Thackston was simply shy of 40 and total wholesome. CT scans confirmed indicators of irritation and medical doctors suspected colitis or a disease-causing irritation within the digestive tract. A household physician urged a colonoscopy simply to make sure, however scheduled appointments had been postponed thrice because of the pandemic.
Thackston lastly had a colonoscopy in early Could 2020.
“I keep in mind being wheeled into the room after which all the sudden I wakened and I heard my surgeon say the phrase ‘biopsy,’ after which somebody coated my ears and mentioned ‘she’s awake,’ so I knew proper then one thing was up,” Thackston informed Fox Information.
“As they’re wheeling me out, I hear a nurse say the phrase ‘tumor’ to [my husband] and I turned to [the nurse] and mentioned ‘So I’ve a tumor?’ and she or he mentioned ‘Sure.’ And I mentioned ‘So, I’ve most cancers?’ It was only a shock like I can’t even describe.”
Thackston is pictured final month after a haircut. She misplaced most of her hair over the summer season because of malnutrition, not chemotherapy, she mentioned.
(Picture courtesy of Lindy Thackston)
Thackston mentioned she has no household historical past of colorectal most cancers, no danger elements and nothing odd got here again in genetic testing. It was round Mom’s Day in 2020 as Thackston anxiously awaited to listen to a prognosis and the stage of most cancers. Her son, Lachlan, was simply 4 on the time.
“While you hear you might have most cancers, I believe it’s simply pure to surprise for those who’re going to die from it,” she mentioned, reflecting on her motherhood. “It was simply actually laborious to have a look at him.”
Thackston and her household throughout a trip final February earlier than the prognosis, seen with husband, Christian Hogue and son Lachlan.
(Picture courtesy of Lindy Thackston)
A couple of week later, she was met with a stage 3 colorectal most cancers prognosis. Most cancers grew to become a “full-time job,” she mentioned, with day-long scans, bloodwork and cellphone calls to pharmacies, nurses, medical doctors and insurance coverage.
Oncologists began Thackston on six weeks of chemotherapy tablets and radiation 5 instances every week. After 15 days and nonetheless dealing with duties at FOX 59 Morning Information, Thackston left work sooner or later to endure a 24-day lengthy hospital keep, shedding her reminiscence for 3 weeks. She couldn’t recall her members of the family.
Thackston works as an early morning information anchor at Fox 59. Right here she’s pictured previous to her most cancers journey.
(Picture courtesy of Lindy Thackston)
She was out and in of the hospital all summer season with bowel blockages, dropping to about 95 kilos and shedding two-thirds of her hair. Thackston wanted to regain energy and weight in preparation for the surgical elimination of her tumor; she endured IV diet at dwelling for 18 hours every day. She underwent surgical procedure on August 24 to take away the tumor; about 8 inches of her colon and 41 lymph nodes. The most cancers was detected in a single lymph node, cascading to a so-called “clean-up chemo,” she defined.
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Thackston is pictured throughout a hospital keep. Regardless of her age, lack of danger elements and no household historical past of colorectal most cancers, she battled a stage 3 prognosis.
Shortly after the tumor was eliminated, nonetheless, Thackston underwent surgical procedure once more because of an inside bleed, necessitating a catheter and IV bag connected to her chest port for 17 days.
The therapy plan concerned 12 rounds of IV chemotherapy, however after 10 rounds, worsening uncomfortable side effects like extreme nausea, fatigue and gastrointestinal points and chilly sensitivity prompted the oncologist and affected person to comply with cease therapy. In mid-April, Thackston was capable of ring the bell on the oncology ward, celebrating the tip of her most cancers battle.
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“It felt surreal to ring the bell as a result of it’s one thing I’ve visualized your complete time,” she mentioned. “I additionally felt a whole lot of survivor’s guilt ringing it and taking a look at everybody nonetheless sitting there. It’s laborious with the chums I’ve made in chemo figuring out that they’re nonetheless there, and figuring out lots of people are in chemo for all times. So I felt grateful ringing it and I additionally felt responsible ringing it.”
In accordance with Dr. Christopher Leagre, radiation oncologist at Ascension Hospital in Indianapolis, who oversaw Thackston’s therapy, the five-year survival fee is about 70%, with most recurrences taking place inside 5 years.
He mentioned indicators and signs to look out for embrace blood within the stool, but in addition a persistent change in bowel habits.
“It was actually superb how that girl has fought by way of all the points that got here alongside the best way, and simply saved pushing ahead regardless of all of the challenges, the burden loss, how poorly she felt, she actually saved an incredible and good perspective, saved pushing ahead,” Leagre mentioned of Thackston. “And she or he all the time had a extremely good humorousness.”
Now effectively on her path to restoration, Thackston is making ready to return to work later this month, gearing as much as host an hour on FOX 59’s early morning information present and likewise function an announcer for the Indy 500 for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After an almost month-long hospital keep in June, Thackston was welcomed dwelling to flowers and items from colleagues at FOX 59 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and viewers.
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She’s present process acupuncture, reduce meat and dairy from her weight loss program to maintain irritation low, and can be doing remedy.
“This isn’t solely bodily horrible however a psychological problem you possibly can’t even put into phrases,” she mentioned.
Thackston now hosts a podcast, “Life with Lindy,” the place she fields questions on her most cancers journey and advocates her listeners to hunt medical consideration.
“Don’t be embarrassed by your signs,” she stresses. “Go get checked…In case your physician gained’t get a colonoscopy for you, discover a physician who will.”
The medical group has fearful that delayed most cancers screenings amid the pandemic may end in extra sufferers presenting with superior types of the illness sooner or later. Knowledge drawing on 2.7 million affected person information throughout 23 states indicated an 86-94% plummet in weekly preventative most cancers screenings carried out final spring in comparison with pre-pandemic figures, in keeping with an evaluation by EPIC Well being Analysis Community. By June, the variety of screenings for breast, colon and cervical most cancers improved however remained roughly one-third decrease in comparison with 2017-2019.
Thackston’s story comes as pointers launched this week referred to as for People to begin getting screened for colon most cancers earlier — at age 45 as a substitute of ready till they’re 50. The U.S. Preventive Companies Job Drive mentioned it is time for the change as a result of colorectal most cancers more and more is showing in youthful adults.
Colorectal most cancers is without doubt one of the nation’s main most cancers killers, claiming about 50,000 lives a 12 months. General, circumstances and deaths have inched down in recent times, thanks partly to screening checks that may spot tumors early — and even stop them by eradicating precancerous growths.
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The American Most cancers Society beforehand informed Fox Information that suppliers should not solely deal with the backlog of missed screenings but in addition prioritize sufferers vying for appointments, similar to these at larger danger for illness who want immediate or extra frequent screenings.
“I’ll admit I used to be irritated,” Thackston mentioned, reflecting again on her postponed appointments. “I do keep in mind the workplace lastly referred to as me to schedule the appointment and I informed them ‘I’ve most cancers,’ and the receptionist apologized again and again.”
“They do not know how lengthy I’ve had [cancer], however I’m grateful I bought the colonoscopy once I did, who is aware of once I would’ve been in stage 4 as a result of it had already unfold to lymph nodes.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
Kayla Rivas is a Well being reporter and joined Fox Information in April 2020.
