BRATTLEBORO — When I turned 50, I was advised by my primary-care doctor to have a screening colonoscopy to detect colon cancer. My schedule was very busy; I had no symptoms, felt very healthy, and had no family history.
So I put it off - for a few years.
At age 54, I finally had my first colonoscopy, and the doctor found a few polyps. Even though the biopsy indicated that they were benign, the doctor said that the recommended follow-up is to have a colonoscopy in five years.
Again, my schedule was very busy, I had no symptoms and felt good. But I decided this time that I would not put it off.
I am so grateful, as this time my doctors found a suspicious growth. The pathology came back stating that this was borderline cancer. It was caught just in time. If I had waited any longer, the results would have been cancer.
I work in the oncology department at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and see how lives are changed overnight with a diagnosis of cancer. Colon cancer is the third-most-deadly cancer - striking 1 in 17 - yet it is one of the more preventable types. Through screening colonoscopies, precancerous abnormal growths can be removed before the polyps become cancerous.
Screening is the only way to detect colon cancer before it becomes a serious problem. I am so grateful that I followed through with my doctor's advice, as I can honestly say that I am proof that colon cancer screening absolutely saves lives.