Daniel Garza wears many hats — an actor, entertainer, HIV advocate, Reiki master, and an anal cancer survivor. He told SurvivorNet that he shares his cancer story because there are so many aspects of dealing with the disease that doctors just don’t discuss with you.
Daniel explained that he and his boyfriend were kind of baffled at the time of his diagnosis — and doctors weren’t really telling them what they should expect. “We weren’t sure what to look for, and they weren’t telling us what to look for, so it made the process very difficult,” Daniel said.
Read More RELATED: ANAL CANCER – STOP THE STIGMA He ended up having to have a colostomy — a treatment choice that saved his life, but came with a really permanent consequence (a colostomy bag). “In my head, it’s like making a deal with the devil, it’s like you have your life back, but you will forever be reminded why you have your life back,” Daniel said. That’s why, he said, he and his boyfriend try to share as much of their story as they can with anyone who is going through similar struggles. “I want people to know that regardless of what you go through, you can still thrive and survive,” he said. “Is it easy? No. But it has not been the most difficult thing in my life to be able to keep going.”
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