Survivor Story - Dan Beecher

When I was asked to share my story, I did not hesitate, that is until I sat down to write. What would people get out of reading another cancer story? They don’t want to hear what I went through when they are going through their own struggles. Those and many more. Then I decided to write it from the standpoint of what LYB stands for: Educate, Empower, and Improve Survivorship. Using those 3 things as my guide I hope I can convey my story to help those people and families that are and have gone through what I have.

Diagnosis:

At 49 years old I wasn’t ready for cancer and neither was my family. The backstory starts with me being treated for what they thought was just a bad case of hemorrhoids for a period of time before “the day”. I was awakened at 5:30 am on April Fools Day 2015 with pain and hemorrhaging blood. After the pain becoming really bad I drove myself to the hospital. The ER doc admitted me, they gave me the “flush” overnight, and then a colonoscopy the next day. When I woke up I was told the news of a large tumor that he found. He couldn’t say it was cancer until pathology came back, but he wasn’t very optimistic it was not cancer. The things that go through your mind at that moment are all over the place. I was crying, my wife was crying, we were a mess the rest of that day and the next. So that was Wednesday and Thursday, the next day, Friday, was Good Friday. That day changed everything. The feeling of where do we go from here, the hopelessness, all the anxiety. We decided that we were going to give it to the One that could take all of this from us, give us hope, and lead us, our Savior Jesus Christ. That was a very emotional Good Friday service for us. But it was a huge burden lifted off our shoulders, a deep sigh of relief, and we could concentrate on my treatment that would follow.

I was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer. I had a 3.5” long tumor just inside the sphincter area of the rectum. I had 2 enlarged lymph nodes as well.

Treatment:

As my wife is employed as a Nurse Practitioner at Essentia, we knew both my docs that would be in charge of my chemo and radiation. After some tests, marking, etc we had the treatment. 3 two week chemo rounds, then radiation and chemo, surgery, and then 6 more rounds of chemo. We decided to do the pill version of the chemo drug. 10 pills a day for 2 weeks, 1 week off, and start again. During those 3 rounds I also got 2 doses of oxaliplatin. Just sayin, but that stuff is nasty! The first dose I couldn’t hold, touch, or drink anything colder than room temp. The 2nd dose it lasted 2 weeks. The cold sensation was horrible. My throat would tighten up, and if I grabbed something cold, it was like your hands were being burned in a fire. Once done with those 3 rounds it was 30 radiation treatments along with chemo on the days of radiation. The first 2 weeks were ok.

Realizing that you have so many people in your corner to help out, mow your yard, pray with you, is a very uplifting experience.

Then as my doc said “you are going to start hating me worse and worse as we continue”. He wasn’t wrong. I developed uncontrollable diarrhea that landed me in the ER to receive 2 liters of iv fluids and then another 1 liter the next day in the cancer center. I then gave myself shots into my abdomen 3 times a day to help control it. The last 2 weeks of radiation and the following week or so bowel movements were a crying painful reminder that I really hoped all this was working. I likened it to pooping chards of glass. The lessons learned through this portion were immense. I was a 49 year old male that owned an insulation company, so I was on a job most days using my labor to complete work. I had been humbled and brought to my knees. I could only work half days at best, I lost 40 lbs., I couldn’t do any work around the house and yard that spring, I had to rely on friends, family, and God to get through it.

I also learned to get rid of any humility I might of had. My “backside” has been seen by half of the Essentia staff I think through everything. But I learned that being humbled was a good thing. Realizing that you have so many people in your corner to help out, mow your yard, pray with you, is a very uplifting experience. Having my 4 little pups laying on my lap and chest while I rested every day just waiting for their turn to give me kisses, it made the days easier.

if something doesn’t feel good, say something and get it checked out

I learned that you need to trust knowing your body. The trip to the ER and the scolding I got from my docs and nurses taught me that. So if something doesn’t feel good, say something and get it checked out. Fevers, diarrhea, any of that stuff get in contact with your nurse! So after 8 weeks of nothing, you actually start to feel somewhat back to normal.

