Photo caption: Crystal Hunter with her grandchildren.<\/i><\/p>\n
Crystal Hunter, a bubbly person with an infectious personality, is a leader in her family. In 2021 when her very first colonoscopy discovered that she had colon cancer, she was understandably shocked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always the strong one in the family,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0a go-getter, the one who gets things done.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0the one who takes care of people. The hardest part of having the cancer was my self-identity, because suddenly I was the who needed someone to help care for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s is a regional leader in the prevention,\u00a0diagnosis\u00a0and treatment of colon cancer with a dedicated, compassionate team of gastroenterologists, surgeons and cancer specialists committed to providing high quality care and advanced treatment options.<\/p>\n
Crystal, 49 at the time, chose St. Luke\u2019s gastroenterologist Caitlin Foley, MD, for that colonoscopy.<\/p>\n
Crystal had the cancer surgically removed and was treated with chemotherapy. Colonoscopies since then show her to be cancer-free.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can cure it,\u201d Dr. Foley said of colorectal cancer. \u201cSometimes we can cure it with surgery, sometimes we must cure it with surgery and chemotherapy or radiation, but we know if we catch it early, we can cure it.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why it is so important to get screened and not ignore any potential symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crystal almost ignored her symptoms. She took iron supplements for a mild case of iron deficiency and experienced constipation that she chalked up to taking the iron supplements and not drinking enough water. But then she experienced rectal bleeding, and reported it to her primary care physician, who recommended the colonoscopy.<\/p>\n
After her recovery, Crystal noticed that some other aches and pains she described as stomach issues simply disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing I would tell people is to take an active part in your healthcare,\u201d she said. \u201cBe candid with your physician. Something you may not think is important may be a sign of a bigger problem. Dr. Foley was wonderful\u00a0with\u00a0me, and she pulled out information about me that I barely thought about. She allowed me to be myself. Even after my colonoscopy when the diagnosis came back, she was mindful of and attentive to my response. Her bedside manner is commendable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crystal lives in Bethlehem, but works at a school in East Orange, N.J. She has three children, seven grandchildren, and is raising two of the grandchildren. The entire time she battled through cancer, she pushed herself to take her grandchildren to and from the school bus stop, but says she is now mobile without fatigue and can run up and down the stairs like a two-year-old.<\/p>\n
“Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that we can prevent from developing into a more serious form,\u201d Dr. Foley said. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0the reason we recommend colon cancer screenings. Colon cancer starts as a pre-cancerous polyp called an adenoma, and we can find them when they are\u00a0very small\u00a0and remove them during a colonoscopy so that they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0get a chance to grow into cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Foley praised Crystal\u2019s outlook and enthusiasm to not just deal with the cancer, but to reach back and help others.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how passionate she\u2019s been with giving back from the experience, willing to help other people and raise awareness to get a colonoscopy for a screening to help prevent colon cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
About St. Luke\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872,\u00a0St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 300+ outpatient sites.\u00a0 With annual net revenue of $3.4 billion, the Network\u2019s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke\u2019s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke\u2019s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.\u00a0 In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus.\u00a0 It also operates the nation\u2019s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 45 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 400 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, opened the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.<\/p>\n SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare\u2019s\u00a0five-star<\/em>\u00a0ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.\u00a0 It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades\u00a0Top Hospital<\/em>\u00a0and a Newsweek World\u2019s\u00a0Best Hospital<\/em>.\u00a0 The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the\u00a0100 Top Major Teaching Hospital<\/em>\u00a0designation from Fortune\/PINC AI 11 times total and eight years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.\u00a0 In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was identified as one of the\u00a015 Top Health Systems<\/em>\u00a0nationally.\u00a0 Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the\u00a0Most Wired<\/em>\u00a0award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. \u00a0The Network is also recognized as one of the state\u2019s lowest cost providers.<\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: Photo caption: Crystal Hunter with her grandchildren. Crystal Hunter, a bubbly person with an infectious personality, is a leader in her family. In 2021 when her very first colonoscopy discovered that she had colon cancer, she was understandably shocked. \u201cI was always the strong one in the family,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0a go-getter, the one who … Continue reading When the Caregiver Needs Care: Early Detection Helped Woman Beat Colorectal Cancer<\/span>
\nSam Kennedy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"