A 37-year-old Lengthy Island dad of three was benching 302 kilos and protecting in nice well being when he received the sudden analysis that rocked him to his core in October: “aggressive” colon most cancers.
It was the identical illness that ended up not too long ago killing one in every of his favourite actors, “Dawson’s Creek’’ James Van Der Beek.
“It was very, very tough when my physician advised me, ‘You could have a blockage,’ ” Patchogue handyman Travis Travieso not too long ago recalled to The Publish.
The dad didn’t understand it on the time, however he was turning into a part of a terrifying rising statistic that’s at the moment baffling docs.
Scans confirmed that Travieso had a 7.3-centimeter tumor overlaying 90% of his colon.
“Every part simply occurred so quick after that,” he stated.
Northwell Well being docs surgically eliminated his aggressive stage 2 tumor days after its discovery. However that was nonetheless solely the start of Travieso’s worst nightmare.
He was given weeks of aggressive post-operation chemotherapy due to his comparatively younger age and since his most cancers took such a strong type, in accordance with his surgeon, Dr. David Rivadeneira of Huntington Hospital.
“The surgical procedure was the straightforward half,” Travieso stated. “The laborious half goes by the chemo. … You’re not simply preventing most cancers, you’re preventing these uncomfortable side effects.”
The acute fatigue, nausea, weak spot and laborious conversations along with his three little ones introduced down the once-strong man, he stated.
“It will get really more durable, since you get weaker as you go,” he stated, noting he needed to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New 12 months’s getting chemo.
Lastly, on Feb 12, Travieso completed his sixth and ultimate spherical of chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free.
“It means quite a bit. It means happiness. I beat it,” he stated.
“I really gained.”
A warning to younger folks
Travieso is now seeking to unfold the phrase, particularly amongst millennials, that colon most cancers is not any senior-citizen illness.
“Individuals my age, simply get checked,” he stated. “Don’t assume it’s one thing else.”
He stated he was gutted when Van Der Beek, a married dad of six, succumbed to stage 3 colon most cancers at age 48 final week.
“Seeing that he had the identical illness, illness that I’ve, it simply broke my coronary heart,” Travieso stated.
And lots of extra younger individuals are in danger, in accordance with Rivadeneira.
“We’re seeing a big enhance within the final decade — it’s a few 200 to 300% enhance in colon and rectal most cancers in sufferers lower than 50,” the physician stated.
Rivadeneira stated such most cancers was hardly current amongst younger folks when he started coaching 30 years in the past, however that state of affairs has lengthy since modified.
“I see 30-year-olds, I see 40-year-olds every single day with colorectal most cancers. I even noticed a 21-year-old not too long ago with colon most cancers,” he stated.
Probably the most scary half is that “we actually don’t know” what’s behind the worrisome pattern, the doc stated.
“It’s most likely a mixture of a number of issues,” he stated, including that poor food regimen, weight problems, smoking, and household historical past are probably contributing components.
However as in Travieso’s case, the indicators could be extraordinarily laborious to identify and could also be barely current.
Traviesoo solely opted for a screening after noticing blood in his stool, which he first dismissed on account of consuming one thing spicy on trip.
“Previous to that, I didn’t really feel something,” the dad stated. “I felt sturdy, regular.”
Rivadeneira stated that getting a colonoscopy continues to be the “gold normal” for screening, which is really helpful beginning at 45 however may be worthwhile for these a lot youthful.
“If you happen to’re 32 years outdated and also you’re having adjustments in bowel habits and also you see blood and also you’re having points, see a physician, get evaluated, and it wouldn’t be shocking that we’d suggest a colonoscopy,” the physician stated.
The constructive aspect is that Rivadeneira stated “it’s a really curable most cancers,” particularly when caught early, and oftentimes, a simple surgical procedure such because the one Travieso had suffices with out chemo to observe.
“It’s minimally invasive — smaller incisions, what we time period keyhole surgical procedure,” the physician stated.
“Most individuals keep within the hospital one or two days, full restoration inside two to 3 weeks.”
