15 May HERStory: Susie Sanchez
Meet Susie Sanchez – a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, published author, former professional cheerleader (Raiderette) and cancer survivor.
“In March of 2021, I was diagnosed with anal cancer caused by the HPV virus. As a cancer survivor, I’m passionate and find it imperative to share my story to the world. I want to provide awareness, education and knowledge regarding anal cancer, HPV and the HPV vaccine to as many as I can. Protecting future generations from this deadly virus with the HPV vaccine is a must. Sadly, this vaccine wasn’t developed or around when I was growing up.
I was diagnosed with Anal Cancer on March 18th, 2021. It all began in August of 2020. We are all home working in our new ‘home environment workstations’ due to Covid.
I’d just had my yearly girly check-up in June 2020. I had a clean/clear HPV and pap test and I’ve never had a bad one. My OBGYN had just performed a digital rectal exam that June, I’ve never had an issue before. Then in late November 2020 after going to the bathroom and wiping, I saw a small amount of blood. I returned to my OBGYN and told him what was going on. He provided an ointment and I was on my way. Only the ointment never worked and then in January of 2021, I had a show of blood again, but this time I looked for a more specific doctor who could work with fissures, and I came across Dr. Parrish out of Los Gatos, CA. He was a proctologist (I had no idea what kind of doctor that was or meant) and scheduled an appointment with him.
On that first visit, things happened quickly. Dr. Parrish said it was an abnormal fissure. He tested me for many STD’s; I thought that was odd then he asked me when my last rectum pap smear was for the HPV virus. HPV, pap smear? I’d never heard of such a thing, I told him. He ran that test and did a small biopsy that day in the office and five days later, on March 18th, 2021, I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal region from the HPV virus (P16 strain) – Anal Cancer. That evening, that phone call and the words from Dr. Parrish confirming the biopsy to me by far was the worst moment in my life. My mind went blank, my ears closed and I melted down the wall and sunk into the earth. Life stopped. Everything stopped.
The moment and days after the diagnosis were filled with appointments, scans, pokes, and discussions with many people. I didn’t really have time to get sad, mad, or scared – there was just too much to do and get done.
Then I researched the Anal Cancer Foundation website to learn about the treatment plan I was about to undergo about a week or so after finding out I had cancer. That’s when I began to coil up, get scared and terrified. I need to plan for caregivers and put on the superhero cape, army gear and go to war against this cancer beast. On the outside, I stayed and looked somewhat calm and collected myself for others; you never want to see others sad or concerned so I stayed strong facing them – yet inside especially at night/early morning hours, I would lay in bed absolutely terrified. My husband and sister, Lisa, were going to be my caregivers as we began to plan for this 6-week treatment plan.
I was diagnosed with stage 2 anal cancer – no lymph nodes exposed. My treatment plan began on Monday, May 17th and ended on Thursday, June 24th. It was six weeks plan of radiation therapy with concurrent chemo treatment of Xeloda (pill form of 5-FU) + Mitomycin C IV (twice). It was the worst six weeks/28 days of my life. I was never able to receive the 2nd Mitomycin C IV on day 29 as my white blood count was too low to administer the treatment to me.
Recovering from anal cancer is so tough. The treatment plan for anal cancer patients, is for almost six weeks (28 days) however the following two weeks are so intense, painful, and exhausting. Your body is completely flattened to zero. My energy was absolutely gone, the wounds/burns are so painful, raw, and sensitive and you’re completely just done with the entire experience. We had a family vacation planned in mid-July which fell at week three post-treatment for me and I was cleared by my doctor to be able to go, so I did.
New walls for recovery and the sound of laughter of family and grandbabies helped heal week three to week four for me. I was taken around the airport and resort by wheelchair because I had no physical strength to walk those types of distances this early in the recovery stage. I pray many of those youngsters swimming in the pool or at the oceanfront that week returned home to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine from the message I provided on the back of my wheelchair. This disease/cancer is preventative and can be eradicated if we vaccinate our youth with the HPV vaccine.
Everything about my cancer experience was difficult. Somehow in those early weeks, I was able to put on that army gear and mentally go to war. As my radiation oncologist would say, so much of cancer is in between your ears – meaning, your mind is such a force and you need to stay positive to get you through the treatment plan and daily radiation visits. Put on your armor, go to war, never give up (even on your worst days and pains) and win the battlefield, kill the beast! I’d say the daily and hourly bathroom runs that an anal cancer patient goes through is so intense.
My faith in God was by far the biggest power and foundation in getting me through this entire experience from beginning to end. Every radiation session that I had, I’d lay there during those 15 minutes or so sessions I’d visually/mentally walk with Jesus on water to get through the anxiety of the sounds and experience.
And then all of a sudden, it’s over!!! There’s life after your last treatment day. There’s life as you’re recovering. You come to an understanding of a new place of a new normal. My Life after cancer is a new place for me. I received that first call and results from my first MRI showing no cancer was detected and I’m in remission. I’m coming to a new place in this entire cancer journey which is now what I call processing. I’m just now waking up and looking back/reflecting on what just happened to me. You see, I had no time for this at the beginning, during treatment or even soon after during recovery but I’m beginning to be in this place now. My new life is unfolding itself in front of me now. I’m overly thankful and grateful just to be alive. #keepliving
I will try to help others and save lives for current and future generations by sharing my story; that’s the hidden message/silver lining in all of this. I want to be a motivational speaker at any level to any group about the subject, anal cancer, HPV-related cancers, HPV in general, and the HPV vaccine. Anal cancer, cervical cancer, and head/neck cancers are ALL possibly preventable with the HPV vaccine. Sadly, the vaccine wasn’t around or available when I was growing up. I’d scream from the highest mountain top and on all mountain tops to tell ALL youth (girls & boys) – PLEASE get vaccinated against this deadly virus, it PREVENTS CANCER – and I don’t want to see another living soul go through this devastating experience that I just went through.”
For more information on Susie Sanchez’ story, visit http://www.susiesanchez.com.
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