Colonoscopies save lives

This was me after my second colonoscopy. Don’t I look so peaceful? 😀 I was 40 years old. I was 30 when I had my first one. Why? Well, I was bleeding where you shouldn’t be bleeding. (You get what I mean.)

So why am I telling you this? It’s Colorectal Awareness Month. And, well, I want to make you aware.

I was lucky. The bleeding I was having at age 30 was caused by non-cancerous polyps in my colon, and my doctor surgically removed them. When I went for a follow-up at age 40, no more polyps and still cancer free.

Get a colonoscopy

But here’s the thing. If I hadn’t had a colonoscopy, I wouldn’t know that. I wouldn’t have known what was causing the bleeding; I wouldn’t have known it wasn’t cancer; and if I hadn’t done a follow-up, I wouldn’t have known that I was still free and clear. Moral of the story? Get a colonoscopy. If you’re age 45 or more, just do it. If you have signs, symptoms, or a family history of colon cancer – be like me, and do it earlier. And remember, not everyone has a visible cause for alarm like I did. In fact, many people who have colon cancer have no symptoms in the early stages.

Schedule your appointment today with Dr. Wride at Brigham City Community Hospital at (435) 695-2273.