Hi @Maymay41, I saw that obituary and he must have hidden the pain and stomach issue pretty well. Humans can endure to impossible lengths when they have to and that includes finishing a job even if you're deathly ill.
But your post here really brought something home for me, speaking of colon cancer.
Maybe about four or five years ago (my memory for dates is not all that great) I had persistent heartburn and it began to bother me. I went to my regular doctor and he said I needed an endoscopy, which will be done with general anesthesia at the hospital.
"And while we're doing that, why don't we do your first colonoscopy?" he said.
"Uhhhhm, oookaaaaaay," I replied, not too enthusiastically.
I went to the GI dr he recommended and the GI dr confirmed my doctor's suspicions that I needed those two procedures. There was no way out of it at that point! The doctor had a list of dates in October that he could do the procedures.
"Uhhhhh," I replied. "Can I....well, just, er, think about it?"
I still wasn't too enthused about the preparation, yucky medicines to clean you out, having to beg rides from someone, the clear liquid diet, anesthesia, being in the hospital, and all of that.
The doctor said for me to think about it but not to take too long as those dates would soon be gone.
Not two days later I went outside and picked up the Orlando Sentinel that was delivered to me. It was a nice day and stayed out. I came to the section with the obituaries. There was one that stood out. There was a photo of a man who was a businessman in Clermont. He was 50. That prompted me to read what had happened,. The obit said point-blank he had colon cancer and that he had never found time for a colonoscopy and had he done so he might still be alive. The article summed up his battle with cancer and ended by saying that if you haven't had a colonoscopy please do so. That was the man's final wish for everyone.
I marched right back inside, called the GI dr office and said, "Is Oct. 10 still open?"
I was told it was and I said, "Then I'd like to come in for my colonoscopy, please."
They found a couple of small polyps which were snipped out and also said I have GERD and was given a prescription.