Then I went to Duluth Essentia for my surgery. Because my tumor was touching my sphincter the surgeons were not optimistic they could save it with good margins. As a normal guy the thought of losing your bum and pooping in a bag the rest of my life was another humbling moment. The biggest reason for doing it was a question my surgeon posed to me. He said we can do everything to save your bum, but do you want to take the chance that in saving that, we don’t get the good margins and it comes back in 6 months or a year? After all I had just gone through that made it easy. I also had a friend that was living with a colostomy for a very long time. His reassurance and frank conversations were a comforting factor.

So off to Duluth. I had a robotic APR performed. I was on the table for 6+ hours. I was in for 3 days following surgery. The surgeon told me the tumor that was once 3.5” long had been reduced to a mere spot on the rectal wall. I had to learn and demonstrate how to change my colostomy bag, be able to pee within a couple hours after removing my catheter or it was going back in for 3 weeks (there was a bunch of scar tissue from the radiation between the rectal wall and my ureter he had to very carefully scrape so he was really worried the swelling would not let me go pee), and realize the magnitude of the surgery I just had. I had a drain in that came out a butt cheek, and I couldn’t sit normally. You will learn to how to dump your drain, how to sit with minimal pain, and learn how your body reacts to having a colostomy. I literally could not drive to work, or do anything for 5 weeks! This was the worst time. At least during radiation and chemo I was working some, able to go in and get the guys going on the jobs for the day, and feeling like I was contributing. Now I was trying to work from home, my pickup was my second office and home being a contractor. So another very humbling time.

Surgery was in September, my goal was to make my annual trip to Texas Motor Speedway in November to get away and be with my friends and put this all behind me, pun intended! It all went great, until the first morning walking to the showers. I felt a rush of warm something running down my legs. My incision in what was holding my old rectum shut had broken open. After having your friend use my phone to take a picture of the problem area in the back of our camper, send that to my wife, surgeon, and wound nurse, I learned this happens quite a bit, not to be worried, and it will eventually heal on its own. Yea ok. So my friend went to Walmart and bought me Depends and women’s sanitary napkins. It had to heal naturally. That was the first week of November. On Labor day of 2016 I got to finally go back to wearing “big boy” pants! I did 5 more rounds of chemo post surgery, and as you learn nothing heals while you are doing chemo. As I started the 6th and final round I developed a fever. I immediately called my nurse this time. Here my open wound had closed in the middle and became infected. We had to suspend chemo, and the humility of docs and nurses looking at the bum was much in play once again. The blockage was reopened and then my wife was blessed with the task of packing it with gauze twice a day for the next 6 months. My wife and I can tell you some pretty funny and intense moments from that part of life! My doc said we could discontinue chemo, I had been through enough. So once again, I was giving it to God to by His will heal me, comfort me and my family, and guide us.

Since Then:

I did CT scans 3 times a year for 2 years, then went to 6 months for year 3, once a year for year 4 and my 5 year one will be in October 2020. The first couple were filled with anxiety. Then I remembered what got me through it to this point. Give it to God, He was in control, I was not. I remembered by giving the anxiety to Him, I could stay positive, tell my story to possibly help others either by preaching about getting he bum checked or talking with others that were going through the same diagnosis, been through it, and what gave me comfort through it all. I have lost people I have met the past 5 years that have had CRC, and yea there have been times of survivors guilt. Why am I still here and they aren’t? Why am I any different than them? Then I was reassured by a wise pastor of mine, He has a reason and a plan for me. That’s why I am still here.

So while I don’t know the “plan” I vow to do my part to help those that I can with my story, my prayers, and the hope that He gives us! Two years post surgery I developed lymphodema in my left leg from the 24 lymph nodes they removed during surgery, and that we will continue to treat forever, and then I developed a hydrocele around my left testicle from the lymphodema and had to have that surgically removed a year ago. I documented the journey on my caring bridge site, I went into much greater depth and shared it in the real emotions I was feeling at the time. If you are inclined you can find it on caringbridge.org/danbeecher.

It will be 5 years on April 2nd this year. I have been through a lot, others I know have been through more than me, some losing their lives. I just want to put my story out there so maybe by having one person be pushed to go to the doc for a check I can save you from what you just got done reading. I am always reminded of Psalm 121:1-2 I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. God is good, God is our Hope, God is our rock and salvation!! Now go Love Your Buns!!!

Dan