94 Days in a Hospice Ward: How I Fought for a Cure for My Wife with Lynch Syndrome Across 8 Hospitals | Patient Story

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Author丨Chanchan

Editor丨Chanchan

Reviewer丨Guangguang

Lazy Sheep and his wife's story began with a chance meeting on QQ in 2005. At 17, he came to Hangzhou for work and met a 19-year-old girl from Weifang, Shandong, who traveled to join him. There were no grand vows, just 20 years of steadfast companionship. From having nothing to buying a home in Hangzhou, their two daughters grew up. His wife worked 12-hour night shifts in a factory for 13 years, never spending a penny unnecessarily, yet keeping their home perfectly organized. "She endured half a lifetime of hardship with me, enjoying little comfort. I always thought I'd let her rest once life got better," Lazy Sheep says. He never expected that instead of "better days," they would face "late-stage cancer."

Her body had actually sent early warning signs. Over a decade ago, she suffered from unexplained anemia, but the root cause was never found. Lazy Sheep later learned that long-term chronic anemia is one of the most obvious early signs of colon cancer.

[His wife and Lazy Sheep before her illness]

In May 2024, his wife began experiencing nausea, vomiting, and loose stools. Her weight, originally over 150 jin, quietly dropped by 30 jin in half a year. "She always talked about wanting to lose weight, so I didn't pay much attention. Later, she felt weak walking and couldn't stand straight due to upper abdominal pain. I accompanied her to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, where the doctor ordered a gastroscopy and colonoscopy," Lazy Sheep recalls.

Because Lazy Sheep was busy with work and his eldest daughter was working a summer job, his wife went to the hospital alone. Without family accompaniment and hoping to save money, she secretly canceled the colonoscopy and only had a gastroscopy. The results showed "chronic non-atrophic gastritis," and the doctor prescribed omeprazole and mecobalamin. For the next several months, she took her medication regularly, but her symptoms worsened instead of improving: she couldn't eat, vomited immediately after eating, her periods stopped, and she became skin and bones. "She even joked with me, asking if it was menopause. I was foolish enough to believe her at the time."

In February 2025, after the Spring Festival, her condition had deteriorated to the point where she could barely walk. Yet, she still forced herself to work night shifts until she completely collapsed. Lazy Sheep quickly took her to Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where doctors ordered tumor marker tests, a gastroscopy and colonoscopy, and a contrast-enhanced CT scan of the entire abdomen.

"This time, I stayed by her side throughout the colonoscopy. When the doctor called me to the office for the report, I had a premonition that something serious was happening," Lazy Sheep says. The colonoscopy indicated a colonic space-occupying lesion, suspected carcinoma. Biopsy pathology revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and immunohistochemistry showed MLH1(-) and PMS2(-), indicating dMMR (deficient mismatch repair). Imaging reports showed thickening of the colonic hepatic flexure wall, luminal narrowing, unclear boundaries with the adjacent pancreas and gastroduodenum, partial involvement of the superior mesenteric vein, abnormal enhancement of the liver parenchyma, and multiple nodular shadows in the mesentery, suggesting lymph node metastasis. The doctor determined the clinical stage as cT4bN2M1, Stage IV.

[February 2025 Colonoscopy and Contrast-Enhanced Abdominal CT Report]

[Immunohistochemistry Results]

"The doctor said 'ca' on the report meant cancer. My legs went weak on the spot, and tears wouldn't stop flowing," Lazy Sheep recalls. Forcing himself to stay calm, he returned to the ward and only told his wife, "You have benign polyps in your intestines. This hospital can't treat it, so we'll go to a specialized hospital. You'll get better soon." He wanted to hide the worst news to give her a little courage to keep going.

After the diagnosis, Lazy Sheep's first thought was "cut out the tumor." He took his wife to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, hoping a specialized center would bring a turning point. However, multiple surgeons refused: "There's already peritoneal metastasis involving the stomach, duodenum, and pancreatic head. Surgery can't remove it completely, and she wouldn't survive. Go to the internal medicine department."

