March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Meet Todd Russell, Light Brigade Instructor, Extraordinaire & Colorectal Cancer Survivor

Todd enjoying life and being outdoors post-cancer.

My name is Todd Russell. I am your average middle-aged guy. I grew up in the seventies and eighties. That probably tells you a great deal about me. Yes, that’s right; I grew up listening to the best music while driving the coolest cars; and sporting great hair. I spent my career working in the telecommunication outside plant world. My life was long nights, cold hands and wet feet. I like to think I held my own in life. Well, that is what I thought.

Every year for a few years before April, my primary care physician requested that I have a colonoscopy. Every year I managed to avoid that process. Until April of 2023. On April 4th, 2023, I was diagnosed with stage IV Colorectal Cancer (CRC).  My oncologist sat with my wife and I as he explained a new reality. I was told they can cure up to stage III; stage IV they can only treat.

I had a main tumor lower in my colon and a small tumor on one lung. The five-year relative survival rate is 15.6 percent. I would be remiss if I didn’t confess that a yearly colonoscopy would have caught earlier or even eliminated my diagnosis completely.

Things happened very quickly for me after that day. I was scheduled to begin radiation treatments. 28 rounds of High dose Radiation combined with a type of oral chemotherapy. Shortly after that I underwent Microwave ablation for the nodule (Met) on my lung. What could/should have been a quick overnight stay and go home turned into more than 20 days in the hospital. It happens, and of course it happened to me. Finally, a few weeks after feeling better from the lung ablation I began FOLFOX infusion chemo. A pump was connected to me, and I was sent home. 48 hours later I would return to have the pump removed. This happened every other week for a dozen weeks.

My main tumor did respond positively; just not completely. After healing from the infusion Chemo for a few weeks I was scheduled for surgery to remove the main tumor. There are a few different procedures for this process. The desire is always to remove cancer while preserving normal bowel control. Due to where my tumor was, I was referred to the head of the colorectal surgery depart at UMass Memorial Hospital.

On February 21st, 2024, I underwent my surgery. The best-case scenario would be Low Anterior Resection (LAR) surgery, while the worst-case scenario would be Abdominoperineal resection (APR). If my tumor could be removed and muscle control preserved LAR would remove the tumor and possibly give me a temporary ileostomy. If muscle control could not be preserved due to tumor invasion my operation would migrate to APR. This would be the complete removal of bowel function and result in permanent colostomy. However, even LAR would forever affect my control and quality of life.

As I lay waiting for my surgery to begin, I reflected on the statement from my oncologist months before. I remember thinking; hold my beer! I’m going to beat this. My surgeon, the best at what he does visiting on his way into the operating room. I told him he had an important job. Get the cancer out of me. Period! If it meant I would have a permanent colostomy, so be it.

Well, I awoke with a permanent colostomy. As it turned out I had two tumors. One small aggressive tumor directly behind my main tumor. APR surgery was my only option. Today I am living and learning to live with a colostomy. Yes, my life has changed a little; but I am back eating and feeling good. I am back to work at Light Brigade teaching the next generation of fiber splicers. I get to spend valuable time with my loving wife, my three children, and most importantly my three grandchildren that worship Grampy. Rightfully so!

I truly hope my story might do one or two things. Maybe someone reading this will schedule the colonoscopy they have been avoiding. Or maybe someone else that is battling the third biggest killer behind lung cancer and prostate cancer gets some hope for the future.

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About National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. It has grown to be a rallying point for the colorectal cancer community where thousands of patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates throughout the country join together to spread awareness by wearing blue on March 7th, holding fundraising and education events, talking with friends and family about screening, passing out brochures, and so much more.

There will be 154,270 new cases of colorectal cancer in 2025.

Colorectal cancer is the preventable cancer when caught early. The fact is, routine screening is recognized as the most effective way to reduce risk, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force says screening should begin at age 45 for average-risk individuals.

Visit getscreened.org for your personal screening recommendation

www.colorectalcancer.org

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