I was 36 years old when I had my first colonoscopy. With no family history of colon cancer, I would have waited at least 14 more years before the regular screening process would have suggested this test, if I hadn't told my doctor what only I knew.
I didn't tell a soul what was happening to me at the time. I had been ignoring symptoms for close to five years. I was alone and scared. I thought I had cancer. The certainty came from what I knew was happening within my body and all of the years I had kept the information to myself.??
I remember thinking at the time, this was one area of the body which was not discussed in a public forum. A lot of cancers in private areas of the body were readily talked about, but not this one. Much has changed since then.??
There is an awareness of colon cancer now. I recall when a public figure died from it and his wife (who was a co-host on a morning news show) devoted a week to bringing this disease out of the closet. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the stigma attached to talking of this particular cancer started to feel as commonplace as talking about breast cancer. Awareness equals education. Many lives have been saved as a result.??
In my case, all was fine. The polyp they found was not cancerous and there have been no other indications of problems in any other follow up appointments. When I went for my last regularly scheduled check up, I would have been shocked if they had told me anything other than what I already knew. That everything is fine and they would see me again in another five years.
Our family now discusses our tendency to have problems in this area. At least two other family members have had polyps removed and two more have had cancer in this region of the body.??
Seventeen years ago, I was asked if anyone in my family had colon cancer or any type of health issues of this nature. I kind of laughed and said, "No, and I can't imagine anyone talking about it if they did!" I was asked the same thing at my last appointment and I revised my answer according to what I now know. But I did add that prior to this time, if anyone else had this health issue we didn't know about it. The nurse readily agreed it was not something that was talked about openly not so long ago.
It was a good feeling to put that appointment behind me for another five years. But it was even a better feeling to walk in those doors, knowing I was in good health and this was simply a precautionary measure.
We are fortunate to live in a time and place where not only are medical advances continually improving the odds of overcoming life threatening cancers, but there is a widespread awareness of the various diseases. Preventative medicine is key.
"You" are the one person in this world who knows your body the best. Don't keep that knowledge to yourself. Share it with your doctor. It could save your life.
