When Lauren Marler began having disturbing symptoms at the age of 15, she somehow knew it was cancer. After some research, she realized she was right. But that was just the beginning of her horrific cancer journey. Marler's doctors discovered that what she had was truly unlucky—but she's still here to tell her tale.
In 2005, Marler noticed blood in her stool; she was too embarrassed to tell anyone. For two years she kept silent. "I looked up my symptoms and knew I had all the signs for colon cancer," she says. "However, my mom thought I was overreacting." Eventually, the doctor she visited confirmed she had a colon cancer at the age of 17.
"The doctor said that I needed to get to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre immediately," Marler recalls. There she met with Miguel RodriguezBigas, who removed Marler's entire colon and almost all of her rectum(直肠).
But just nine months later, the cancer returned. "When my mom told me, I just felt like, 'You've got to be kidding me. I just want to be a normal kid.'" After another surgery, three months of chemotherapy(化疗), Marler believed that her cancer battles had to be over.
Then, during a routine scan to ensure that she was still in remission(重病的缓解期)five years later, 23yearold Marler got a call. "The doctor called to tell me that the scan showed a spot in my uterus(子宫)and it was endometrial cancer, anaggressiveone. We went back to MD Anderson to meet with Pedro T. Ramirez, who recommended a full hysterectomy(子宫切除)."
Puzzled by Marler's history, Dr. Rodriguez-Bigas recommended that she get genetic testing. The testing revealed the bad news: Marler had an incredibly rare disorder called CMMRD. Dr. Rodriguez-Bigas explained that the disorder makes a person likely to suffer from different cancers. There is no treatment for the disorder, only preventive care—primarily regular scans to catch any developing cancers early. Armed with an answer for the grief and suffering she had endured for the past decade of her life, Marler actually felt a sense of relief. "It's heartbreaking, but at least I have an answer."
Three years later, Marler was unable to shake what she thought was sinus infection(鼻窦感染). Marler's mother knew something wasn't right when Marler refused to go back to the hospital because of the level of pain she felt.
On this trip to the hospital, Marler was admitted and scanned. "I couldn't believe it was happening again. The medical test showed that it was lymphoma(淋巴瘤), one of the hardest types to treat. The doctors told me the treatment was going to be so painful that I would hate them by the time it was over. They were right." Marler endured six different types of chemotherapy at the same time, one of which was delivered through her spinal cord. She was required to be admitted to the hospital every other week for six days. "I was so weak that I couldn't get off my couch. I lost all of my hair, and I had severe body aches，" she recalls.
Today, at 28, Marler is once again in remission—something she definitely doesn't take for granted. She credits her family for her ability to endure her repeated battles with a smile. She says, "I laugh a lot. That's one thing my family does really well—we can find the humour in any situation. I've always found a way to laugh. I do worry about what's next, but I can't let it consume me. I've learned to live with it."
