Frustrated

Knowing
I wanted to get checked two years ago. I told my Aunt whom I'm close too, that I think I'm dying. But I told her as well, I couldn't go to the ER with the feeling that all wasn't right with me, and I think I'm dying, what kind of excuse was that to go to the ER. Knock, knock, hello? I have a bad feeling all isn't right with me, so can you do some x-rays or cat scans and see if I'm okay? Wouldn't happen.
I didn't have insurance, my husband had lost his job.
Only when the pain got intense could I go to the ER, it was a good excuse. Stage IV cancer.
I now own a t-shirt that I had made, it says 50? Get Colonoscopy.
May not help but one person to go and get one, but maybe in my own way I can save a life, when I can't even save mine.

Yep, know that feeling...
I have eight siblings. I think four had gone in before me to be screened. Our dad died of CC, so it was a given that we needed to be checked early, right?

Out of the four, all had polyps. I went in for a screening because of my family history. No signs or symptoms of anything wrong. I end up with stage III cancer. LOL

Now, getting the other four in for their screenings was like pulling teeth. One brother actually waited until he was 50 and frankly, I think he was tired of me bitching to him about getting it done. He told me I was a bigger nag than his wife. (his wife was standing right there and she is FAR from a nag) Anyway... he had 12 polyps when he finally went in. One they couldn't quite grab and said they would get later. He was excited when the doc told him to come back in ten years. Then he remembered our family history and told him he'd see him in two. I laugh. Even my little brother went in earlier than him.

I have no idea why people wait. I'm just very thankful that no other siblings have to go through what we've been through. I still preach to family and friends. You obviously don't have to have signs or symptoms to get cancer. I'm the living proof of that one.

Love and Hugs,

Holly

unknown said:

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It was March 25th at work...
I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in Cancer Awareness month, and all of the people at work (about 300) saw how easily it can hit home. I was yes a poster child for cancer. Almost half of the work populace said they had the screening done after my diagnosis. 3 had pre-cancerous polyps and had them removed. They found bladder cancer in one (and he seems to be getting along ok so far) they also found one that has it in his abdominal wall, kidneys, pancreas, stomach...he has since retired...I didn't ask people to do it, it simply hit home and rollercoastered into a barrage of employees getting checked. I openly talk about it daily, openly show the ones that want to see my ostomy bag, and tell them about having my backside sewn shut. I tell them about not being able to do things that a married man should be able to do. I have opened up my whole life to try and help anyone, be it patient or caregiver on how to go about getting through the mental and physical aspects of this disease. and if none of that works, then I tell em like I told a man in Nashville Tuesday at my pre op appt " If you don't give a damn about yourself then do it for your children"....His words were and I quote "Do you believe in God" I told him yes, and also told him he didn't have to whisper..he then said "All I needed was a little push"...Well, whether he does or whether he don't at least he was sincere when I left. The rest is up to him. I have learned not to badger about it, only to leave the seed and the door open if anyone wants to know more. It has served to be well received, and hopefully maybe save a life.........

Don't be frustrated.......just be diligent and patient.......Love to ya, Buzz

Patteee said:

I have 4 siblings- one, my
I have 4 siblings- one, my twin went in the same week I was dx'd, no polyps. 3 other siblings- I swear they just could not imagine themselves as authors of this story, it was like the denial was so thick. My youngest sib, my brother, was told by his doctor at age 47 to absolutely have a colonoscopy. And they found 3 polyps that were all pre-cancerous. My mother, who had been with me my whole treatment time said, "wow, he didn't even have any symptoms!" YES YES YES that is the nature of this fricken beast- you have the polyps removed when they are just little hangers-on in the colon, BEFORE they grow into problems. To me, it is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, lots and lots of people have no brains when it comes to this.

The other very real point, I think people are mortified over having a colonoscopy. Lets face it, nobody likes having a camera stuck up their butt. How do you rid this issue of the social stigma that goes with it? From taking a poop, to f*rting- people are just way too polite or phobic about it. It is like we need to tackle the body issue and deal with, "nobody is sticking something up my ****" issue. Cripes, colonoscopy and having something stuck up one's butt is NOT AN ISSUE, it is the CANCER that is the issue!

My husband was laid off from
My husband was laid off from his job at 61 y.o. The ONLY reason he went in was because we would be losing our insurance. VERY shocked to find out he had a mass....and Im a nurse! I never felt so stupid in my life. Now we are at the end of our COBRA coverage right as he needs to start chemo. I still can't convince my mother that she should get checked for colorectal cancer or breast cancer even though my aunt is going through chemo for breast cancer as we speak. it is very frustrating, I tell everyone I can to get checked, DH had no symptoms and even though him losing his job has been devastating, it probably saved his life.

