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2023 year in review: patient stories
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dr. tim sproule was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of death from cancer in men. supplied
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the patient journey can be a lonesome one, but it can also be filled with love, support and hope. there isn’t always a happy ending, but there is an abundance of bravery and determination along the way.
here are some of the memorable patient stories from 2023.
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what it feels like: colorectal cancer ‘is not glamorous at all’
approximately one in 16 canadian men and one in 19 women will develop colorectal cancer during their lifetime, according tothe canadian cancer society. it is also estimated that one in 34 men and one in 40 women will die from the cancer. catherine perka sat down with healthing to share her experience and raise awareness about the symptoms and side-effects that we are often too embarrassed to talk about, but could save our lives if caught early.
catherine (left) was ten weeks pregnant with husband dan (right) when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
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what it feels like: stage 4 breast cancer is ‘incurable but it is treatable, so here i am’
bobbi jo beitz went from being an incredibly active fastball and hockey player to gentler hobbies like photography and birdwatching to enjoy the outdoors and make the most of the days. she joined a dragon boat team, but couldn’t paddle this year because her chemotherapy zaps her energy and she needs to take it easy. she says her sense of humour and light-hearted outlook is unsinkable. she’s survived stage 4 breast cancer, a diagnosis in 2019 that meant the cancer had spread, or metastasized, to other areas of the body – and it continues to spread.
bobbi jo beitz is the first to admit that breast cancer is not an easy road to go, but getting up and going is the best advice she wants to pass on to others.
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what it feels like: ‘a reason to keep fighting’ against ovarian cancer
“it just came out of nowhere.” that was starla fiddler’s reaction when she was diagnosed with granulosa cell tumour, a rare form of ovarian cancer, at the age of 23. there was no history of any type of cancer in her family. her only symptom, she says, was having had no period for about a year. but her family doctor was unconcerned.
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in 2017, while she was still healthy with no trace of cancer, starla fiddler adopted her son bohdi.
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what it feels like: travelling the world with spinal muscular atrophy
one of tori hunter’s favourite pastimes is travelling. she says hawaii and london, england have been two of her favourite locales to visit, and has also taken some breathtaking shots insquamish, british columbiaandbanff, alberta. while tori travels, she also takes careful notes and blogs about each place she visits — living with spinal muscular atrophy, tori works to show others how accessible travel is possible.
tori hunter, an advocate for those living with spinal muscular atrophy, spends her time as a social media campaign manager, freelance writer, accessibility consultant and pet-parent to her poodle, maya.
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what it feels like: colon, rectum, prostate and bladder removed to fight colorectal cancer
dr. timothy sproule had just taken his first vacation in years when he noticed what he thought was ahemorrhoid. a few doctor visits later, sproule received a horrifying diagnosis: colorectal cancer. colorectal cancerdevelops in the lining of the colon or rectum and generally has few to no symptoms until it has progressed to an advanced stage. in men, it is the second leading cause of death from cancer and the third leading cause in women, according tothe canadian cancer society. approximately 1 in 14 men and 1 in 18 women willdevelop colorectal cancerat some point in their life.
dr. tim sproule was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of death from cancer in men. supplied
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