Lazy Sheep then moved to the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Department under the Medical Oncology Department at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. The doctor prescribed a single immunotherapy regimen: tislelizumab. "The doctor said dMMR patients have a high response rate to immunotherapy and a better prognosis. To ensure accurate treatment and considering our financial situation, they also recommended genetic testing at five key loci," Lazy Sheep explains.

Genetic testing revealed an MLH1 germline mutation. Combined with her family history, his wife was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome. This is one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, affecting about 1 in 300 people. Patients face a 50%-80% risk of colorectal cancer and a 40%-60% risk of endometrial cancer.

"Her grandmother passed away from colon cancer at 59, and her aunt had endometrial cancer followed by colon cancer," Lazy Sheep realized. "So this disease is hereditary."

On February 27, 2025, his wife began tislelizumab monotherapy, completing the second dose on March 20. Just as Lazy Sheep thought treatment was on track, an unexpected complication arose.

On April 2, she began experiencing recurrent bowel obstructions, with unbearable abdominal pain, inability to pass gas or stool, and vomiting yellow fluid with a fecal odor. Worse still, his wife heard from the doctor that she was severely anemic, secretly chewed a few large dried red dates to nourish herself, unknowingly worsening the obstruction.

Every night from 10 PM to early morning, the pain struck like clockwork, and Lazy Sheep took her to the hospital repeatedly. The internal medicine doctors at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital opted for conservative treatment: gastrointestinal decompression, fasting, and IV saline and nutritional fluids. "But her condition didn't improve. Later, the doctor suggested switching to conventional chemotherapy, saying 'stronger drugs will shrink the tumor faster and resolve the obstruction,'" Lazy Sheep recalls. By then, he had joined the "Panda Group" (a patient support community). Fellow patients said chemotherapy is less effective than immunotherapy for dMMR patients. He shared this with the doctor but faced resistance: "If you want to listen to patient groups, don't come to me."

"Not long after, the doctor said internal medicine beds were tight and told us to discharge quickly." In desperation, Lazy Sheep moved his wife to the emergency ward at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital to continue conservative treatment.

"At that time, I truly felt helpless, crying out to heaven and earth with no answer." At his wit's end, Xu Jiang, a volunteer from the Panda Group, suggested trying a surgical diversion to bypass the blocked tumor segment.

"I went from one surgeon to another at the provincial cancer hospital, but no one dared to take on this 'mess,'" Lazy Sheep recalls. His wife was nearing respiratory failure. Lying in bed, if she turned her head, fecal-tinged fluid would leak from her mouth. She even began arranging her affairs: "If I don't make it, find someone else. Don't suffer for me."

After Lazy Sheep's repeated pleas, Director Zhu from the Colorectal Surgery Department at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital finally agreed to operate. Given the critical situation, on April 14, before all tests were complete, Director Zhu scheduled an emergency surgery. "During the operation, the doctor spoke to me three times, saying the abdominal cavity was full of feces. If peritonitis developed, she might not survive the surgery. He told me to prepare for the worst with my family," Lazy Sheep says, signing the consent forms while holding back tears.

[Surgical Summary: Jejunum-Jejunum Bypass and Ileum-Transverse Colon Bypass]

Fortunately, the surgery was successful, temporarily relieving the obstruction. But the calm lasted only a week. After her tubes were removed and she was discharged, she developed persistent high fevers and was referred to Hangzhou Hospital of Zhejiang Medical & Health Group (Hangzhou Hanggang Hospital) for recuperation. "The doctor there took one look and said, 'Late-stage cancer has no hope.' They only gave daily IV antibiotics, ignoring the tumor entirely." Soon, the obstruction recurred. Lazy Sheep called an ambulance at midnight, took his wife to the emergency department at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU) for IV fluids, and drove back to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital at dawn.

"We were like migratory birds then, going wherever would take us in. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU)'s emergency department had no beds, so she had to sit for IVs. Zhejiang Cancer Hospital's emergency ward had beds where she could lie down and rest," Lazy Sheep says.

