When doctors told Maria Gonzales she had colon cancer in January 2011, she didn’t have time.
She had a family, a job and other priorities that needed her attention more. She was also getting ready to become a grandmother.
“When the doctor came in and told me what it was, I told him ‘well, let’s just fix it. I don’t have time for it,'” Gonzales recalled.
Her first grandchild was due the next month and she was looking forward to that moment. The thought of everything the word “cancer” entailed just wasn’t going to work for her schedule.
But she knew she needed to get better for her family, especially her grandson.
“My grandson,” she said. “That’s what motivated me.”
Colon cancer rates are highest among Hispanic and rural populations, according to an email from Liesl Wyett and Dr. Theresa Byrd, both members of ACCION (Against Colorectal Cancer In Our Neighborhoods) for Rural West Texas. It’s not often talked about.
The coalition, which started in El Paso, was created to promote the conversation to educate about colon cancer and promote screening, particularly Fecal Immunochemical Test screening and colonoscopies. Since it was started in Lubbock in January 2016, the program has provided 1,881 FIT tests, which can be completed at home, according to Wyett and Byrd. It’s a low-cost way to reach the uninsured, who are one of the most commonly affected populations.
Since March has been Colon Cancer Awareness month, the coalition has been working to raise awareness about its campaign.
The timing also contributed to Gonzales’ decision to share her story.
For Gonzales, it all started with a bad foot pain, Gonzales said.
A heel spur she’d found was getting worse and making her foot swell. When her mother saw it, she urged Gonzales to visit the doctor.
Things escalated quickly.
“They took X-rays and went ahead and did blood work,” Gonzales said. “I went home after that. They called me later on during the day and said that I needed to get to the hospital because I was possibly going to need a blood transfusion.”
Gonzales was four units low on blood and her family’s medical history sparked even more concern with her physicians.
“My dad died of colon cancer,” she said. “They saw the history of cancer in my family and asked me if I’d had a colonoscopy and I said ‘no, but I need one.'”
She began prep the next day and had the colonoscopy done the following day.
“Sure enough, they found it in my large intestine,” Gonzales said.
The first person she called was her sister, Margaret Harper.
“I was strong for her on the phone,” Harper recalled.
The flood of tears came right as she hung up. Harper put on her best brave face, drove to her sister and arranged for her kids to make the drive to Post to pick up her sister’s kids.
Harper recalls her sister staying positive and telling everyone she would be fine as they gathered at the hospital to support her.
“She’s a lot stronger than she thinks she is,” Harper said of her older sister.
Everyone in the family took her lead.
“I had to be strong,” Harper said. “We all did.”
After surgery, Gonzales stayed in the hospital for one week. She started a pill form of chemotherapy about one month later. She was officially cleared after one year.
Looking back on her experience, now, Gonzales said she’s thankful it happened to her. It’s also helped renew the conversation about timely colon cancer screenings among their friends and family.
“I’m glad I got it,” Gonzales said. “I don’t want them to have to go through what I’ve been through.”
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