¿Ves algo que mejorar? Propón un cambio.
Mark A. began smoking as a teenager to fit in with friends — at 18 or 19, he recalls, friends mean a lot. It was a choice he deeply regrets. He smoked about a pack a day until 2009, when he developed rectal cancer. His story is part of CDC's Tips From Former Smokers® campaign.
Diagnosis
At 42, with a wife and young daughter to support, Mark faced the fight of his life. Rectal cancer is a type of colorectal cancer, and all cancers in this group are more common in people who smoke. His first signs were changes in his bowel habits — strong urges, constipation and traces of blood.
His doctor ordered a colonoscopy, an exam of the colon using a tiny video camera. Watching the monitor, Mark saw the tumor himself and realized he had cancer and could die. Everything, he says, came to a grinding halt.
Treatment
| Treatment | Radiation, chemotherapy and surgery to remove parts of his lower colon and rectum, over many months |
| Ostomy | For about six months, a bag attached to an opening in his abdomen collected waste |
Mark says the ostomy was absolutely necessary — the alternative was dying — and he would make the same choice again.
Years of trying to quit
Mark joined the Air Force at 19 and began to see smoking differently there: in the field, a light from a cigarette could give away a position to the enemy. He tried switching to snuff, served two tours in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and went back and forth between cigarettes and smokeless tobacco as his addiction held on.
He quit for good soon after his diagnosis, wanting to do everything he could to get well. The first two weeks were very hard. What helped was thinking of himself as a nonsmoker: rather than fighting cravings, he acknowledged nicotine would feel good but reminded himself he wasn't a drug user anymore — and soon the cravings faded.
His message
When he shared his story, Mark had been cancer-free for five years. He urges regular colorectal cancer screening and seeing a doctor about any symptoms. And he hopes his story moves people — especially the young — to quit as soon as possible: the health effects people assume will never happen to them, he warns, really do happen.
Free help to quit
Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, text QUITNOW to 333888, or visit CDC's Quit Smoking pages or Smokefree.gov.
Sources
Based on "Mark A.'s Story," Tips From Former Smokers® campaign, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain; rewritten in hubnx's own words.
Licencia: CC0 1.0 (dominio público) · Adaptado de www.cdc.gov
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