My story: Diagnosed at 32

“I am 32 years old and was diagnosed in April 2013 with Stage 2 colon cancer. I was given the typical story that it could be scar tissue from two previous surgeries. After four months of back and forth to the doctor and emergency room visits I was admitted for dehydration and low blood count. They ran tests which came back i was anemic and there was for sure a tumor the size of a softball in my lower large intestine. The doctors did try and say that it was just a non cancerous tumor but later discovered after transferring to another hospital in Houston that it was CANCER.

I was scared to death because I am a mother of 4 and I am so young. The first hospital did not want to do surgery to try and remove the tumor because of MY AGE what that has to do with saving a life i will never know. I was transfered to Methodist hospital in Houston, Texas where the surgical team DID NOT care if i was young or not. They did the surgery and to this day I am cancer free. My check ups are every 6 months and my children will have to have their screenings in their 20’s just to make sure that they are okay.

I just can not understand but with the help and support of my friends and families i am making it through this horrible fight. If there is one thing i can get out to any one that would be GET YOUR CHECK UPS AND MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU FEEL SOMETHING IS WRONG DON’T LET THE DOCTOR TELL YOU OTHERWISE WITHOUT THE PROPER TESTS DONE.”

—Rose Cleveland, Crosby, Texas