After learning from the Panda Group that Director Yuan from SAHZU's Medical Oncology Department specializes in treating dMMR cancer patients, Lazy Sheep returned to SAHZU. On April 22, Director Yuan initiated an MDT (Multidisciplinary Team consultation). After reviewing the scans, Director Wang from Radiology gave a crucial conclusion: "The solid components of the lesion have significantly decreased. Consider edema-related pseudoprogression. Treatment is effective." "This was the first time we saw clear hope. Previously, doctors at the provincial cancer hospital assessed 'insignificant tumor shrinkage.' Now I realize it was a difference in imaging interpretation skills."

[SAHZU MDT Consultation Results]

The MDT recommended continuing immunotherapy, suggesting dual immunotherapy if conditions allowed. "The doctor left the medication choice to me. At the time, I thought imported and expensive meant better. Even though two years of imported dual immunotherapy would cost 210,000 RMB, creating huge pressure, I decided to go all in."

On May 10, his wife received her first "O+Y" dual immunotherapy: nivolumab plus ipilimumab.

Less than a week after returning home from the dual immunotherapy, she developed persistent high fevers. "Her belly felt hot to the touch, like 'tumor fever,'" Lazy Sheep says. He took her to the nearest Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. After a week in the infectious disease department, aside from IV electrolytes and anti-inflammatories, there was nothing more they could do. The doctor patted his shoulder and said, "Try to accept it. Take her home."

Refusing to accept fate, Lazy Sheep repeatedly contacted Director Yuan's team at SAHZU and finally secured a bed. But as soon as they returned, his wife developed "delirium." "It was like a seizure. She went mad, biting and screaming uncontrollably, her limbs unresponsive. The doctors investigated for a long time without finding a cause, finally concluding that long-term antibiotic use might have damaged her nerves or caused metabolic disturbances, triggering delirium," Lazy Sheep says.

In the early hours, the doctor brought a critical condition notice for Lazy Sheep to sign. His family had already called an ambulance, waiting to take her home "to pass away peacefully with her last breath." But Lazy Sheep firmly refused. "I just thought I hadn't even seen the attending doctor yet. I couldn't take her home like that. I held her and kept saying, 'Wait a little longer. It'll be better when dawn breaks. I won't give up on you, so don't give up on yourself.'"

Perhaps by some unseen grace, the next day, her delirium subsided, and she regained consciousness. But a new crisis followed immediately: an enterocutaneous fistula developed. The surgical incision tore open by two to three centimeters, and stool leaked from the wound, even revealing undigested vegetable leaves. "The doctors initiated another MDT, but this time there was no conclusion. They only said, 'The abdominal wall has an infected sinus tract draining pus. Surgery isn't an option. Just let her recuperate.'"

[Yellow Fecal Fluid Leaking from Surgical Incision]

This time, after a 37-day hospitalization at SAHZU, they were referred to Hangzhou Cancer Hospital to "recuperate."

「 Part 5:94 Days "Waiting to Die" in a "Hospice" Ward 」

They stayed for 94 days in what Lazy Sheep calls a "hospice" ward. "Every day was just IV anti-inflammatories. The abdominal wall abscesses required constant puncture and drainage. As soon as one healed, another would leak. Her belly was covered in large holes, and the incision eventually stretched to four or five centimeters," Lazy Sheep says.

Around day 60, her skin turned pale and yellow, and she fell into a coma-like sleep. Her body felt cold to the touch. The doctor again advised him to give up. His mother-in-law completely broke down: "Let it go. Don't let her suffer anymore." His brother-in-law and even his daughter said, "There's no hope. Save some money." By then, their old house in their hometown had been cleared out, waiting to bring her back to "wait for death."

[His Wife's Belly Covered in "Holes"]

Only Lazy Sheep kept holding on. "She once told me she wanted to die in Hangzhou. She was so strong; how could I give up? She stayed with me when I had nothing. I certainly couldn't abandon her in her darkest hour. Even if I had to sell everything, give my all, even if there was only a 0.01% chance, I would fight to the end."

For those 94 days, Lazy Sheep lived a two-point life between the construction site and the hospital. He worked tirelessly at the site during the day to earn money, then rushed to the hospital at 5 PM to care for her, changing her ostomy bag, wiping her down, and chatting to keep her spirits up. He gritted his teeth to pay 680 RMB for high-concentration albumin infusions for her, repeatedly asking doctors for blood transfusions, while he ate the cheapest boxed meals himself, unwilling to even buy a bottle of mineral water.

