Preventive colonoscopy saved my life – it could save yours too!

Published: March 31, 2025

Cancer is ultimately what led me to public health. 

In 2009, my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer at 42. During the six years he lived with the disease, I participated in awareness and fundraising events, working with organizations like Livestrong and ColorCancer (now the CareBOX Program). It felt like my mission was to bring awareness to colon cancer and prevention efforts, especially since Dad was on the young side of receiving a stage IV diagnosis; the average age of colon cancer diagnosis is 68. Dad, who readily shared his experience with others, often attended and participated in many of these events.

In 2015, at 49 years old, we lost him too soon to the disease. Because many doctors put off colonoscopies at symptom onset due to his “young age”, it was always in the back of my mind to be sure to stay on top of my own screening now that we had a family history of this disease.

Fast forward to 2023. I had just turned 30 and was at my annual physical when I mentioned I knew I would need to begin colonoscopies sooner than my peers but wasn’t sure when. My general physician referred me to a gastroenterologist (gastro) for their recommendation. During our appointment, the gastro explained that current guidance said an individual should screen 10 years younger than the person closest was diagnosed. Technically, I wouldn’t need to screen until I turned 32, but since I was already there, we decided to go ahead and schedule the colonoscopy.

My husband and I assumed it would be a routine, uneventful procedure to establish a baseline for future screenings. Instead, the colonoscopy couldn’t be completed. My doctor discovered a large tumor almost fully obstructing my colon, even though I was having zero symptoms.  He couldn’t say with 100% certainty that the tumor was cancerous until the biopsy returned, but he had no doubt and pushed to move quickly to the next steps. 

This kicked off my journey with cancer – multiple surgeries, a temporary ostomy, 12 rounds of chemotherapy, and an ostomy reversal. In the hospital, we found out I was stage IIIb. My gastro literally saved my life by erring on the side of caution to screen a bit earlier than recommended.

I don’t tell my story to frighten you. Rather, I want it to be an example of why it’s important to know your family history and be your own health advocate. 

To read more about early-onset colon cancer and current screening guidelines, check out Kat’s second blog.