In 2018, Casandra Costley, then 32, spotted rectal bleeding. However, she idea it used to be a hemorrhoid and not idea to inform her physician. “I omitted it. I had some rectal ache as smartly, which I additionally idea used to be a hemorrhoid,” Costley, 38, of Utah, tells TODAY.com. “It will come and cross.” Then, in February 2024, Costley felt “run down,” misplaced her urge for food and noticed that her bowel behavior modified. Slowly, her new toilet behavior dramatically impacted her participation in day by day existence.
Previous to being identified with Level 4 colon most cancers, Casandra Costley labored as a trip consultant, serving to other people ebook journeys.Courtesy Casandra Costley“I struggled to serve as,” she says. She ultimately visited a gastroenterologist, who carried out a colonoscopy, and he or she discovered she had Level 4 colon most cancers. Since her prognosis, she’s been sharing her reviews on social media. “It’s now not one thing that persons are actually relaxed speaking about nonetheless, bleeding and bowel behavior,” she says. “(That) manner it doesn’t get mentioned, and so I believed I will be able to do this. It’s now not exhausting for me to speak about it.” Rectal bleedingWhen Costley first spotted rectal bleeding, she assumed it used to be a hemorrhoid, as they run in her circle of relatives. “I used to be like, ‘Oh, identical to the remainder of my circle of relatives,’” she says. Through the years, the bleeding and ache took place intermittently, what Costley idea used to be standard. Remaining 12 months, she underwent weight reduction surgical treatment and altered her vitamin, and her signs disappeared. “I believed, ‘Oh, perhaps the hemorrhoid healed itself,’” she recollects. “I didn’t know an excessive amount of about it.” However then the bleeding returned with new signs. Quickly, Costley misplaced her urge for food, and her bowel behavior modified. “All day lengthy I felt like I needed to have a bowel motion,” she says. “It used to be hard and actually bizarre, and for some reason why I nonetheless didn’t convey it up (to my physician).” When her signs interfered together with her day by day regimen to the purpose the place she struggled to get during the day, she requested her urologist to suggest a GI physician. That physician ordered a colonoscopy, and when Costley woke from it, she knew one thing used to be improper. “He confirmed me the image of my tumor,” she says. “He used to be like, ‘I’m very involved that this looks as if complicated colon most cancers, however let’s get a biopsy.’” She had by no means thought to be her bleeding and ache might be most cancers. “I believed he used to be going to inform me I had hemorrhoids or IBS or one thing,” she says. “(Colorectal most cancers) continues to be now not on most of the people’s radars.” The physician additionally scheduled a CT scan and an MRI. 3 days after the biopsy, Costley knew what sort most cancers she had — invasive adenocarcinoma, which is the commonest form of colon and rectal most cancers, in keeping with the American Most cancers Society. The CT scan printed the most cancers had metastasized to her liver and most likely her lung. Quickly, she met with a GI surgeon. “I used to be pondering, ‘Smartly, they simply want to cross in and take it out,’” Costley recollects. “Once I met the GI surgeon, she defined that the tumor is a T3, which is essentially the most complicated sort, as it’s grown during the colon … (and) to head in and take it out can be unhealthy as a result of they are able to’t get blank margins.” As a substitute, the surgeon beneficial Costley meet with an oncologist, who beneficial “competitive chemo” for 3 months. After this, she’ll go through scans to look if it is running, and medical doctors will upload to her remedy plan. “If I reply to it and we will get the tumors to shrink down, then they may be able to cross in and take out the tumor in my colon,” she says. 