On September 16, after two contrast-enhanced CT scans at Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Lazy Sheep sent the reports online to Director Wang at SAHZU's Radiology Department for evaluation, hoping for a miracle. The response was uplifting: "After dual immunotherapy for colon cancer, the tumor has basically disappeared, possibly approaching CR (clinical complete response). There is still abdominal wall infection with multiple sinus tracts and small abscesses. Multiple slightly enlarged lymph nodes in the mesentery and retroperitoneum are likely inflammatory. Continue irrigation and anti-inflammatory treatment."

But back to reality, "the doctors at Hangzhou Cancer Hospital lacked the equipment to irrigate the infection." Watching his wife's body deteriorate, he felt powerless. "The doctors just kept saying 'let her recuperate.' Lazy Sheep thought, 'I can't just sit and wait for death. I must try a better hospital.'"

The decision to go to Shanghai faced opposition from the whole family. "They thought treatment in Shanghai would be too expensive. My mother-in-law said don't go without 2 million RMB, and my wife said don't go without 400,000 RMB, fearing I'd exhaust her to death." But he had made up his mind: "Hangzhou hospitals have no solutions. Director Han from the Panda Group suggested I try Shanghai. I'll make one last effort. If it fails, I'll accept fate."

On October 8, 2025, Lazy Sheep drove overnight from Hangzhou to Shanghai. Unable to reserve hospital parking, he parked in a basement three kilometers away. To save money for his wife's treatment, he curled up in the car and dozed for a few hours. "There were many mosquitoes in summer. I couldn't sleep from bites, so at 2 or 3 AM, I'd go to the hospital emergency room and sit on a metal chair, 'waiting out the night like a hawk.'"

Early the next morning, he first consulted Director Zheng from the General Surgery Department at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. "I heard he's known as 'Shanghai's First Scalpel,' but after reviewing the medical records, he refused outright. He told me, 'Top doctors at SAHZU have already seen you. Whoever created this mess, go find them. I can't solve it.'"

Disappointed but undeterred, he rushed to Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center to see Professor Liu from the Colorectal Surgery Department. "I mentioned the Panda Group and Director Han. Professor Liu was very kind. He said, 'Your wife's tumor is well-controlled. It would be a tragedy if she succumbed to the fistula.'" Since Professor Liu didn't specialize in fistula treatment, he recommended experts and hospitals in the field: Director Yin at Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital (Shanghai Tenth Hospital) and Nanjing General Hospital.

"I called the service desk at Shanghai Tenth Hospital, and unexpectedly, they connected me directly to Director Yin. He told me to come in the afternoon. After hanging up, how could I think about lunch? I grabbed the medical records and reports and rushed over." At the hospital, Lazy Sheep, thinking "try anything as a last resort," told the doctor: "We've been to five hospitals in Hangzhou. Surgeons refused us, internists turned us away... We're truly at our wit's end. Whether you can cure my wife or not, we won't complain a single word. We will fully cooperate with you!"

"Director Yin took the documents. The consulting room was so quiet I could hear my heartbeat," Lazy Sheep says. After a long pause, he looked up and said, "The situation is indeed quite severe, but we can try." Just those few words made my legs go weak, nearly bringing me to my knees. Finally, there was hope.

That day, Lazy Sheep returned to Hangzhou to wait for bed availability. Restless, he tried adding Director Yin on WeChat. Unexpectedly, he was accepted instantly, and Director Yin also sent the phone number of his assistant, Dr. Wu. Dr. Wu immediately replied: "Beds are available. Come whenever you're ready."

On October 10, just one day after the consultation, Lazy Sheep drove his wife to Shanghai. "She was vomiting, incontinent, and her intestines were still leaking in the car. I drove carefully, chatting and encouraging her along the way. After over two hours, we finally arrived." What moved them deeply was that before they even reached Shanghai, the hospital bed was already arranged.

