Arlington Heights resident Susan Duchek was 62 before she had her first colonoscopy. She hopes her story will inspire others not to wait so long for their potentially lifesaving screening exam.
A healthy, active real estate professional, Duchek decided 2022 was going to be the year she got everything checked out. A cologuard test came back with elevated counts indicating the need for more thorough screening and Duchek started to worry.
“I’m so sorry, you have a mass,” Duchek was told immediately after her colonoscopy at Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital. “Life came crashing down hard, but I went into go mode,” she recalled.
Duchek and her husband met with colon and rectal surgeon Scott Pinchot, MD, who determined that the tumor in her rectum had breached the organ wall and would benefit from radiation and chemotherapy to shrink it before surgery.
“Dr. Pinchot became the conductor of the process. He was so kind, and his nurse navigator Brenda (O’Brien) was fantastic,” said Duchek, who needed a team of specialists to help her beat the locally advanced cancer which had reached her uterus, appendix and small intestine.
She had 28 days of radiation and chemotherapy before undergoing massive surgery to remove the tumor, uterus, appendix and a section of her small intestine, leaving her with a temporary ileostomy and an arduous uphill recovery.
Duchek had to heal from the surgery before she could begin grueling chemotherapy treatment and have the ileostomy reversed. While it was an incredibly tough time, she remained upbeat and grateful for her excellent care and fantastic support system.
“My husband was an absolute saint, and I could not have done this without him. He didn’t miss a single appointment,” said Duchek, who also credits her children, a terrifically supportive friend group, and extended community with helping her get through the most trying days and her cancer journey.
Her plan included eight chemotherapy infusion treatments, but as her blood pressure crashed, severe dehydration required hospitalizations and her weight dropped precipitously — she lost 50 pounds —her physicians decided six sessions were enough.
Finally in July 2023 with treatment behind her, Duchek could focus on healing. She is still working on her stamina, but Duchek feels good and is officially in remission.
“It can be overwhelming for patients, but she really waged war like a superhero and had a very supportive family,” said Dr. Pinchot.
The multidisciplinary team of oncology specialists worked together to come up with a plan of treatment before her surgery and were gratified to be able to get her to the other side, he added.
“Without my team from Northwest Community Hospital my story could have been very different. From beginning to end I cannot say one negative thing about my care. To have a truly caring and committed team of doctors and their staff made all the difference,” said Duchek.
Duchek said an “overwhelming sense of gratitude and a need to do something with the gift of surviving” prompted her to wage a successful advocacy campaign encouraging others to get screened for colon cancer. Reaching out to her large professional network, she and a team of others made compelling social media posts throughout March for Colon Cancer Awareness Month and sold shirts to raise funds for cancer care. The groups’ videos captured thousands of views and Duchek counts eight personal friends among those who got their first colonoscopy following the campaign.
“The goal for screening colonoscopies is to pick up the polyps before they grow and become cancerous,” said Dr. Pinchot, who praised Duchek for becoming an advocate. Colonoscopy screening should begin at age 45 or earlier for those with higher risk.
“I didn’t get tested till later in the game and it almost cost me everything,” said Duchek.
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