Self-advocating Through a Misdiagnosis
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My name is Mary. I’m a mother, a teacher, and I survived anal cancer.
I was told I had hemorrhoids for years because of having two children 16 months apart. I kept
going back to the doctor and asking them what was wrong, and I kept getting written off that
it was hemorrhoids.
Fast forward to 2020, I went in for a colonoscopy. A tumor was removed. They thought it was
a polyp, and then a few days later I was diagnosed with stage 3 anal cancer.
Sometimes you feel like your words are falling on deaf ears. I knew I had to be an advocate
for myself because of the symptoms I was experiencing.
My anal cancer was diagnosed at a later stage. It had already spread. And my advice is to
continue to advocate for yourself and find a medical team that will support you through this
journey.
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