Don’t Let Cancer Own You
Going in for a routine colonoscopy in the summer of 2010, Dennis never imagined he would receive a Stage 2 Rectal Cancer diagnosis just three days later. He had no symptoms, so it truly felt like just another health screening at the time. After the results came in, however, his Gastroenterologist referred him to CBCC for cancer treatment. Between local care with his medical team at CBCC and its strong partnership with UCLA, he had his tumor removed and lives happily cancer free as an advocate for regular check-ups and the survivor community.
Getting Through Treatment
When he first got the call from his Gastroenterologist, Dennis’ world was instantly turned upside down. Thankfully, he received some tough love from his mother telling him to, “Suck it up. Get on and get done with it,” which shifted his perspective to set goals for himself, staying positive that he would get through this with and for his family.
As a loving husband and father, Dennis still had many milestones that he wanted to be around for, “I still had things to do, like see my son graduate high school, and walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding.” He also didn’t want his parents to feel the loss of a child, “I couldn’t die because it would kill my parents, too.”
Through chemo and radiation therapy, Dennis’s mother (a retired nurse) would accompany him to his appointments and marvel at the state-of-the-art technology and peaceful artwork CBCC offered patients, reassuring them that he was truly under the best care possible.
Life as a Survivor
In 2025, Dennis celebrated 10 years of remission and continues to keep up with routine check-ups and cancer screenings. Reflecting on his journey, he wishes he had completed his colonoscopy sooner; thus driving him to speak up about the importance of health checks and routine cancer screenings. Dennis advocates that it is better to get the suggested screenings and kick out the cancer early rather than avoiding it and letting it get worse inside your body.
Additionally, Dennis makes it a point to share his story with others. He makes an effort to de-stigmatize and take the fear or shame out of living life with a colostomy bag in a light hearted way. Dennis states, “I like to show others ways I live with my bag. I still swim all the time…and I appreciate not having to stand in lines for an Andys’ Gump (portable toilet).”
Dennis feels blessed for the way that his diagnosis helped him appreciate the simple things “like seeing the sunrise and set.” He has since celebrated many key milestones with his family and feels fortunate to be around for their ongoing successes and all that’s next to come. Dennis is thankful for CBCC and his medical care team for helping him overcome difficult times and creating a warm environment for him and his family during treatment and beyond.
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Cancer
Colorectal Cancer Survivor
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Diagnosed
August 2010
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Treating Physician
Madan Mukhopadhyay, MD,
Shawn Shambaugh, MD &
Giridhar Gorla, MD
