Photos by Chantal Drummond Photography | [email protected] | www.chantaldphoto.co.za
Paula Robertson is loud, busy, constantly cracking jokes, and an excellent problem-solver; your typical Portuguese woman. After she was diagnosed with colon cancer, she vowed to never change her personality. In fact, her unique characteristics were only enhanced. She even saw the funny side of having a stoma bag, calling it Winnie the Pooh. The proud grandmother shares her story with us.
Being diagnosed with colon cancer, as with any cancer, is scary. It also might be a little embarrassing, since it involves a part of the body thatās distinctly hidden from view. But cancer of the colon is the fourth most common type of cancer.Ā The disease often begins as a benign (noncancerous), abnormal growth or tumor in the lining of the colon. These growths, which are called intestinal polyps, colorectal polyps, or adenomas, can become precancerous and then cancerous. Common signs and symptoms of colon cancer include blood in the stool, changes in bowel habits, and anemia (low red blood…
Colon cancer is most commonly a disease in older patients with the vast majority of cases occurring after the age of 50, although there is an increasing number of younger patients who are being diagnosed. Due to the age specific incidence of bowel cancer, it is associated with numerous challenges. Globally, colorectal (bowel) cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer in males and the second in females, with over 1.2 million new cases and 608 700 deaths estimated to have occurred in 2008. The highest incidence rates are in Australia and New Zealand, Europe and North America, and the lowest…