[His wife, nearly 1.6 meters tall, weighed only 70 jin before surgery]

The doctors here gave Lazy Sheep a completely different feeling: "They didn't create anxiety. They just said, 'It's not that severe,' and encouraged us." After admission, doctors conducted comprehensive examinations and strengthened preoperative nutritional support, administering albumin, blood transfusions, and double-lumen tube irrigation for the abdominal wall abscesses. "Sometimes there wasn't time for anesthesia before punctures. My wife cried out in pain, but the doctors said she was tougher than most men."

Preoperative colonoscopy showed the tumor completely blocking the intestines, just as at diagnosis. However, biopsy pathology revealed no cancer cells, only inflammatory hyperplasia. "Immunotherapy really worked. The cancer cells were destroyed, leaving only solid scar tissue," Lazy Sheep says.

At 7:20 AM on October 22, his wife was wheeled into the operating room. During surgery, extensive abdominal adhesions were lysed, the intestines were carefully arranged, the duodenal and colonic fistulas were successfully repaired, and abdominal abscesses were cleared. A temporary ileostomy was also created to reduce pressure on intestinal healing.Lazy Sheep and his mother-in-law waited outside the OR all day. Midway through, Director Yin showed them the surgical specimen: a basin full of bloody tissue.

At 5 PM, his wife was finally wheeled out, with 12 drainage tubes attached. As the anesthesia wore off, she struggled to blink at Lazy Sheep. "That single simple gesture made all my grievances, anxiety, and fear vanish in that moment," Lazy Sheep says.

[His Wife After Leaving the Operating Room]

After five days in the ICU, she was successfully transferred to a general ward. The final pathology report showed: chronic inflammation and erosion of the colonic mucosa; acute and chronic inflammation of the abdominal wall sinus tract; chronic inflammation and erosion of the duodenal fistula mucosa. "In other words, there were no cancer cells in the removed tissue, only inflammation and hyperplasia. She achieved pCR (pathological complete response). She's really cured! The pathologists were so surprised they specifically called the lead surgeon to confirm, saying, 'This patient has no cancer cells,'" Lazy Sheep says, sharing the good news with all the relatives and friends who helped him.

[Postoperative Final Pathology Report]

「 Part 8:Returning to Normal Life, Follow-ups All Normal 」

During the 28-day hospitalization in Shanghai, the total cost exceeded 150,000 RMB. After medical insurance reimbursement, they only paid a few tens of thousands. "Later, critical illness insurance kicked in, and the reimbursement rate increased, making the financial pressure much lighter than we expected." During this time, Lazy Sheep learned to operate a feeding pump and change ostomy bags: "I hired a caregiver for nine days, recorded videos to learn, and now I can change the bags quickly and well."

[His Reborn Wife and Lazy Sheep Presenting a Silk Banner to Doctors at Shanghai Tenth Hospital]

Upon discharge, she still had a duodenal drainage tube and a nasogastric tube. Lazy Sheep rented a feeding pump, bought nutritional fluids, and brought her back to Hangzhou Cancer Hospital for recuperation. "The doctors were amazed at her condition, saying they never expected us to return alive from Shanghai." Director Yuan's team from SAHZU also visited them, saying they "came to witness a miracle."

[His Wife Weighed Only 70 Jin Right After Surgery]

On December 9, during a follow-up in Shanghai, his wife successfully had her last drainage tube removed. Follow-up results in Hangzhou on January 5 also showed that CT scans, tumor markers, and blood counts were basically normal, with only mild abnormalities in liver and kidney function. Her weight rebounded from 70 jin before surgery to over 100 jin.

[January 5 CT Scan Report]

[January 5 Tumor Marker Test Report]

The couple's life returned to normal. Lazy Sheep wakes up at 6 AM daily to cook breakfast for his wife, changes her ostomy bag every three to four days, and spends evenings chatting and walking with her after work. "Now she can eat porridge, noodles, and steamed eggs. As long as it's not hard or spicy, she can try it. Her small intestine is shorter than others', so she eats more frequent meals to slowly rebuild nutrition. I used to always think about overtime and making money. Now, I just want to spend more time with her."

