Terrell Cleare: ‘I’m living proof’

As her ninth year post-successful colorectal cancer surgery approaches, Terrell Cleare, 50, still thinks about being diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer and what she went through to save her life. Today, she expresses gratitude daily, but admits March, which is recognized as colorectal cancer awareness month, is special to her and reminds her that she can be an inspiration to others.

“I can tell my story. I’m living proof that this is survivable,” said Cleare who was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer at age 42.

“Every day of my life I thank God that I’ve come this far and to be cancer-free. To live my life is thanking God that I’m here, because a lot of people aren’t here to speak about their journey, and I’m living proof,” said Cleare.

Cleare was diagnosed on Thursday, July 31, 2012, after having a colonoscopy performed by Dr. Eugene Marcus Cooper at GastroCare Bahamas. Two days later, she underwent a nine-hour surgery to remove the softball-sized tumor from her colon.

“I didn’t waste any time with making any decisions. I think because I had my surgery right away, it saved me,” she said.

Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The colon is the large intestine or large bowel. The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.

Sometimes, abnormal growths, called polyps, form in the colon or rectum. Over time, some polyps may turn into cancer. Precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer don’t always cause symptoms, especially at first.

Colorectal symptoms include blood in or on stool (bowel movement), stomach pains, aches or cramps that don’t go away, and unexplained weight loss.

Before Cleare was diagnosed, she suffered constipation – sometimes for weeks at a time, as well as severe stomach cramps. She treated her symptoms by taking laxatives in search of relief. She became concerned when she began to see blood in her stools.

At her diagnosis, Cleare was outside the CDC regular screening age, which they recommend should begin at age 50 as key to preventing colorectal cancer. People younger than age 50 who think they may be at high risk of getting colorectal cancer, should speak to their medical professional about being screened.

Without a family history of the disease, Cleare had no reason to be screened early.

“I had the polyps from I was in my 30s and never even thought about a colonoscopy in my 30s. When I reached my early 40s, I started to have symptoms. If I had done it in my 30s, I could have discovered the polyps early and had them taken out before they were even cancerous.”

In an earlier interview with The Nassau Guardian, Cooper, who gave Cleare her colonoscopy, said internationally, the recommendation as to when screening should start in people of color is age 45, as people of African descent are presenting with a more aggressive disease at a younger age.

“We have some evidence to suggest that people of African descent present at an earlier age but at a later stage [and] the likelihood of a cure is very low when you get to stage three and stage four,” said the doctor.

After Cleare was diagnosed eight years before the suggested screening age, she believes if a person has concerns, they should seek to be screened and not wait.

People who should be screened earlier, according to the CDC, are those who have a close relative or have had colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer. Also, a person who has had an inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; or has a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome), or if a person has had colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer.

Cleare vividly recalls being told by doctors that after they removed her tumor, she might not have any colon left to use the bathroom normally. And being told that she would have to make use of a colostomy bag – a plastic bag that collects fecal matter from the digestive tract through an opening in the abdominal wall – for the rest of her life.

She said she remembers thinking at that time that if she wouldn’t be able to go to the bathroom again normally that she didn’t think she could have survived that.

But after the tumor was cut out, there was a way to save a small piece of her colon, which allows Cleare to still go to the bathroom naturally and regularly.

She also did six rounds of radiation and 12 rounds of chemotherapy.

Over the years, she ensured that she had her follow-up colonoscopies and physicals as scheduled, and has been given a clean bill of health since.

“I feel that everything is fine with me because I haven’t had problems going to the bathroom. I sometimes still worry if I have a little problem, but I haven’t come this far for nothing. I try to take all the negativity out of my mind, and pray about it because I know God will answer my prayers.”

Cleare is due for a checkup this year. At her last checkup, Cleare said she opted to be put to sleep for the few minutes a camera was inserted into her colon to have a look around to see if any polyps have developed. She said if they see any, they remove it immediately during the checkup.

In a colonoscopy, the doctor uses a long, thin, flexible, lighted tube to check for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and the entire colon. The colonoscopy is also used as a follow-up test if anything unusual is found.

Besides the colonoscopy, several other screening tests can be used to find polyps or colorectal cancer – stool tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and a CT colonography.

According to health officials, there is no single best test for any person, and each test has advantages and disadvantages. People are encouraged to talk to their doctor about the pros and cons of each test. The one they decide on will be chalked up to a patient’s preference, medical condition, likelihood they will get the test, and resources available for testing and following up.

Screening tests can find polyps, so they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage when treatment works best.

The CDC suggests that among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. And that every year, about 140,000 people in the US get colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 people die of it.

In The Bahamas, where the propensity is toward a high fat, low in fiber diet, Cooper said between 2012 and 2018, he was diagnosing 150 new cases of colon cancer a year.

Some protective measures he said people can take include eating a healthy diet and taking vitamin D and folic acid, which he said have been found to reduce the risk of polyps and colon cancer.

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