The Costley circle of relatives has been the usage of humor so as to take care of Casandra Costley’s Level 4 colon most cancers prognosis. Daughter Annika prays to “bless mother’s butt.”Courtesy Casandra CostleyShe’s felt intense uncomfortable side effects from chemotherapy after only some rounds of it. “The chemo makes me lovely unwell,” she says. “As a result of I’m symptomatic from the most cancers, it takes any signs I used to be having and makes them manner worse.” Incessantly, she feels pangs in her liver, again and hip, and the nausea and loss of urge for food has turn into “extra intense.” Nonetheless, when she feels smartly, she tries to workout, and feeling sick hasn’t interfered together with her skill to father or mother. “I think thankful. I’ve been ready to get away from bed each day and nonetheless (take a look at) to get my daughter to college alone when I will be able to,” she says. “I love to do that, nevertheless it’s exhausting.” Costley and her circle of relatives incessantly make jokes and check out to search out the humor and pleasure in existence. Her virtually 12-year-old daughter, Annika, says in her nightly prayers, “Please bless mother’s butt.” “It makes us chortle, nevertheless it additionally brings her convenience, and so we’re the usage of humor to manage,” Costley says. “We perceive the severity of it. It’s too heavy to not chortle about it.” Colon most cancers in younger peopleColon most cancers is the second-leading reason for most cancers deaths in girls below age 50, TODAY.com prior to now reported. Professionals stay unsure as to why this sort of most cancers has been happening extra incessantly in younger other people however suspect it’s a mix of genetics and way of life components, equivalent to being sedentary and a vitamin with too many processed meals. “It’s a minimum of imaginable that the ones are the issues using this. We do see extra males than girls having colorectal most cancers,” Dr. William Dahut, leader clinical officer for the American Most cancers Society, instructed TODAY.com in 2023. “Whether or not that’s once more because of a deficient vitamin or weight problems and no more workout is a minimum of an opportunity.” As with every form of most cancers, early detection results in higher results. Spotting the indicators and speaking to a health care provider about them may end up in faster prognosis. Signs come with: Blood in stool Other bowel habitsAbdominal ache without a reason why Unexplained weigh loss Fatigue without a purpose 
Casandra Costley says that too many of us are afraid to speak about signs of colon most cancers, equivalent to rectal bleeding, ache and larger bowel motion frequency. She does not really feel such disgrace so she stocks her tale on social media to assist others.Courtesy Casandra Costley“Sufferers don’t essentially convey up the indicators,” Dr. David Liska, director of the Younger-Onset Colorectal Most cancers Middle at Cleveland Sanatorium instructed TODAY.com in 2023. “It’s a subject that individuals aren’t relaxed speaking about.” ‘A membership you do not need to belong to’When Costley is going to the infusion heart for chemotherapy, she’s incessantly the youngest particular person there, which will really feel very setting apart. Sharing her tale on social media has attached her with different younger other people with most cancers. “It’s a membership that you just don’t need to belong to, the most cancers membership,” she says. “However it’s a actually, actually supportive neighborhood and … there are such a large amount of other people serving to me to know what I’m going thru.” Costley additionally appreciates listening to from individuals who have lived with Level 4 colon most cancers for a very long time. “The ones are my favourite tales as a result of I’ve such a lot hope that I will be able to get to try this, too,” she says. “Their tales give me hope and provides me much more reason why to battle.” Since her prognosis, Costley has found out “how treasured existence actually is.” “I’m a very powerful a part of our treasured existence in our house, and I’m now not announcing that to be boastful,” she says. “It’s helped me notice our entire area of playing cards will collapse if one thing occurs to me. So I simply need to battle exhausting so to say and be a very powerful a part of my little circle of relatives.” Having “the arena’s maximum supportive husband,” oldsters, siblings, step oldsters and step siblings signifies that Costley enjoys an enormous give a boost to machine as she continues her most cancers therapies. She hopes that by means of sharing her adventure on social media she is going to assist others be told extra about colon most cancers and to find hope when dealing with a worrisome prognosis. 
Having the give a boost to of her circle of relatives is helping Casandra Costley as she grapples with Level 4 colon most cancers and remedy. Courtesy Casandra Costley“I’m hoping that any one who might be in the similar boat learns that those are signs to head in your physician and discuss and likewise now not be afraid to speak about it,” she says. “Existence is so treasured and so fragile or even in a actually, actually frightening, exhausting time, there’s nonetheless such a lot good looks to be discovered and happiness available.”