Joy1216 said:

Procrastinated
I had heard horror stories about the prep, so I waited until I retired at age 56 to have my first screening colonoscopy. (This was in spite of the fact that one of my close friends died of colon cancer in 1993). Surprise! You have colon cancer. Who me? I have no symptoms. I can't have colon cancer. I don't have a family history of colon cancer. I can't have colon cancer. But I did. Fortunately, mine was caught very early and 4 1/2 years later I am still cancer-free. I tell my story to everyone I meet. I've succeeded in getting numerous people to get colonoscopies. Several scheduled colonoscopies while I was still in the hospital from my resection surgery. No one has been diagnosed with cancer, but several have had pre-cancerous polyps. I'll keep on telling my story.
Joy

There is no better directive
than to hear "come back in 10 years for another colonoscopy". However, my DH did not get that one. Instead he got CC stage III. It's so easy to get the scope and I have begged our children to get theirs. They have done so and I feel so much better knowing that they are being proactive about their health. But friends of ours, just refuse to get one. Too invasive, too busy, I'm healthy, blah blah, blah. No excuse not to have one is good enough, especially if you get the diagnosis my DH got.
Sandy

PGLGreg said:

What are the chances that a
What are the chances that a first screening colonoscopy at age 50 is going to turn up a cancer? Pretty low, I imagine. It's expensive, and the prep is a pain. I don't think it's so hard to understand why people don't get around to it. But I did convince both my wife and sister to have colonoscopies.

--Greg

Except
that cancer often runs in families. If one person has it, there's a good chance the genes are there and everyone is at risk. Mine was found through blood work and there was no genetic propensity for me to get a colonoscopy. I find it very hard to understand that if a family member has cancer, and cancer is often genetic, that they would not RUN to get tested. What you don't know can't hurt you, it can only kill you.

I've had much better luck
After my diagnosis, my brother and sister, both younger than me were scoped. My sister was clear. My brother had pre-cancerous polyps. Who knows, in a few years he could have been in my shoes - with colon cancer before age 50 when we are advised to get our first scope.

My father-in-law made his appointment for his overdue scope. He'd had a few before, but due to a scheduling screw-up he didn't have one the prior year as he was supposed to. He's had pre-cancerous polyps in the past.

My husband turned 50 BEFORE my dx, but kept putting off getting his done. His doctor tried to get it scheduled, but that was a month before his birthday, so he said he'd wait and schedule it AFTER he was 50. Well, he didn't schedule. I was on his case during my treatment. He saw how awful things were for me. But he still wouldn't go, saying we couldn't both be that sick at the same time if they did find anything. Finally towards the end of my chemo I called and made the appointment for him on my off-week. He had 3 small flat polyps removed - pre-cancerous, and the type most likely to turn malignant. But he also had some weird mucousy things - two across from each other - that the GI dr couldn't figure out. So they biopsied. They turned out to be strange polyps, made up of both the cells that don't ever turn to cancer, and cells that can turn. He had to get a second colonoscopy to remove them. That was better than needing surgery to remove them because they'd already turned malignant. There is a very good chance that he would have been obstructed because of the growth of the two polyps across from each other, or that he would have ended up with colon cancer soon, if he hadn't had them removed now.

Many of my friends have turned 50 or are over 50. Several got their first colonoscopies, and others scheduled their repeats after my dx. A lot of people that would never have gotten them finally did. Any time anyone asked me what they could do to help me, I said "Go get your colonoscopy." More than anything else, it helps me deal with my dx when I know it might be what has saved others.

I too would be very frustrated if none of my family or friends got scoped after my dx. A few were a bit resistant, but I rode their butts till they did it! They knew they'd have no peace and I would lay the guilt trips on them, till they got in and had their scopes.

Kathryn_in_MN said:

I've had much better luck
After my diagnosis, my brother and sister, both younger than me were scoped. My sister was clear. My brother had pre-cancerous polyps. Who knows, in a few years he could have been in my shoes - with colon cancer before age 50 when we are advised to get our first scope.

My father-in-law made his appointment for his overdue scope. He'd had a few before, but due to a scheduling screw-up he didn't have one the prior year as he was supposed to. He's had pre-cancerous polyps in the past.

My husband turned 50 BEFORE my dx, but kept putting off getting his done. His doctor tried to get it scheduled, but that was a month before his birthday, so he said he'd wait and schedule it AFTER he was 50. Well, he didn't schedule. I was on his case during my treatment. He saw how awful things were for me. But he still wouldn't go, saying we couldn't both be that sick at the same time if they did find anything. Finally towards the end of my chemo I called and made the appointment for him on my off-week. He had 3 small flat polyps removed - pre-cancerous, and the type most likely to turn malignant. But he also had some weird mucousy things - two across from each other - that the GI dr couldn't figure out. So they biopsied. They turned out to be strange polyps, made up of both the cells that don't ever turn to cancer, and cells that can turn. He had to get a second colonoscopy to remove them. That was better than needing surgery to remove them because they'd already turned malignant. There is a very good chance that he would have been obstructed because of the growth of the two polyps across from each other, or that he would have ended up with colon cancer soon, if he hadn't had them removed now.

Many of my friends have turned 50 or are over 50. Several got their first colonoscopies, and others scheduled their repeats after my dx. A lot of people that would never have gotten them finally did. Any time anyone asked me what they could do to help me, I said "Go get your colonoscopy." More than anything else, it helps me deal with my dx when I know it might be what has saved others.

I too would be very frustrated if none of my family or friends got scoped after my dx. A few were a bit resistant, but I rode their butts till they did it! They knew they'd have no peace and I would lay the guilt trips on them, till they got in and had their scopes.

Thank Goodness@
All my 8 siblings have gone in for a colonoscopy and my daughters have appointments.