**Please read!** Anyone that knows Grumpy knows that he is a private person. But he does know that the potential benefit of telling this story is greater than any need for privacy. So here it is.. Grumpy recently went on a trek to New York to visit a friend recently diagnosed with colon cancer and who was undergoing chemotherapy. They grew up together and are of the same age. They spent hours talking about everything; the past, kids, family, friends, cancer, symptoms, struggles, etc. The end result was a ridiculous amount of laughter and overall good, positive feelings. Upon returning, Grumpy did something that he has never done before. He actually requested a procedure despite having no history or symptoms. He figured that such a simple, painless procedure (colonoscopy) would be worth the time if it could prevent pain, suffering, or even death. Four days after the procedure he met with the physician’s assistant (the Doc was on vacation). She was escorted by a nurse (the 2-person team usually means bad news). She started by saying that polyps are almost always found and removed. Then they are biopsied. The good news is that there was no cancer… But…. The type of polyp he had was a very aggressive, pre-cancerous type that would be a significant problem within a year if left alone. Also, any polyp of this type greater than 2 centimeters is of great concern; his was 4 cm. In addition, it was in the worst possible location where the intestinal wall is thinnest so complete removal was not possible this time (only 75% was removed). She asked Grumpy why he had the procedure. He said he didn’t know but didn’t want to wait until 50 years old (the age that men are supposed to do this). Then she said “I don’t mean to scare you but you would have NEVER made it to 50!” Wow!! Six weeks later he had his second colonoscopy and the rest of the polyp was removed without incident. All went well and he will return in 1 year for a follow-up. The purpose of telling this story is to motivate everyone to get tested, stay on top of your health, listen to your body, listen to your instincts! I know that for a moment he was puzzled as to why he decided to have this procedure without symptoms or history. But he quickly realized that it wasn’t his decision. This is not only a story of prevention but also of divine intervention. A lesson learned, a lesson shared… Be well!!
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 23:27:38 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015