HOUSTON – Stomach cramps and bloating are both symptoms one woman says she wishes she hadn’t ignored for months before being diagnosed with colon cancer.
With March being Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, she’s reminding everyone that, while it’s one of the most prevalent cancers, it’s also one of the most treatable and curable.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, but surgeons at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas said it doesn’t have to be.
Marilyn Savage Martinez is living proof.
She is 74 years young and feeling better than ever.
”I just made up my mind that, I’m getting well. That’s it, there’s no other choice,” she said.
That spirit to grab life by the horns was birthed out of a scary revelation back in June 2020.
″I had a stabbing pain in my lower abdomen area, well intestinal area. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I work all the time, I just ignored it,” she said.
That pain became unbearable.
She later learned it was the result of a colon cancer tumor that had grown so large it burst through her intestinal wall.
”I was fortunate that it didn’t spread,” she said.
Still faced with the fear of having to wear a colostomy bag for the rest of her life, she explored treatment options and turned to the Women’s Hospital of Texas. It’s considered a leader in robotic surgeries. There, she met Dr. Eric Haas.
”We had to develop a team approach where we had to shrink the cancer first; then offer her a robotic surgery a really precise innovative advanced surgery to remove the cancer but also put her back together,” Dr. Haas said.
Savage Martinez found herself fighting an unexpected battle, compounded by the passing of her beloved husband of 51 years shortly before her last surgery.
”You never know when your last time is here with someone, you know. It was great. He was very supportive,” she said.
With her husband’s spirit in tow, Savage Martinez pushed through. After a third and final surgery, she is cancer free and using her time to spread awareness.
“Go talk to your doctor, go talk to [them] if you’re having any symptoms,” she said.
”The most common symptom that patients come to me are hemorrhoids,” Haas said. “They think they’re bleeding or having some pain or irritations, stomach cramps just generally losing weight and not know why, but the most common symptom is no symptom at all.”
Because of rising prevalence, the recommended age to be screened for colon cancer has dropped from 50 years old to 45, regardless of family history. Anyone experiencing ongoing symptoms is advised to get screened.
Savage Martinez just had a checkup last month. She remains cancer free and has no colostomy bag.
Visit HoustonColon.com for information about screenings and colon cancer.