William Hurst
Wolfe County High School, 17 years old
Our Scars
As a young child, I always wondered if I would have a scar on my stomach like my father. My father’s
family has a very high prevalence of colon cancer. His grandfather died at age 38 with the disease. My
father was diagnosed with colon cancer in January 1993 at the age of 38, and his younger brother was
given the same diagnosis the following year when he was 38. My paternal grandfather was 60 before
the disease was found in him. This is because my family has a genetic disorder known as Lynch
Syndrome.
It is possible to be tested to determine if a person has the defective gene for Lynch Syndrome. My first
cousin was tested after his father, my uncle, went through a second surgery for colon cancer in which
his entire colon, bladder and prostrate were removed. My cousin does have the defective gene. So I
knew someday I would need to be tested and screened, but I was still very young and thought it would
be much later before that was necessary.
My mother always asked the doctor each year when my father went for his annual colonoscopy how
soon their children should be screened. The answer at first was at least 10 years prior to the onset of
the parent’s occurrence. Then the answer became at least by age 25, but maybe as early as age 20. No
one said age 16.
During the spring and summer of 2012, I began having severe pain in the center of my stomach and
had extremely low energy. At first, my family thought it was just typical teenage boy behavior, but then
on August 20, 2012 I went to visit my family doctor and learned that my hemoglobin was about half of
the level of a normal teenager. My family doctor told my mother that I needed a blood transfusion
immediately and asked which hospital she wanted to take me.
Fearing the worst, my mom took me to Central Baptist because that is where my dad’s and his
brother’s oncologist is located. After performing a CT scan, the doctor came in to tell my mother and
me that I was being transferred to University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital because they would be
better equipped to handle whatever my issue was. We were not told if the CT scan revealed anything,
but was given a copy to take with us to UK Children’s.
Upon arriving at UK, some blood was drawn to check my levels of iron, Vitamin D, hemoglobin, etc. I
was then given an iron pill to see if my body could absorb it. After a few hours, the blood test was
repeated and my iron level had increased. The pediatrician told my mother that the risks of a blood
transfusion outweighed the benefits; therefore, I did not receive a transfusion. I was kept overnight
and discharged the next morning with a diagnosis of severe iron deficiency anemia. I was told to
change my eating habits and to take iron and Vitamin D pills.
I felt better for a few months, but then around the end of December, my symptoms started showing up
again, not as severe at first, but kept increasing. I went back to my family doctor a few days before
Easter. Once again, my hemoglobin was extremely low and the doctor suggested a transfusion.
Knowing that UK did not do it in August, he told my parents to take me to Cincinnati Children’s in
hopes that the cause of my problems could be found.
We arrived at Cincinnati Children’s on April 1, 2013, the first day of my spring break from school. After
a couple of days of initial testing, I was being prepped for my first colonoscopy, which was to occur on
April 4. What the doctors found was so very devastating for my family. There was a tumor three inches
in diameter, about the size of an orange, almost completely blocking my colon. Sind the doctors had
been unable to extract enough live tissue from the tumor to test for malignancy, a second colonoscopy
was performed two days later. The tumor was malignant. My surgery was scheduled for April 10.
I could not believe it, all that wondering about the scars. Now I was actually facing it. Then came the
decision of how much of my colon to extract. My parents allowed me to participate in deciding. The
surgeon explained the pros and cons of each procedure. I decided to take the recommendation of the
majority of the consulting doctors and had 85% of my colon removed. I spent another 10 days in the
hospital and then what seemed like an eternity before getting the results of my lymph nodes.
The cancer had not gone outside my colon. My liver, lungs and bladder were all fine. The nearly 100
lymph nodes also tested negative for cancer. I would not have to receive chemotherapy because it
would not reduce the risk of reoccurrence. Regular screenings would now become part of my life.
I went for my six-month check last week. Everything appears to be fine at this point. I have now
decided to take one day at a time. Be thankful for the early diagnosis, the skill of the doctors and the
love and support from my family and friends. So many people reached out to offer support, even
people that did not know me. It has helped me realize how much we all need each other.
I do carry the Lynch Syndrome gene, but it does not define me. However, it has changed my view of
whether to have children. That decision will come later depending upon where my life takes me. There
will always be that lingering fear of my child wondering if he or she will have a scar like Daddy, but it
won’t be their scar, it will be our scar.