It’s been a year since I found out I had colon cancer. I’m grateful to say that I’m nearly back to normal. Some minor side effects still linger, but I’m cancer free and enjoying life again. I’ve even passed my recent CT scan, blood work, and colonoscopy with no issues found.

I’m extremely lucky that they found it early. That made my time with cancer brief and manageable. Now I just have screenings every so often to ensure it’s gone for good. Supposedly there’s only a 25% chance of my cancer coming back, and I’m hopeful that we won’t have to go through that again.

I do encourage everyone to get checked for colon cancer. For those 45 and older, it’s recommend you start getting screened. If you have a history of colon cancer in your family, you should get screened earlier.

Don’t put off the screening because you think it’s uncomfortable or no fun. It’s not the most exciting, but it’s not as bad as you think either. If you’re getting a colonoscopy, the prep is really just drinking a lot of fluids and going to the bathroom to clean your system out. The actual procedure is a piece of cake as they put you out, and before you know it you’re done. If you get a test like Cologuard, then it’s even easier, I assume. Just do it. No excuses.

Cancer isn’t any fun, but the sooner you can catch it, the better. I’ve seen friends battle cancer for years, and they fight long and hard. I got lucky, which is a weird thing to say about cancer, but it’s true. I’m thankful it didn’t spread to other parts of my body, and I didn’t have to spend years battling it.

Thank you to everyone who helped me to this past year. Even small things like a text message were greatly appreciated. A big thanks to my wife and daughter as well, as they took great care of me. Cancer doesn’t just happen to one person, the whole family is affected, and I know they worried a lot. It was a heck of a year, but we made it through.