Keeping the faith – A message from a colon cancer patient
Faith is what gives William Hudson strength. The 64-year-old Kansas City native discovered last year that he has colon cancer, after coming to University Health due to issues with a hernia. A CT scan discovered his cancer.
“I have to have that (faith). It keeps my sanity,” Hudson said.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 153,020 people in the United States received a diagnosis colon or rectal cancer in 2023. Awareness is important because many cases of cancer of the colon or rectum are preventable. Screening by colonoscopy can prevent the cancer. A colonoscopy can also detect the cancer in early stages, when treatment is more likely to be successful.
Hudson receives regular chemotherapy treatments at the Richard & Annette Bloch Cancer Center at University Health. Along with the treatments, he believes the compassionate care he receives from staff is also healing. “Everyone has been very supportive,” he said.
Hudson encourages everyone to keep up with regular appointments with your doctors. The retired warehouse production assistant offers simple advice to anyone dealing with a cancer diagnosis. “Stay encouraged. This may seem like a bad situation, but try to turn it over and receive peace and rest,” Hudson said.