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Colorectal cancer alliance shares Sarah’s message to people to listen to their own bodies and advocate for themselves – Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Photo taken from Colorectal Cancer Alliance/LinkedIn

Apr 18, 2024, 19:23

Colorectal cancer alliance shares Sarah’s message to people to listen to their own bodies and advocate for themselves – Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Colorectal Cancer Alliance shared a post on LinkedIn:

“‘My name is Sarah Basore, and I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in May 2023 at the age of 21.

I had traceable symptoms for about a year leading up to being diagnosed. I was in the midst of college and running track, so I was able to dismiss the symptoms as being IBS, lactose intolerance, etc. I thought all my fatigue was from the strenuous training I was doing every day. I pushed through 3-4 episodes that I should have gone to the ER for in hindsight. In February, I started noticing blood in my stool, and that is what prompted me to go to a gastroenterologist. I took photos and logged symptoms, and it was enough to convince my Gastrointestinal doctor to recommend a colonoscopy.

In the colonoscopy, they found a tumor, and a subsequent CT scan found lesions on my liver. I endured 12 rounds of heavy-duty chemotherapy, with 12 landing me in the hospital for over 10 days. That hospital stay was my lowest moment physically – I was extremely sick with extreme chemo toxicity and dehydration. The hospital stay did allow me to get healthy again and healthy enough for surgery in January. My colon and liver were resected with clear margins, and I am now doing chemotherapy again before I scan at the end of April to see if it’s safe to go off chemotherapy.

I want to reach as many people as possible to encourage them to listen to their bodies and to advocate for themselves. I started sharing publicly on social media and even started a podcast with my friend Jay called ‘I Can’t Die I’m Busy.’ It’s an homage to Jay’s best friend, who passed away from DIPG. I am now in a healthy place with my mental health and want to spread awareness about the epidemic of young people being diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer.’ – Sarah Basore.”

Colorectal cancer alliance shares Sarah’s message to people to listen to their own bodies and advocate for themselves - Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Source: Colorectal Cancer Alliance/LinkedIn

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