Linda Fairchild
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Linda Fairchild's father had died from colon cancer a month before she herself was diagnosed with the disease in 1995. Linda followed the advice of her doctors and had surgery and chemotherapy. The first round of chemotherapy never made her lose her hair or have any severe side effects, although she did have some nausea.
About three years later, Linda had blood tests which came back abnormal, signaling the return of the colon cancer. She was given the option of having colostomy surgery, but refused it. She had another course of chemotherapy, which went much like the first course had.
In the summer of 2001, a tumor was found in Linda’s bladder. She had the colostomy surgery this time, with more chemotherapy. Linda also had radiation therapy, since the doctors couldn't remove the tumor in her bladder.
Three months after finishing these treatments, on Christmas Eve of 2001, Linda was told that the cancer had spread to her liver.
Linda said, "I started to receive mega-doses of chemotherapy. With this, I lost my hair, was very weak, disoriented and I couldn't eat, so I was severely malnourished. I diminished to 89 pounds, and many of my friends saw me in a losing battle." She also had severe diarrhea that her doctor claimed was from the chemotherapy.
Linda's friend Susan saw an advertisement for Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) and sent for a brochure. The nearest center, CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) in Zion, Illinois, was about three hours away. At first, Linda was reluctant to try anything new.
"I was too caught up in my illness at the time to really see how bad things were," Linda said. "Susan encouraged me to go to CTCA to see what they could offer me."
"I finally agreed to go to CTCA. When I told my oncologist this, he was first against it. But then, he said I should go because he couldn't do anything more for me. He never led me to believe this before."
"I was now handed a note saying he believed I would never work again and I had a limited life span. This came down like a rock on my head."
"I was so grateful at this point to have set up my appointment at CTCA, but I was scared," Linda said.
Linda was admitted to CTCA in April 2002, fed intravenously and treated for a parasitic infection that was the real cause of her diarrhea. She was also given fractionated doses of chemotherapy (four different drugs) over five days, in an intra-arterial procedure that delivered chemotherapy directly to the liver.
"After the five days of treatment, I was a little nauseated, tired and out of sorts, but I had a better quality of life for the next three weeks between treatments." Her weight was 100 pounds (up from 89 pounds) by the end of the three weeks.
By the end of her second series of treatments, the tumor was no longer visible on scans and her blood tests were near normal. She continued to receive nutrition intravenously for the next three months, until her weight returned to normal.
"I was determined to beat cancer. I also took comfort in speaking with the ministry at Midwestern. Today I still take various vitamins that I get through CTCA, do a lot of walking, keep an optimistic attitude, and appreciate the gift of life everyday."
Linda returned to work in November 2002. Her friend Susan says that Linda "looks great!" They both volunteer with CTCA, helping encourage other people with cancer.
"The local doctor who did my surgeries was amazed after seeing me a year later," Linda said. "He could not believe how healthy I was."
Linda's advice for us? "You can't be afraid to live with a serious illness. If you do, then dying becomes easy. Living is so much harder, but if you take a chance on fighting to live and believe in yourself, then the possibilities are endless."
