Inspiring Country Music Star: Wade Hayes

Country music artists and fans seem to take the cake for being the best and most down-to-earth. The songs can range from something serious to something you can just have a beer and dance to. And the country artist I'm making this week's Inspirational Person of the Week is down-to-earth and inspirational at the same time. He was diagnosed with Colon Cancer at the age of 42 and although he is now Cancer-free, he never lost his passion for making music.

I'm excited to say that I got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Country Music star, Wade Hayes, about his bout with Colon Cancer, his diagnosis, and how it's affected his songwriting.

Wade, I'm so excited to get to chat with you today. Fans love your music and have loved your performances for years, but what many may be surprised to find is that you were diagnosed with Colon Cancer. So talk to us a little bit about the moment you found out.

Well, thanks so much. So when I was 42 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. And I still remember when I found out crystal clear. It started the night before a show in Houston and the next day I was doubled over with severe abdominal pain. I made it to Houston, and made it to the show, but as soon as I got back home I went to the doctor and through a series of tests not only found out I had cancer but Stage 4 Colon Cancer.

Once you were diagnosed, were there any instances where you looked back on particular things with you body and thought maybe that was a symptom of the cancer?

Yes, I was experiencing lethargy and some minor bleeding and I had just attributed it all to heavy weight lifting and my hectic lifestyle of touring all over the country. I had even spoken to a medical friend of mine, and cancer didn't even cross our minds because I was younger and in very good physical condition with no family history, whatsoever.

Wow! So for you the news really came out of the blue.

Exactly. That's exactly what happened. There's no way we could have known this was going to happen. And I think there are absolutely more and more younger people being diagnosed these days.

So this is an instance where it's even more important to pay attention to your body and maybe even look into something like a colonoscopy before the recommended age of 50.

Absolutely. There are 140,000 Americans diagnosed with Colon Cancer each year. 1 in 5 of them are going to end with an advanced form of the disease like me. I would certainly encourage people that if there's anything that doesn't feel right at all to please talk to your doctor and get screened.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. What were some of the symptoms that you experienced that maybe someone who is reading this might be going through and hasn't yet figured out that it's Colon Cancer and should be of concern to motivate them to see their doctor?

Like we mentioned earlier, severe abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, some bleeding or lethargy. Also if you have a family history you certainly need to be screened. But again listen to your body and if something isn't feeling right, please see to your doctor. It's one of those things that you can make it and I just want to encourage that.

So how would you say this diagnosis and now being cancer-free has affected your music?

It's been a long journey. I remember going to my doctor, being diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer, and my doctor recommended a treatment regimen that included surgery, chemotherapy, and Avastin. I'm very proud to have partnered with GenTek to spread the word about advanced colon cancer and help people become educated and more aware of the disease.

It's changed my life dramatically this whole run, and I'm looking at life differently and writing new songs that are different and these days mean a lot more to me.

And I can see that in your song “Go Live Your Life”. I can imagine that experience of being diagnosed with colon cancer, going through treatment, and now being cancer-free that you really did learn to live life to the fullest.

Yes, and I appreciate you bringing that up. That song has an interesting story behind it. I remember being with my oncologist and getting the first test results back and we were sweating it. I had already been through two bouts with cancer with surgeries and chemotherapy, and this time we got the all clear. He looked at me and said “Now Go Live Your Life”. That really resonated with me and prompted me to write the song, and these days I am just trying to make the most of EVERY DAY.

Partnering with GenTek to spread the word has been very important to me. I would like to encourage people that if they've been diagnosed or have any questions at all to go to the Colon Cancer Alliance website, www.ccalliance.org.

I love the meaning of that title. That it's not just about living your life or following the YOLO trend, but it really did come from a personal place and the fact that it was pretty much a situation where your life was on the line. I love that the inspiration for the song was words from your doctor that resonated with you.

Well, that really can resonate to anybody. I would certainly say this to anyone. You had mentioned that this hit me out of the blue. We never know what's waiting right around the corner for us, and I'm just trying to make the most of every day sincerely and that's what the song is all about. Live your life.

Now in addition to those powerful words. What would be some advice that you have for someone struggling with colon cancer whether it's a diagnosis like yours or something similar?

What I did and what I would recommend to anyone is first of all, don't lose hope. If you are diagnosed with something like colon cancer or any disease, one of the best things you can do is be proactive and get educated about it. There's so much information out there. Like I mentioned, The Colon Cancer Alliance, www.ccalliance.org.

One more thing I would like to mention is to find a doctor that works for you. I had to go through a couple of doctors before I found the right fit for me and I'm convinced that's one of the reasons I'm still here.

And that's another reason why it's even more important for people to make sure that doctor is not only someone they can trust but someone who will take care of them to the fullest capacity and fortunately for you that was the case. I can't wait to hear more of your music and how something like this has touched future lyrics just like “Go Live Your Life” already has.

Brynn, thank you very much. I really sincerely appreciate that.

Thank you Wade, and thanks for talking with me today. Where can people go for more information about everything we talked about with colon cancer and then where can they go to stay updated with you?

The Colon Cancer Alliance website is www.ccalliance.org and to stay updated with me and my music you can go to my website, www.wadehayes.com and I'm also on Facebook as well.