A Friendly Reminder
For those of us who have had or do have lymphoma, it’s so easy to forget that we need to pay attention to our whole bodies. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but just this past week, Susan Snyder, who is a colleague of mine and a lovely lady, reminded me. Susan is a colorectal cancer survivor who actively shares her story with others in an effort to encourage people to get tested.
What we call cancer is actually a group of over 100 diseases but there are tests for only a handful. A colonoscopy can find pre-cancerous polyps which can be removed during the procedure - and that prevents colorectal cancer. The test saves lives, and it is strongly recommended for anyone over 50. Your doctor can order the test simply by asking.
We’ve all heard horror stories about the procedure, but they simply aren’t true. My husband balked all the way to his colonoscopy. When it was over, he worked the rest of the day and felt pretty silly for anticipating the worst. None of you know him, but believe me when I tell you he’s the world’s biggest chicken - and if he says it was nothing, it was nothing!
So my thanks to Susan for reminding me that just because I’ve had one kind of cancer doesn’t make me immune to others. Lymphoma was enough...I’ll take any test that might prevent another kind of cancer, wouldn’t you?
Betsy