I'm Claudia Makowski from Mount Clemens, Michigan, and currently I'm 67 years old. I have four children, 20 grandchildren, and four or five great-grands…sometimes I'm confused on that. And I'm also the co-founder of a movement called Anal Cancer Awareness Day.

I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal, stage 4, and I was 47. I wish more people knew that if you're experiencing blood back there, if you're experiencing pain, if you have a change in bowel habits, if you're experiencing itching, if you're, if you can feel a lump, those are all symptoms of anal cancer, but you need to go see your doctor. You really do, because it can save your life. You always have to speak up for yourself. You always have to. And if you don't like something, go to another doctor or seek a second opinion. And if those doctors try to tell you something different, you know your own body. They don't. They're not going through it. You know what you're going through. So, that's why you should look for a team that you feel confident with that will help you on your journey to fight this disease.

I was never hesitant to go speak to any doctors cause I knew something was wrong with my body if something wasn't right. And so that's why I kept on seeking out a doctor until I could find one that was willing to work with me and help my diagnosis of this rare disease.