Inspirational Stories Show of Strength

Show of Strength

Lauren Ricottone faces colon cancer head-on with perseverance and determination

According to the latest edition of Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2020, the American Cancer Society announced that a heavy burden is shifting to younger individuals. Colon cancer is now the third leading cause of cancer deaths in young adults, and it is on the rise as 1 in 5 colorectal cancer patients are between the age of 20 and 54. In 2020, there will be about 18,000 cases of CRC (12%) diagnosed in people under 50, the equivalent of 49 new cases per day. Because younger adults do not fall under the recommended screening age umbrella, they are frequently diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer, and therefore have a tougher battle to fight. Lauren Ricottone is a mother of two children, a wife, and a rock for her family. Despite no history of colon cancer in her family, she is now in an ongoing fight for her life and is showing her strength in incredible ways.

Deven Stopa (DS): When did you discover you had cancer?

Lauren Ricottone (LR): I had mild intermittent bleeding when I went to the bathroom. I did schedule a colonoscopy, but then I found out I was pregnant minutes before I went in for my procedure.

In January of 2016, I had my daughter, and at the end of that month was when I really got sick and was bleeding vaginally and rectally, so I scheduled a colonoscopy. When I woke up from the colonoscopy, I thought it was a little odd because the nurse was hugging me. The doctor called my husband in and told us that I had cancer. DS: Can you tell me about receiving your diagnosis and how it made you feel?

LR: I didn’t know what to think; I was in a complete fog. It didn’t fully click for me that I had cancer until I had to start chemotherapy, which was after my first surgery to remove the cancer.

In my mind, I thought they would cut it out during the surgery, and everything would be fine. Once they told me it had metastasized, and I would have to do chemotherapy…I think that’s when it really sunk in and I realized it was way worse than I thought.

DS: Can you walk me through your treatment and any obstacles that you encountered?

LR: After my first surgery, I recovered and then did six months of chemotherapy. I didn’t take off of work [as a nurse in a hospital Emergency Room] during that entire period. I would get to the hospital and into chemotherapy by 7:30 a.m. after my night shift, and then be in chemotherapy for six hours, go home for a little bit to see the baby, and then go back to work by 7:00 p.m.

I knew chemotherapy was bad, but it got worse as time went on. At my job, they use fingerprints for everything, and toward the end of my chemotherapy, I had such bad swelling that the machine couldn’t pick up my fingerprints.

DS: Where are you now in your journey with cancer?

LR: In May of last year, I started getting abdominal pain, so I went in for an ultrasound, and they told me I had an ovarian

cyst. The cyst ruptured, and I had internal bleeding, so they took me back for surgery. They took both of my ovaries, and there was colon cancer in them. I had to go back on chemotherapy and just finished at the end of December 2019. Since then, I’ve been back at work [as an Emergency Room nurse] once a week to start.

DS: Who or what did you turn to in order to make it through your treatment? It sounds like your work helps a lot.

LR: It does. It helps me feel normal. For example, I may not look the same as I did last year, but patients don’t know that. I can take my mind off cancer and focus on my work.

I also have great support from my family and friends. My one friend went with me to a majority of my chemotherapy, and my in-laws offered to watch the kids while I was there. It got so bad toward the end of this chemotherapy that they would take the kids overnight so that they didn’t have to see me sick. Everyone has been wonderful.

DS: What has your journey meant to you and your family?

LR: It has brought our family so much closer, even cousins. It has brought all of our families much closer. It didn’t have to be cancer that caused it, but it’s still a good thing.

My priorities in life have changed, as well. I always used to be a workaholic, but when the kids came, and I got sick at the same time, everything changed. But I’m okay with that. I’d much rather be home and see them grow.

DS: What would you want other men and women of screening age, who are hesitant to get a colonoscopy, to know?

LR: It’s very important to realize that it does not have to be genetic. It can happen to anyone at any time; it’s happening in younger people more and more. Yes, the prep sucks, but it’s getting better; if you’re young, and you can handle it, do it.

DS: What are some words of advice that you would give to someone who just received their cancer diagnosis today?

LR: I’ve actually had this conversation frequently. There have been times where the physician I work with will ask me to come into the room if he’s giving a cancer diagnosis so that I can talk to the patients after he leaves.

Sometimes people who are newly diagnosed get into a mindset of ‘Okay, I’m going to do A, B, and C, and then I will be cured.’ But that’s rarely the case. You are going to take one

“It’s very important to realize that [colon cancer] does not have to be genetic. It can happen to anyone at any time; it’s happening in younger people more and more.”

— Lauren Ricottone, colon cancer survivor

step forward and two steps back. You might get redirected onto another path, but you just need to keep moving forward, and sometimes it’s really hard to do.

Lauren is still battling her colon cancer. Her hopes for the future change by the day, but one thing remains the same. “I honestly hope I can see my kids grow up…that’s the biggest thing. I would love to see them be teenagers,” she said. Lauren’s perseverance and determination to not only survive her cancer but not let it hinder her career, motherhood, or daily routine is nothing short of astonishing. It is increasingly important for people under the typical screening age to be aware of their risk for developing colon cancer and know the signs and symptoms that may point to a developing issue. Deven Stopa is Director Visit coloncancercoalition. of Digital org/get-educated to find out how on-time screenings and timely evaluation of symptoms can help Marketing at Physicians Endoscopy (PE). She can be reached at eradicate this disease. dstopa@endocenters.com.

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