It was not much, just maybe a teaspoon of blood. But it was weird. Painless. On only one side of stool. And it happened more than once.
"Oh, it's just hemorrhoids. You are post partum and getting older. There are more important things to do right now," said the devil on one shoulder. "You are 37. Just ask someone," the angel on the opposite shoulder replied.
I spoke to my GI colleague about what I saw. I was asked to schedule a colonoscopy. The prep was challenging, but I got it done. The procedure itself was uneventful and painless.
When I woke up, I was told they had found a polyp, which was small — 3mm — but it was biopsied. It came back as a tubulovillous adenoma. I knew what that meant: I just got saved. If I had put this off, with no family history, my age 45 recommended regular screening scope would have likely had a cancer result. My daughter would have been 13.
I had another scope at age 40, which was unremarkable, thankfully, and am back on the recommended schedule for surveillance at age 45, to which I will adhere strongly. Prevention now prevents the need for a cure later.
I implore you, both as physician and patient, if you are reading this, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Ask the questions you don't want to ask.
It could literally save your life.
