GALT, CA (MPG) - Many people might not know the term “ostomy” but a Galt resident and a retired nurse have made it their mission to change that.

Dan “Dry Dock” Shockley, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, is raising awareness of his rare disease by advocating for policy and legislation, supporting research opportunities and educating medical students.

He has teamed up with retired ostomy nurse Joyce Moss, who has more than 40 years of experience, to lead a campaign focused on early colon cancer detection and ostomy surgery.

Shockley served 22 years in the Navy, including during the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He retired at 43 after a career that took him to ports around the world.

In 2012, a routine checkup when Shockley was 51 revealed a life-altering diagnosis: attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis, or AFAP, a hereditary colon-cancer mutation. He had no symptoms or family history.

“Both sides of the Shockley family, we have no idea where it came from,” he said.

A colonoscopy at the VA hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, led to genetic testing at Tripler Army Medical Center, which confirmed the diagnosis. The mutation was first identified by the late Dr. Henry T. Lynch, regarded as the founding father of hereditary cancer research. Shockley even met Lynch, who reviewed his case.

 

Here is Dan “Dry Dock” Schockley, left, with the late Dr. Henry T. Lynch, regarded as the founding father of hereditary cancer research. Courtesy photo

Doctors told Shockley that surgery was the only option, since untreated polyps carried a 100% chance of developing into colon cancer. He needed an ileostomy, a surgerical procedure that creates an opening, or stoma, in the abdomen to allow waste to exit the body when the colon or rectum cannot function properly.

“My mindset is, I tend not to think about things I’m not able to control, such as medical issues, but I can control my positive attitude,” said Shockley.

Shockley leaned on his military mindset to face the diagnosis and the surgery’s lifelong implications.

“The Marines’ mantra is adapt, improvise and overcome,” he said. “When I got diagnosed, I immediately went into battle mode in a positive way because I wanted to be able to take this on.”

Shockley underwent a six-hour surgery to remove a large tumor and now lives with a permanent ostomy.

He joked with his doctors, asking, “Did you find everything you were looking for?” and used humor to positively cope with the situation.

Thirteen years later, Shockley no longer faces the threat of colon cancer and calls himself a hereditary colon cancer syndrome warrior.

“I go about my life like I don’t have it,” said Shockley

He continues long-term care at Stanford Cancer Center and undergoes surveillance every other year. Shockley also shares his story and genetic results with medical students nationwide at universities including Rutgers, Michigan, Vanderbilt and Stanford.

Shockley formed a close bond with Moss, his first ostomy nurse at the VA hospital in Mather. Together, they lead an awareness campaign to help reduce stigma around living with an ostomy and to emphasize the importance of early colon cancer detection.

Moss told The Galt Herald that there is a shortage of ostomy nurses, with about 6,000 nationwide compared to an estimated 750,000 to 1 million patients. Certified ostomy nurses, she said, prepare patients for the lifelong care required.

She emphasized that stigma could leave some patients feeling isolated, limiting themselves from social experiences.

“There are many ostomates who end up being homebound, not because of physics but because of emotion,” she said.

Moss also explained how the stigma often stems from cultural taboos.

“We don’t like to talk about the bathroom,” she said. “All of a sudden, you have this external pouch you’re wearing, and once you become accustomed to it, it very much becomes part of your life… it’s the fear of what others are going to think about it.”

A common problem is patients not knowing where to find help or what devices are available, Moss said, since every ostomate is different. Families might also be unprepared for aftercare, she said, recalling a veteran whose wife managed his care until she fell ill. Their adult children had never been taught to help their father who was an ostomate.

“So it’s a matter of sharing that part of yourself that other people may not understand,” Moss said. “There are lots of things that make it difficult to talk about and that’s the part that I think is really important, where people like Dan are really good about being open and sharing.”

 

Dan “Dry Dock” Schockley, left, is pictured with California State Senator Roger Niello. Courtesy photo

In 2023, Shockley’s advocacy led to a California Senate concurrent resolution recognizing Oct. 7 as Ostomy Awareness Day.

On June 23, Senate Concurrent Resolution 73 was passed to establish June 16 to 22 as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Awareness Week, the first in the country to pass as a resolution rather than a proclamation, Shockley said.

Sen. Roger Niello, who carried the resolution, said the effort is about compassion and visibility.

“It is important to foster understanding, reduce stigma and build a supportive community for those living with an ostomy,” Niello said. “With recognition such as this one, I hope people remember that compassion for our friends and neighbors with health challenges starts here at home.”

Niello credited Shockley for inspiring the resolution.

“Mr. Shockley is the one that reached out to me and educated me about World Ostomy Day and I was inspired by the strength and resilience of individuals like him,” Niello said. “Many quietly navigate life with courage, and honoring this mission is my way of standing beside them and helping others see the dignity in their journey.”

When asked what advice he would give to someone newly diagnosed or preparing for ostomy surgery, Shockley said to be proactive.

“Ask lots of questions and talk to the medical professionals that are readily available that know about it… You know the old saying, there is no such thing as a stupid question,” Shockley said.

He also advises patients to contact the United Ostomy Associations of America, which offers resources online and by phone.

Shockley said his goal is to continue raising awareness and destigmatizing ostomies, carrying forward the legacy of Dr. Lynch.

“He was still researching up until a month before he passed away,” Shockley said. “When he passed away, I decided my focus needed to be educating medical students, virtually or in person, to continue his legacy.”

Now, Shockley and Moss are working with Niello on a third state Senate resolution recognizing World Ostomy Day on Oct. 4, observed every three years on the first Saturday in October.

More information and resources are available at the Carmichael Ostomy Association at coaostomy.org and the United Ostomy Associations of America at ostomy.org.

 

Pictured is local colon cancer warrior and ostomy advocate Dan “Dry Dock” Schockley.