Men, are you getting recommended cancer screenings?

I didn't. After a long, extremely healthy life, I went to the ER because of severe pain in the abdomen and back... thought it might have been kidney stones and it was, but they also found a suspicious tumor in my colon. Turns out it was a Stage III malignant tumor.

For the next (nearly) 3 years I went through radiation, chemo, three different surgeries, two horrible infections post surgery, more chemo, months and months of rehabilitation and am just now getting back to somewhere near well, cancer free and feeling normal again.

The worst part of it is that all of this was my fault - 100% my fault. Had I followed the recommended cancer screening guides, none of this would have happened.

I made this post for one reason, and one reason only. To tell you to [b][u]get recommended cancer screenings, especially for prostate and colorectal cancer. [/u][/b]

This crap hasn't been fun, but I could have, and you can, prevent it from happening to you.

I should add: Women, don't forgo your screenigns either. There are zero reasons to do so.

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samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

sorry to hear of you problem, but, did your physician alerted you for preventive testing? The best advice is to check with your physician about all health needs, and, of course, read the literature and be sure you are not missing something. There are risk:benefits to every screening test, that must be considered carefully, prior history, family history, community experience, all have impact on what and when to screen for, you physician should be equipped to help you with that decision.

Ontheroad · M

@samueltyler2 For most of my life I seldom saw a doctor - as in it would be years and years when I didn't - never needed to and until this event, I saw a doctor maybe once every 5 years or so... I was and always thought of myself as pretty much invincible. Hubris comes to mind and I finally paid for it.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@Ontheroad statistics do show that men are terrible about going to a physician. don't knock yourself too badly, and, the treatment for cancer has changed so much, that, depending on the particular tumor markers, some are very sensitive to therapy, even when caught late. I hope that is the case with you. Ask specifically about "tissue-agnostic" therapy.

Ontheroad · M

@samueltyler2 I fortunately had a very good team of docs, technicians, etc., and they got me through it all and I'm as cancer free now as anyone who has had cancer can be.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@Ontheroad Great to hear. Just keep that term somewhere safe. That form of therapy has managed to save people who were thought to be terminal.