「 Part 9:"Without the Panda Group, I Might Have Given Up Long Ago" 」

Looking back on the year-long cancer journey, Lazy Sheep is filled with emotion. "My mortgage is over 9,000 RMB a month. I applied for a two-year extension, paying only interest. I borrowed nearly 200,000 RMB from relatives and friends. My father even gave his retirement savings and 'coffin money.' I maxed out credit cards and Huabei, and even considered selling my car and house," Lazy Sheep says. During this time, he visited eight hospitals, facing misdiagnoses and rejections, moving from single to dual immunotherapy, enduring bowel obstructions, fistulas, respiratory failure, and delirium. He was told countless times "there's no hope" and signed countless critical condition notices.

"Without the Panda Group, I might have given up long ago." At his most lost, he accidentally came across the Panda Group's official account and joined the Hangzhou local group and the Lynch syndrome group.

"It's a community full of love and strength. Every day there's good news: someone achieves pCR (pathological complete response), someone achieves cCR (clinical complete response). Seeing everyone encourage each other slowly gave me confidence." He bore all the pressure alone, facing family misunderstanding, doctors advising him to give up, and heavy financial burdens. But seeing the good news from group members, he never considered turning back.

There are too many warm "family members" in the group. Volunteer Xu Jiang enthusiastically recommended hospitals. Sheng Jiang contacted doctors everywhere to secure treatment opportunities. Aiyu had many private phone calls with him, answering questions. They also helped Lazy Sheep clarify the key reasons for fistula formation: the intestinal wall became fragile due to long-term tumor invasion; after dual immunotherapy, the tumor shrank rapidly before the wall could heal; combined with previous gastrointestinal bypass surgery altering intestinal structure, these multiple factors ultimately caused the fistula. "They told me fistulas are not incurable and encouraged me not to blindly trust individual doctors' 'death sentences.'"

Lazy Sheep began frantically studying medical knowledge, from dMMR and Lynch syndrome to immunotherapy side effects, looking up every term he didn't understand. "Later, when I communicated with doctors, I could answer fluently. They were amazed at how much a family member knew."

Now, Lazy Sheep has become a "light bearer" in the Panda Group. He shares his experience with fellow patients and recommends those with fistulas to Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital: "An auntie from Harbin had surgery with the doctor I recommended, and she's recovering very well now."

「 Part 10:Echoes of Love and Perseverance 」

"I used to think buying a car and a house meant success. Now I realize those are just illusions. A home exists only when there are people. When she was sick, I even thought about trading my life for her health," Lazy Sheep says. He still remembers the shocking "holes" on his wife's belly; remembers spending the night in a parking lot to save money, yet holding onto the hope of seeing a doctor the next day; remembers every agonizing minute and second outside the operating room. And he will never forget the first words she said upon waking: "I'm still alive. I didn't drag you down."

For the future, Lazy Sheep has few extravagant demands: "I just want to earn more money, pay off debts early, let my wife recuperate properly, and wait for the successful stoma reversal surgery after the New Year. She didn't enjoy comfort in the first half of her life. In the second half, I will do everything I can to give her a good life, free from so much hardship."

Their story is a miracle of love and perseverance. At the boundaries of medicine, in the desperate straits of fate, Lazy Sheep, with an ordinary person's dedication and deep affection, fought against the cruelty of late-stage cancer. Amid the "predestined" tragedy of Lynch syndrome, he pieced together a "miracle of life" that brought his family back together.

Behind this miracle also lies the benevolent hands of doctors, the warm support of volunteers, and the convergence of all kindness and love. "Thank you to every medical staff member at Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital. Your unwavering determination and exquisite skills gave my wife a second life. Thank you to the Panda Group, Director Han, Xu Jiang, Sheng Jiang, Aiyu, and all volunteers and fellow patients who accompanied us through our darkest times," Lazy Sheep says.

Finally, he wants to tell all patients and families: Life may be fragile, but love and perseverance are the most unbreakable armor. A miracle is simply another name for "never giving up, never letting go."

All content in this article is based on the oral account of the patient's family and does not represent the views of this official account.

To protect patient privacy, names in the article are pseudonyms.
Images containing the patient's portrait have been authorized by the patient and may not be used without permission.