Cancer Survivor Urges Others to ‘Pay Attention to Your Body’

When it comes to cancer awareness months, Denielle Rosebrock can check off having dealt with three:

• Neuroblastoma: Her son, Sam, was diagnosed as a child and is now a healthy 13-year-old.
• Lymphoma: Her father, Dennis, survived that battle and is still alive.
• Colon: Herself.

Denielle found out on October 28, 2020, that she had a tumor in her colon. “When they said it was cancer, I was mad. I mean, I was furious,” she said. “I thought are you kidding me? I’d just gone through two bouts of cancer with my son and my dad had cancer, too. Now I had Stage 3 colon cancer.”

Stage 3 means the cancer had spread to lymph nodes near her colon but not to other parts of her body. At 44, Denielle thought she was too young to have colon cancer. She thought she might have an ulcer and visited her primary care doctor. 

“I am physically active, and overall my health was good,” she said. “I got more concerned when I couldn’t walk as far with my friend as I usually did, and my stomach hurt.”

With March being Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Denielle has one message: “Pay attention to what your body is telling you. I think people write things off, and we don’t listen to our bodies, or we don’t want to. Colon cancer is on the rise, showing up more in younger people.”

Recent research from the American Cancer Society found a sharp rise in colorectal cancer rates among adults in their 20s and 30s; in fact, a person born in 1990 has double the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared with people born in 1950.

“We now call for colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 45 if you’re at average risk,” says Dr. Gerald Mank, a gastroenterologist at Blue Ridge Digestive Health. “If you’re at increased risk, based on a family history of colon cancer or other factors, you’ll want to start earlier, typically at age 40. No matter your age, if you have blood in your stool, weakness, fatigue, or a major change in your bowel habits, talk to your doctor.”

Denielle knows that conversation is uncomfortable but necessary. “Who wants to talk about their bowel movements with a stranger? Nobody,” she laughs. “As soon as I met Dr. Mank, I was comfortable with him. He’s a very good listener, and we just clicked. I worked up the courage to tell him I had passed some blood.”

In just three months, and during the pandemic, she went from having a colonoscopy, finding out there was a tumor, having surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes, and starting chemotherapy two weeks before Christmas. And she continued to work.

She faced most of her consultations and appointments alone since no one was allowed to accompany her during COVID. “Dr. Mank did bring in my mother, who had been waiting in the car for me to tell me the news about the tumor,” Denielle said. “It was an awful time to go through this. No one could visit.”

Dr. Eric Sevensma, a surgeon at UNC Health Blue Ridge, removed the tumor and placed the chemotherapy port that allowed her to receive the vital medicines. She visited the Cancer Center in Valdese frequently for infusion – six treatments involving 12 visits with a week off between each visit. She says she’s very fortunate that she could stay local for her treatment.

“I thought of all the things my son had been through,” she said. “I didn’t give him the option to quit, so I never gave myself that option.”

Lingering side effects from the chemotherapy include sensitivity to cold and neuropathy in her fingers and feet. “It wore on me,” she said. “I had pushed myself really, really hard to do it all and not miss anything. If anyone asked, I said everything was great. After I started chemotherapy, I worried about getting COVID while my immune system was depleted. I had a kid in middle school, a kid in high school, and my husband working full time. I was scared of getting COVID.”

Denielle ended up taking a year off from work, but today works as a kindergarten teacher’s assistant at Forest Hill Elementary School. Staying busy and on the move helps her with the side effects. “Sitting at a desk is very hard because when I sit a long time, my legs start to burn,” she said. “So you can imagine the kind of movement I get with kindergartners.”

She rang the bell at the Cancer Center, signaling the end of treatment on May 19, 2021. She has a colonoscopy every year, a CT scan every year, and blood work every six months.

“As of today, I feel good,” she said.