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The Di erence a
Specialist Makes
Lisa Minuto is the kind of person who doesn’t
even take aspirin. All her life, she has been
exercising and eating healthy. Her family has no
alarming medical history. So when her health took
a nosedive, it caught her completely o guard.
H ave you lost weight?” It was just
three pounds—something only
a sister or close friend would
notice. Lisa Minuto has always
been fit and healthy. Still, she was pleased by
her sister’s comment last Thanksgiving. Within
a few weeks, however, it became clear the
weight loss was not a reason to celebrate, but
a warning sign things were about to get really Lisa and Greg Minuto enjoy time with their three
bad really fast. kids, Greg, Adam and Natalie, on a family vacation
Lisa started having discomfort in her to Block Island, Rhode Island.
abdomen throughout November and December
of . The symptoms came and went, and she
started to wonder if she was developing IBS or “From there everything happened super fast.”
colitis. As Christmastime drew near, the A CAT scan showed a narrowing in her colon.
episodes got worse and Lisa made an A colonoscopy failed because an obstruction
appointment with a gastroenterologist. prevented the instrument from passing. At last,
“But the day I went to the appointment a biopsy revealed the case of Lisa’s mysterious
I felt fine. I had no symptoms, I felt good and symptoms and weight loss: she had a malignant
looked good,” she recalls. The doctor was tumor in the lower part of her colon.
completely unconcerned and scheduled Lisa “I couldn’t believe this was happening to
for a colonoscopy for early February—six me—I still can’t believe it,” says Lisa. “I’ve never
weeks away. been sick my whole life. I’ve always worked
Lisa, who is not an alarmist by any means, out. We eat a healthy diet. I don’t take any
was alarmed. Six weeks seemed like too long medication, not even aspirin. One day I was
to wait. The doctor told her if she felt anxious, healthy; the next day I wasn’t.”
she could collect a stool sample and send it to
a lab for testing. She did, but before the “That’s Not Going to be Easy”
results even came back, Lisa ended up in the
emergency room. After hearing the diagnosis, Greg said what
Lisa was also thinking: “We have to get you
“One Day I Was Healthy; into Sloan Kettering.”
The Next Day I Wasn’t” “That’s not going to be easy,” Lisa replied.
Born and raised New Yorkers, Lisa and Greg
In early January, Lisa’s husband, Greg, found knew of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
her on the bathroom floor unable to get up, Center’s reputation for unparalleled cancer
he called an ambulance. treatment and research.
4 Healthnetwork Foundation | www.healthnetworkfoundation.org
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