WALKERTOWN, N.C. — Colon cancer is known to be an older person's disease. Typical patients are diagnosed in their 50's, 60's and 70's. WFMY News 2's Julie Luck was diagnosed at 50 in late January but patients are getting younger. The late Black Panthers star, Chadwick Boseman, was diagnosed at 39. This is the story of a Triad patient who was younger than that.
Kenny and Christian Eisenhauer of Walkertown met in their early 20's. For Kenny, he knew she was the one early on in their relationship.
"I saw her and started pursuing her ever since. I was ready to propose eight months later," said Kenny Eisenhauer.
The two met in 2008 and got married two years later. It was smooth sailing for the next decade filled with vacations across the state and the country. Lasting memories were also made at home in the Triad. Their relationship continuously grew stronger over the years.
"I'm not gonna say any marriage is perfect but this is as perfect as it's going to get for me," said Kenny.
A change in course in 2021 when the couple encountered their most difficult obstacle. Christian inexplicably collapsed at work. A three-week hospital stay later determined she had colon cancer.
"To go from being healthy, working out, and eating well to stage four cancer with little to no symptoms and no family history. It's a lot and it can be overwhelming at times," said Christian in a video recording.
Christian was diagnosed at the age of 36 when she became a part of an alarming trend. Experts say a growing number of colorectal cancer patients are younger than they ever were before. Last year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age to start getting screened from 50 to 45. Dr. Henry Danis, gastroenterologist and medical director of LeBauer Endoscopy Center in Greensboro says the rise in cases is shocking.
"It is alarming, it really is and what's particularly alarming is when you find it on people who had symptoms that were not highly suspicious."
The American Cancer Society says colorectal cancer rates have been increasing since the mid-1980s in adults ages 20-39 years and since the mid-1990s in adults ages 40-54 years, with younger age groups experiencing the steepest increase. Experts don't know what's causing the rise in colon cancer in younger patients, but there are many risk factors including obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, smoking, and moderate to heavy alcohol use. Other factors that you can't control are a family history of colorectal polyps or cancer, a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, and inherited syndromes.
"I know there are pressing questions as to why we're seeing more colorectal cancer and young people and gosh we wish we knew but we probably won't know for a long time," said Dr. Danis.
Christian's cancer journey was also filled with uncertainty. She blogged about her battle and its many ups and downs on christianeisenhauer.blogspot.com.
"I was the last person anyone expected this to happen to, so why did that happen to me and there's no answer for that," Christian said in a recording in July 2021.
She also helped other cancer patients, like WFMY News 2's Julie Luck. Christian gave advice, shared treatment tips, and explained what to expect. In one of numerous Instagram messages, she wrote to Julie, "I never want to scare anyone, but I think the truth just helps you be better prepared."
After numerous rounds of chemotherapy and two surgeries on her liver and colon, Christian's pain turned to progress to a party in honor of her final treatment.
"Recovery is going really well. I'm feeling really good and I'm thankful for that. I can try to start getting back to a normal life and maybe going back to work," said Christian in a video blog in January 2022.
Celebrations turned to sadness just one month later when two tiny spots showed up on her lungs and metastasized.
"She went from clean to quarters in her liver and dimes in her lungs that weren't there 30 days ago. I'm like we've got a serious problem now like this is growing and spreading and this is going nuts," said Kenny.
More rounds of chemotherapy, different drugs, and experimental medications couldn't stop the cancer. Christian blogged about her prognosis in July 2022.
"That's what I'm going to focus on now, Christian wrote. "Spending time with the people that I love and making memories with them with the time I have left. It could be a couple of weeks. It could be a couple of months I'm not entirely sure but if I had to guess I would say it's probably not that long."
Three weeks after posting the video, Christian lost her life. She passed away on August 9, 2022, after battling cancer for nearly a year and a half. She was 38.
Kenny is now alone in their Walkertown home where he and Christian planned to grow old together.
"That's one of the hardest things about it is being in the house and it's empty and it's just me," said Kenny.
He's a widower at the age of 34 who's now finding a new path. The love of his life is already at her final destination.
"I just want you to know that God still has a plan for me. I know where I'm going and I'm thankful when I get there I won't have to deal with cancer anymore," said Christian in her final blog video.
There's a message she and her family wanted to get out. For researchers to better understand why younger people are getting diagnosed and to raise awareness about the importance of getting screened. Colonoscopies can save lives by finding and removing pre-cancerous polyps before they turn into cancer. If colorectal cancer is caught early, the 5-year survival rate is at least 90 percent according to the American Cancer Society. One in three people are not up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening. The organization Fight Colorectal Cancer says 60% of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented with screening. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.