March is colorectal cancer awareness month and we’d like to share Terry’s story with you as a reminder to schedule your colonoscopy.
Fear is one of the most common reasons people avoid cancer screening. For Terry, fear of what might be found kept him from getting a colonoscopy for many years. By the time he did, he had colon cancer. “Had I gone to a screening, 10 years prior to this, I might have, as I say, nipped it in the bud. It might’ve just been a rogue polyp, like snip it off, treat it, and you’re good to go. But because I didn’t, I had to go through a lot.”
He was connected with Dr. Curtis Miyamoto, an American Cancer Society funded researcher, and was part of a trail for a newly developed cancer drug. “It had taken over seven years to research, pioneer and develop just to get it ready for trials. And I was just really lucky to be part of it.”
Ever since, Terry has been a fierce advocate for cancer screening. “I used to be very vocal when I was in the working world – I’m retired now – and I couldn’t believe how many of my colleagues, that were my age, maybe a little older, when I mentioned a colonoscopy, they’d say, ‘What? Forget that I’m not doing that.’ I was like, ‘It might save your life.’”
His message for other people who may be afraid of cancer screening: “You want to know, you don’t hide from it. If you hide from it, the outcome might not be what I experienced. It could be a deadly outcome. All for the sake of what? Because you’re too prideful to do it, or you’re just too stubborn to do it. And I just tell people all the time, please go get screened.”
For more information about the screening guidelines please visit https://bit.ly/colorectalcancerguidelines. If you’re at increased or high risk of colorectal cancer (or think you might be), talk to your health care provider to learn more. Your provider can suggest the best screening option for you, as well as determine what type of screening schedule you should follow, based on your individual risk.
Additional Resources:
7 Things to Know About Getting a Colonoscopy (PDF)
Colorectal Cancer: Catch it Early and Reduce Your Risk (PDF)
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