In July 2018 our father was thrust into the ring for the fight of his life against Stage IV Colon Cancer. He fought and kept up one of the most positive attitudes I have ever seen, making plans for when he won his battle, and never once thinking anything but success would be his. Sadly, inside of a year, the future he planned was not to be his as he peacefully passed in May 2019.
On more than one occasion my father said to me, "I should have gotten a colonoscopy sooner and I wouldn't be in this mess." As a small business owner who was self pay because "he never got sick", he put off his colonoscopy over and over, thinking it would require too much time away from work and he "felt fine".
So we are participating in the March to get Screened for our father and anyone else that "feeels fine", may be skeptical of the unknown that is the colonoscopy, or just doesn't think talking about an interruption in bowel habits is the polite thing to do. We have to raise awareness of colon health and normalize the conversation. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death among men and women and it spares not even the young, as cases among those under 50 have been rising.
My sister and I hope that you will join the Polyp Police as we fight to protect your colon and raise awareness on March 29th in Jacksonville, FL.
