Mother & Daughter Share Experience with Colon Cancer

They are hoping to bring awareness to topic in the community.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Strength and determination are two words that best describes the journey Amanda Houston and her mother overcame.

“Very up and down emotions,” said Houston.

At age 34 Amanda received the news every person regrets hearing.

“I had been experiencing some symptoms for a while and went in to receive a colonoscopy and they did find that I had did have a tumor in my colon,” the mother of 2 stated.

Doctors diagnosed her with stage II colon cancer but Amanda was able to beat it and is now in remission. Although she didn’t think the disease ran in her family, she urged her mother, Deb, to get screened.

“We realized my mom had not been screened for a colonoscopy and she was 60 at the time and she should’ve been screened many years prior,” Amanda said.

It was life-saving.

“At that time she too was discovered to have colon cancer,” Amanda mentioned.

The news was devastating to the family.

“So there we were celebrating my good news and then we were flipped into now dealing with my mother’s diagnosis,” Houston said.

Their story highlights the importance of families discussing colon cancer and knowing if it runs in the family. It also shows that anyone, at any age, can get colon cancer.

“You know if you are young you don’t know you’re family history or have some GI symptoms don’t dismiss it. It’s probably nothing and hopefully it is nothing but go get it check out to make sure,” stated Houston.

Amanda and her mom Deb are in good health.