Doctor visits and regular screenings are something Gary Daughdrill never made a priority. It wasn’t until Gary’s colon cancer diagnosis that he realized just how life saving regularly scheduled appointments and screenings can be.
Daughdrill was treated for colon cancer in the CCI Jasper clinic. “This place was a God sent. CCI is just a good place,” said Daughdrill. “You don’t have to go to New York to have it done. You come right here to Jasper, Alabama and have some of the finest treatment that you could find anywhere.”
Colorectal cancer, or colon cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer related deaths in the U.S. Recommended screening starting at age 50 can help detect colon cancer in its early stages. Your healthcare provider may recommend screening at an earlier age if you have a family history of colon cancer or family members with polyps. Early detection of colon cancer can greatly increase survival rates if the screened patient finds the cancer in its early local stage.
Daughdrill says his children encouraged him to schedule a colonoscopy, but he put it off. “I was working in the garden and all of a sudden I had to go to the emergency room. They said, ‘ You’ve got 100 percent blockage. After that they told me, ‘”You’ve got colon cancer. We’re going to have to set up surgery.’”
Some of the more common signs or symptoms of colon cancer include:
- A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or change in consistency of your stool
- Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool
- Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas, or pain
- A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely
- Weakness or fatigue
- Unexplained weight loss
“From the beginning I had an inner peace, from surgery until I came here to Clearview. The staff, the nurses, the doctors here are just wonderful,” said Daughdrill.
Following chemotherapy, Daughdrill is cancer-free.
A colonoscopy is one way to detect colon cancer. Reach out to your primary care physician or a gastroenterologist to schedule a colonoscopy.