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Excuses

Dennis Crouch Explains Why Making Excuses to Put off a Colonoscopy is Not a Good Plan.

Most of us find excuses not to do the things we are uncomfortable with. That is what I did when my doctor told me I was at the age that I should get a colonoscopy. I used excuses for 7 years. Then I started having some problems and had to get a colonoscopy. The results were stage 3 rectal cancer. This could have been avoided if I wouldn’t have been making excuses.

Excuse number one was I don’t want to use one of my vacation days for a colonoscopy. Wouldn’t this day off have been better spent getting a colonoscopy than spending a year fighting cancer and going through 2 surgeries?

Another excuse was, I hear the prep is really bad. I will agree it is not what I would do for fun. But, it is very tolerable and if no polyps are found you don’t have to do it again for 10 years. Also, there are different prep options available today that can help with the experience. Which is better, a few hours dealing with bad tasting prep or several hours in a chair getting chemo drugs through an IV? Again chemo treatment could have been avoided if I would have done my colonoscopy the first time the doctor recommended it.

I have heard people say that there is no history of colorectal cancer in their family. There was no history of it in mine. Cancer doesn’t always follow families. I could have avoided having an ileostomy for several months by not using this excuse.

I would hear about people getting colonoscopies and getting told they had diverticulitis. This was ignorance on my part. I guess I was getting along fine and didn’t want to know about diverticulitis. I have since found out that diverticulitis is a common issue with people my age and is treatable.

Getting a colonoscopy at the recommended age would have saved me from going through a yearlong series of treatments. It started with 28 days of taking a chemo pill along with radiation. This was followed by surgery to remove part of my rectum and colon and getting an ileostomy. Then, I did 12 chemo treatments over a 24 week period. Finally ending in a surgery to get reconnected and get rid of the ostomy bag. I will also say, there is nothing like your original plumbing. All of this could have been avoided if I wouldn’t have made excuses.

I am one of the lucky ones. If I would have made excuses another few months, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to see my last 4 grandchildren. Colorectal cancer can move up a stage every 6 months.

What is your excuse for not getting a colonoscopy?

From someone that almost made excuses too long.

Dennis Crouch