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Why would anyone suddenly bleed internally … especially at age 33?
That's a question Paul Cox was asking himself six years ago as he and his wife, Paula, raced to the Emergency Treatment Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
The answer was downright shocking.
It came during emergency surgery to stop the bleeding. UI trauma surgeon Lucy Wibbenmeyer, MD, unexpectedly discovered a softball size tumor in his colon.
Wibbenmeyer successfully removed the tumor so that was good news.
Still, concerns remained that the cancer might have spread. Those concerns were justified after a biopsy by oncologists at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. The biopsy revealed that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and three lesions were found in his liver.
Shockingly, Cox was facing highly advanced, Stage IV colon cancer at a very young age. His odds for survival were about 5 percent.
Despite the dire prognosis, Holden oncologists developed a treatment plan they believed would help beat the odds.
Remarkably, after undergoing a round of chemotherapy once a week for three months, Cox showed signs of a full recovery. In fact, six years have passed with no sign of recurrence.
Today he feels great and lives a normal life. The frequent CT scans and colonoscopies now occur once every couple of years.
His UI oncologist, Daniel Berg, MD, says the prognosis for a continued normal life is high—especially given Cox's commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
After treatment, Cox began walking for exercise, which led to running and, eventually, his participation in marathons. He feels healthy and recently experienced the thrill of seeing his five-year-old son start kindergarten.
Looking back, Cox realizes the signs and symptoms of trouble were there, even though he didn't recognize them at the time.
"I had been very wrapped up in pursuing my PhD in German at The University of Iowa," he explains. "It was very, very stressful and I didn't take very good care of myself. My body had actually felt like it was falling apart for a year, but I had just passed it off as stress-related."
After his bout with cancer, Cox re-evaluated his priorities and decided against completing the requirement for a doctoral degree.
Instead, with the support of UI faculty, he became a full-time academic advisor at UI. He also serves as a teaching assistant in the German Department.
"I owe my life to the cancer specialists at UI," he says. "I deeply appreciate the efforts of everyone, including the nursing staff in the chemotherapy suite and the inpatient unit. They were just excellent."
Cox hopes his story of survival will inspire others with cancer.
"It was a little frustrating when we first began researching information about colon cancer," he admits. "It seemed like everything was aimed at older people. Yet there I was, facing a scary prognosis, and I was only 33."
The lesson learned, he says, is that people of all ages with cancer should believe in their ability to survive, regardless of the diagnosis.
"You shouldn't feel alone. People with cancer are getting better care than they ever did before. There is reason for encouragement and hope."
For more information about the multidisciplinary patient care provided by Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, patients and family members should call UI Health Access at 800-777-8442.
For consultation or referral, physicians should call UI Consult.
—Michael Sondergard
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