My wife saved my life.....AGAIN. Maybe yours too?
I'm paying this forward. A few years ago I was introduced to a person on a message board who went through a similar experience. Their post helped me. I'm posting this in hopes of helping just one person, like they helped me.
About 4 years ago my wife noticed a small black spot on my back, about the size of a pencil eraser, inbetween the shoulder blades where I never would have noticed. She bugged me and bugged me and nagged and nagged until I finally went and had it checked out.
It was skin cancer.... melanoma. They caught it early and it had not spread. It was removed easily and I sincerely thanked my wife for saving my life. I probably never would have noticed it until it was too late.
2 years ago, I somehow mentioned to my wife that my mother had passed away at 45. My wife was surprised. She didn't know my mom was that young when she died.
She did remember however, that I had said she died from colon cancer. She told me I better get a colonoscopy......now!
I told her the docs had told me 50. At 50 years old you get one.
So I argued, stalled, found convenient excuses, canceled appointments and just recently, reluctantly, gave in and had a colonoscopy.
I woke up during the procedure. Still woozy, I was able to see what the doctor was seeing on the screen. I watched him cut off a polyp with a noose like wire, sticking out of a tube. I seen this on the internet, when I was researching the procedure, so I knew what he was doing. It is very common. Then he said something about inking another area, so they could find it easier later. Being still out of it, I didn't quite get what that meant.
Well, that area turned out to be a tumor. It is cancer. The surgeon says, judging from the size(aprox 1/2 the colon circumference in that section), it appears about 1 year old.
Devastated. Best way to describe it I guess, simply put.
I spent the last 1 1/2 weeks(i think), going to different doctors, taking the tests required to "Stage" the cancer, talking to the surgeon about the surgery, and finally yesterday, almost the last step before getting the surgery, visiting my primary care doctor for the operation clearance required. (Ahhhh....yea, that run on.....that's what it was like.<g>)
More important to me was the test results. I didn't know if he would have them or I would have to wait one more week before i can talk to the surgeon(he's out of town now till thurs).
He had the results. They were all negative. No signs anywhere, of any spread of the cancer through the lymph nodes or the blood.
BEAUTIFUL NEWS!!
They still have to test the lymph nodes from surgery, but it looks to be that they caught it early. Maybe a relatively easy fix. Laproscopic(sorry spelling) surgery too. That procedure is pretty amazing. Just look up "eea stapler colon" on google.
I realize this is with me now for life, one way or the other, and nothing is for certain. Heck it never was and never will be for anybody for that matter. I can get over it and past the inevitable easy enough. I come from a family with a large history of cancer. I should have known better.
I feel very very lucky right now. I dodged 2 cancer bullets.(so far...I hope...maybe...)
I thanked my wife for the 2nd time yesterday, for saving my life. She would not let me wait until I was 50. That is 6 months away now, but I would have delayed it even further after that. I'm stupid that way.
DON'T BE LIKE ME!!! Get a colonoscopy.....NOW!!!
It's a easy procedure, and there's a very good chance it will save your life.
I actually read a thread on another message board about this very same thing, quite awhile ago. I remembered it. It helped. Thank you for posting that!
So I thought I'd return the favor, so to speak. If I can help and get just one person to get up and go get checked, well then it's time well spent.
PLEASE...go get checked.
You can thank me later.
:o)
Ramblin |
