my mother that is. We were sitting together in her doctor’s office for a follow-up visit. We simply thought she was going to have a procedure for an anal fissure. She had it done once before, but she was still experiencing discomfort “down there”. The physician came back to tell us that she found a more concerning issue beyond the fissure — cancer. My mother was diagnosed with anal cancer that day.
I didn’t have a chance to process it, and I’m not sure I have processed it yet; that was a year ago. I remember walking through the store that day and thinking, “My mom was diagnosed with cancer today”. I had the realization that you may never know what people are going through in life. It’s one that I’ve had several times before, but life was reminding me yet again.
The point of the story isn’t to share another journey with cancer but to spread awareness. I never knew of anal cancer until my mother was diagnosed with it, so I would like to take the time to share where hers came from and how others can stay aware and try to protect themselves.
HPV — have you heard of it? Probably more now than ever. HIV — same thing here. What about smoking? We all know by now that’s bad for us but for some reason, we just can’t stop. So where did my mother’s cancer come from? After her cancer diagnosis, she discovered she had HPV (human papillomavirus). She never got a vaccine for this as a teen because it simply wasn’t a thing when she was young.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is another leading cause of anal cancer. It is important to go to the doctor to get tested for different infections when we are sexually active because it can happen to anyone. Even if you aren’t showing symptoms, something could still be happening. To read more about Risk Factors for Anal Cancer, go to the American Cancer Society’s website.
My mother’s treatment consisted of radiation and chemotherapy. Yep, they blasted her ass with radiation. As if the cancer wasn’t bad enough, she now deals with side effects like constant diarrhea and pain in that region. At only 58, she wears diapers. It’s my turn to play parent, and I don’t even have children. But here I am taking care of her. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother, but it is hard to watch.
I’m hoping to gain some reflection and healing from sharing this story but also to spread awareness. As I said earlier, you never know what someone may be going through in life, so be kind. In our busy world today, it can be difficult for us to stay informed, but hopefully, this helps some gain insight into a condition they weren’t aware of before. I know I wasn’t. Get checked before it’s too late.
