All is Well in the End

I appreciate all the concern (and jokes) sent to me after my most recent colonoscopy – my fifth delightful procedure in five years. The results are in; I’m cancer free once again, and the best news of all, I do not have to have another procedure until 2028. All is well in the end. Yes, I am writing this week’s article on a subject that few will tackle. It’s a very serious subject, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to joke a bit about it.

If you’re still reading by paragraph two, I salute you for your intestinal fortitude. #PunIntended 

But seriously, I wanted to write a PSA and talk openly about colon cancer, the number three cause of cancer deaths worldwide. I was lucky when I got checked five years ago. I was diagnosed and treated straight away. Many others have not been so fortunate. I learned this week that a 49-year-old friend is in hospice, nearing the end of his battle.

The key for me was early detection. The problem is awareness. Early detection saves lives. We’ve been doing pro-bono work for our client HCB2 (Hitting Cancer Below the Belt) since I recovered and wanted to help. We’re proud to have helped Mindy Conklin, founder and Executive Director of HCB2, and her team raise awareness about colorectal cancer. I first met Mindy when she brought a “healing basket” in the days after my recovery. (Mindy’s husband Rich died from colorectal cancer at the young age of 43 and her life’s work has been raising awareness since 2012.)

Here are some tips that I’ve learned to pass along to you, your friends, and your loved ones. Copy, paste, tweet, post, or do whatever you want with this information. Despite being a completely treatable cancer, it will take more than 52,000 lives this year in the U.S. alone. 

1. 45 is the new age for a colonoscopy. DO NOT wait until you’re 50 to get checked. The new guideline is 45 for both men and women. If you have a history of colon cancer in your family, do it before 45. 
2. Cologuard. Ask your doctor about the new in-home colon cancer screening test. It can predict 92% of all types of colorectal cancers, and it doesn’t require an office visit. I love my doctor, but I don’t like to visit him.
3. Talk to your family. I was completely unaware that other members of my family had either fought or died from colon cancer, until AFTER I was diagnosed. Ask your parents, uncles, aunts, and others if they’ve dealt with it. Being slightly uncomfortable with the conversation beforehand is better than staying silent and the alternative.
4. Fiber. Diet and exercise are wonderful things, but experts all over the world agree that a high-fiber diet is the most effective way to prevent colon cancer. Fiber, fiber, and more fiber. If I had known this I would’ve eaten a bowl of raw oats and pine needles every morning.

I know what you’re thinking. “Ah, what does Dave know? He’s full of it.” 

I wasn’t full of “it” last Friday. I had a colonoscopy.