My 5 Month Saga

 

I saw my family doctor back at the end of April.  Just a routine visit for a medication refill.  During our conversation, my doctor mentioned that the new recommendation for a colon cancer screening is 45.  My doctor looked at me and said, “You’re 46, it’s probably time for a screening.” 

We talked about the options, a colonoscopy or a Cologuard test.  As a typical man, I chose the easy way out and decided on the Cologuard.  A week or so later, I received a box in the mail which contained my test kit.  I follow the directions, seal the container, put it in the box, and ship it via UPS.  I had a good chuckle thinking about the UPS driver picking up that package. 

I didn’t think anything more about it.  A week or so later, I missed a phone call.  It was my doctor’s office.  The voicemail said he wanted to schedule an appointment to talk about my test results.  Spoiler alert:  doctors never schedule an appointment for good news.  Never. 

My test results were positive for colon cancer.   Now, the Cologuard website is very clear:  that doesn’t mean there is cancer.  There is something like a 13% chance of a false positive.  Given my history with cancer, I began to research.  I discovered that one of the leading causes of colorectal cancer is exposure to heavy metals.  Hmm.  In my two previous battles with cancer, I took cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug made from platinum.  I also learned that one of the most prevalent secondary cancers in testicular cancer survivors is colorectal cancer.  About this same time, my first cousin had begun treatment for colorectal cancer.   Alarm bells were going off in my head. 

I saw my family doctor.  The next step was a colonoscopy.  He referred me to a gastrointestinal doctor.  This was in May.  I finally got an appointment for the end of September.  My wife and I were very disappointed about this delay.  About this time, I began to experience some symptoms that were very suggestive of colon cancer.  I won’t go into details, no one needs to read about those symptoms.  I began to be very nervous.  My wife started a one woman crusade to get my appointment moved up.  It went from September 29 to September 18, to July 28. 

My symptoms were getting the best of me.  I didn’t know what else to do.  My oncologist once told me if I started having any symptoms that concerned me and I couldn’t get anyone to listen to me, to call her office and make an appointment.   So, I did.  I saw her nurse practitioner, who listened to me.  She listened to my whole story.  She made a few phone calls and got me an appointment that same week with the GI. 

I saw the GI and got set up for a colonoscopy.  A week later, I did the prep (again, I’ll spare you the details) and went in for an endoscopy and a colonoscopy.  The doctor ran a scope through both ends to get a complete picture.  During the colonoscopy, she removed four polyps that after lab work were determined to be precancerous.  Later, I was told if I had waited much longer to get a colonoscopy, they would have been cancerous. 

During the endoscopy, my doctor found a nodule in a portion of my intestines called the duodenum.  She referred me to a specialist at the University of Louisville.  After several weeks, I saw the specialist and got set up for an endoscopic ultrasound of this nodule that they began to refer to as a duodenal mass.  (Not something a cancer survivor wants to hear, trust me.) 

Today, I had an endoscopic ultrasound.  (Special thanks to my sister Tammy for getting up at 3:00 this morning to have me in Louisville by 7 AM Eastern time.)  My doctor performed the test and said that in his opinion, it was normal.  He said that we should keep an eye on it to make sure it isn’t growing. 

I see my local GI early in November for a follow up.  I have a regular appointment with my oncologist the day after Christmas.  I have another colonoscopy scheduled at the end of January just to be on the safe side.    

I recently saw my family doctor again to get my medication refilled.  We chatted about my colonoscopy, and he made this statement: “You have the worst luck.”  I chose to think that I am exceptionally blessed.  Yes, I have had cancer twice, and had this colorectal cancer scare.  But each of those three times it was detected early enough that we were able to prevent it from spreading and developing into something much more serious.  I am blessed.  Blessed to have a great family doctor.  Blessed to have a great set of medical professionals that have my back.  Blessed to have a great support system in my family.  Blessed to be able to talk to the Lord about these things and to trust Him for the outcome. 

I never wanted cancer the first time.  I never wanted cancer the second time.  I certainly do not want cancer a third time.  But I know that if a third time ever comes my way, God’s got me just like He did the first two times.  I remember kneeling at the altar of Faith Baptist Church and praying after I got the positive Cologuard results.  I started my prayer by saying “Well, here we are again.” 

Why did I decide to share all of this?  To share these take aways with you:

• Be your own advocate.  Don’t let doctors tell you how you feel.  You know your body better than any medical professional.  I’m not being critical of doctors or nurses but be your own advocate. 
• Educate yourself.  Know your medical history and know the possible ramifications of it. 
• If you are a cancer survivor, don’t get a Cologuard, go straight for the colonoscopy.  My 5-month saga could have been much shorter if I had just gotten the colonoscopy right away instead of opting for the easy way out.

Come January, we’ll see what happens.  I’m just going to keep trusting the Lord.