Source of Hope

Cori’s* source of hope has always been God. Never would she need to cling to that hope more than when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in September of 2016.

* Her real name is used with permission.

It was hard not to think about her brave and precious “Grams” who was diagnosed with colon cancer when she was 74 years old. When she told her boys about her diagnosis, she said, “My Grams had this cancer, too. She fought it and beat it. I can beat it, too.”

Found a Mass

Reflecting back on her symptoms, Cori admits she rationalized away the blood in her stool. “I knew I should have it checked out since Grams had those symptoms, but I put it off. When I learned a high school classmate passed away within six months of her colon cancer diagnosis, it scared me and I knew I had to do something.” In August of 2016, the GI doctor recommended Cori have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. “We found a mass that was about 3 1/2 centimeters. I put a rush on the biopsy,” he said. “I could tell by the look on his face it wasn’t good. I just knew I had cancer.”

“The wait for the results over Labor Day weekend was torture,” Cori shared.  “I knew my whole world was about to change. I asked all the ‘why me?’ questions. And then I began searching for verses of hope to fight against my angry and scared feelings.” Cori was ready to fight no matter the outcome of the biopsy. She texted her mom a picture of herself with her fist up and this message: I am ready for whatever God brings my way. “Your biopsy results are indicative of colorectal cancer. I’ve already scheduled appointments for you to have blood work, a CT scan, and to meet with an oncologist,” her doctor said. Cori and her husband, Eddie, had prepared for this news, but it was still hard to hear.

A few weeks later, her doctor called with the blood work and CT scan test results. “Unfortunately, the cancer has spread, and there are also two lesions on your liver and pelvic bone,” he explained. Eddie was out of town for work, so she ran to God. “I went face down on the floor and surrendered all of it to God,” she shared.

Source of Hope

Thoughts about not seeing her sons graduate from high school and fearing she only had six months to live filled her mind. So did the fact her step-dad had cancer in his bone AND he’s still living. “I chose to believe God was showing me I could make it, too.” A renewed hope filled her as she decided to fight. To not give up. To focus on her source of hope – God. Cori made a playlist of songs she titled God’s Got This, which helped her maintain her focus and kept her thoughts positive. Those songs were on repeat as she went throughout her day.

When she met with the surgeon, he said, “If the cancer is in multiple locations, we won’t do surgery.” He recommended a PET scan to determine the specific location of the cancer. “While I was being scanned, I prayed. It felt like someone was in the room with me, so I opened my eyes. I saw Jesus standing there in the room with me. During the actual PET scan, I envisioned Jesus with his hands over the machine. It was confirmation He was with me. I felt peace wash over me.” “The bone didn’t light up. The lungs didn’t light up. The liver didn’t light up, and that’s surprising. But as expected, your original tumor did,” the doctor said. When Cori heard the results of the scan, she cried as she knew God performed a miracle. Even though the original tumor lit up, the fact the others didn’t light up meant surgery would be possible.

Second Opinion

But when she met with the radiation oncologist, his news was devastating. “Based on your test results, surgery is possible, but you will have a permanent colostomy.” A close friend who is a surgeon reviewed her test results and suggested Cori get a second opinion. He was able to get her an appointment with Dr. Delaney at the Cleveland Clinic. Delaney is the Chairman of Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute. Cori and Eddie met with him in October of 2016. “Not only did he advise surgery, but he also felt I was a good candidate for a temporary ilestomy instead of a permanent colostomy,” she shared.

Twenty-five rounds of radiation took its toll on Cori. “I was extremely tired, and it threw me into menopause.” Her CT scans and MRI in December confirmed the chemo-radiation had given her a near complete response. The tumor was gone, but surgery was still necessary. ‘Fists Up for Cori’ has been her theme since the day she knew she would be fighting colorectal cancer. At the forefront of Team Cori are her husband and two sons. Armed with prayers from friends and family, as well as her Plexus team, she was ready to face the next phase. “Through every phase of my journey, I could only think of that phase and pray for the best outcome.”

Week of Waiting

Her late January 2017 surgery was postponed a week due to her pre-surgery blood work showing low white blood cells. Because she and Eddie had traveled to Ohio for the surgery, they stayed in the hotel until she was cleared to have the surgery a week later. “I knew God was in control, but that week of waiting gave me more time to worry. I wrote in my gratitude journal, listened to my playlist, and read verses so I’d focus on my source of hope instead of the upcoming surgery.” Her six-hour surgery was deemed successful as Dr. Delaney took out the tumor and 37 lymph nodes, resulting in clear margins. Cori is now cancer-free! Seven weeks after surgery, it was recommended Cori begin “clean-up chemo.” She opted for six rounds of oral chemo pills.

A beach trip in July with her extended family was iffy. The possibility of too much sun exposure and the fact her hands and feet were peeling and cracking made her nervous about going, but she chose to go anyway and enjoy life! Cori played in the ocean and rode bikes with her temporary ileostomy bag.  “It felt like a time of celebration and strength. I’d fought hard to overcome colorectal cancer!”

In August of 2017, Cori was ready for her second surgery to reverse her temporary ileostomy. “The first month after this surgery was horrible as my body was figuring out it’s new plumbing. I kept telling myself it’s going to get better.” It’s been a year since the surgery in February of 2017 that made her cancer-free, and it has gotten much, much better! The low fiber/low residue diet with limited fruits and vegetables prescribed after surgery is converse to what she knows as a nutritionist, but eggs, pasta, chicken, turkey, and smoothies were easier to digest initially. She has gradually been able to add some fruits and vegetables back into her diet. “I’ve learned so much on this journey: prayer is incredibly powerful, and you have to forget about things you can’t control. Give it to God, and He will give you strength and peace that can only come from Him,” Cori shared.

Fists Up

In case you haven’t noticed, almost every picture I’ve shared in Cori’s story has Cori and others with their fists up. This symbol has been her outward sign of her will to fight, as well as her inward sign of strength. Her very open Facebook posts about the ups and downs of her journey have encouraged and inspired many. The sheer size of Team Cori with their fists up would be enough to scare away the fiercest enemy! Cori believes overcoming is letting your faith be bigger than your fear.    

 

 

Leave a Reply (below): Cori knew she could dwell on all the “bad” things that came with her diagnosis, or she could focus on all the “good” things happening in her life. She opted to record all the good things in a journal.

She started her gratitude journal the day she heard the word mass and has written in it every day since then. “When I’m having a tough day, I go back and reflect on all the things I have to be grateful for. I want it to be a legacy for my boys.”

Share your thoughts about the importance of being grateful, especially during life’s tough challenges.