StPeteMark
09-03-2005, 04:27 PM
I know Chelle is involved with breast cancer awareness, so I thought I'd provide a few words on colon cancer prevention.
When I was in high school, my father in his mid-50s was diagnosed with colon/rectal cancer. He had to have major surgery; although he lived until he was 80, he had to deal with unpleasant procedures every night.
Because of family history, my primary care doctor urged me to get a colonoscopy at age 45; I resisted, for fear of what they might find, until age 49...that was the year Katie Kouric's husband died young of colon cancer. Soon after, she did a special report on the Today Show about colon cancer and had a volunteer that allowed her to televise his colonoscopy live on the show. Well, that convince me!
In my first colonoscopy, they found one small polyp and removed it during the procedure...no further action required. Due to this and family history, that made me a candidate for a colonoscopy every 3 years. The second one was clean. I had my third one yesterday...like the first one, they removed one small polyp; doctor, however, wasn't concerned...will know for sure in a few weeks when the biopsy results are known.
If I had continued to resist this procedure, that first polyp would have continued to grow for the past 6 years and probably would have developed into full blown cancer and spread into other areas.
I telling my story to urge preventative screening after age 45...or younger if you have a family history of any internal cancer. If your doctor doesn't ask, please bring the topic up to him or her.
So far, I continue to be a survivor due to preventative screening. I wish and urge the same for all who fall into this or similar categories.
Good health rules!
Mark
When I was in high school, my father in his mid-50s was diagnosed with colon/rectal cancer. He had to have major surgery; although he lived until he was 80, he had to deal with unpleasant procedures every night.
Because of family history, my primary care doctor urged me to get a colonoscopy at age 45; I resisted, for fear of what they might find, until age 49...that was the year Katie Kouric's husband died young of colon cancer. Soon after, she did a special report on the Today Show about colon cancer and had a volunteer that allowed her to televise his colonoscopy live on the show. Well, that convince me!
In my first colonoscopy, they found one small polyp and removed it during the procedure...no further action required. Due to this and family history, that made me a candidate for a colonoscopy every 3 years. The second one was clean. I had my third one yesterday...like the first one, they removed one small polyp; doctor, however, wasn't concerned...will know for sure in a few weeks when the biopsy results are known.
If I had continued to resist this procedure, that first polyp would have continued to grow for the past 6 years and probably would have developed into full blown cancer and spread into other areas.
I telling my story to urge preventative screening after age 45...or younger if you have a family history of any internal cancer. If your doctor doesn't ask, please bring the topic up to him or her.
So far, I continue to be a survivor due to preventative screening. I wish and urge the same for all who fall into this or similar categories.
Good health rules!
Mark