筛查的重要性 & 早期检测

现年53岁的斯科特. 看起来很健康. 他吃得好, 有规律的练习, 他不抽烟，并且诚实地努力照顾好自己. That’s why at age fifty, it didn’t really dawn on him to schedule himself for a colonoscopy.

“I was really good about getting my annual physicals; my heart, 我的血检和其他检查结果都很好,斯科特说。, “but the primary care doctor I was seeing in Jacksonville didn’t indicate to me that fifty was the time I should go ahead and get my first colonoscopy done. 当然, we are all responsible for our own health and I have seen and read a lot about early detection, 所以我真的应该自己考虑一下, 但这并不是当务之急.”

两年后，斯科特将他的护理转移到了圣. 奥古斯汀 and his physician told him it was past time to get his first colon cancer screening done. He scheduled himself an appointment and faithfully completed the required pre-test regimen.

“在手术过程中，他们会把你置于一种朦胧状态. When I awoke, my wife was standing there with tears in her eyes and my doctor looked serious. 我马上就知道出事了. 结果, 医生根据他的经验认为这是癌症, 进一步的检查证实我得了结肠癌三期,斯科特说。. “没有人能确定, but it is most likely that if I had come in for my first test two years earlier at 50, they would have seen some pre-cancerous polyps and just scraped them off right then and there and I never would have had to deal with this frightening and grueling cancer diagnosis – something I would never wish on anyone.”

像大多数人一样, Scott’s initial reaction was a desire to get the cancerous tissue out of his body as soon as possible. “我只是想把它弄出来,他说, 谢天谢地，我被介绍给了镇上一位非常棒的外科医生,他接着说, “and was in the operating room at 佛罗里达大学健康冰球突破平台 within3 days of my diagnosis. My doctor was able to successfully remove all the cancerous tissue laparoscopically and send me right on to an oncologist for the next phase of my treatment.”

斯科特接着会见了史密斯博士. 马克Warmuth, who discussed his options and treatment plan and let Scott know that he would be able to get top notch care right here in St. 奥古斯汀. Because his chemotherapy would last six months, staying close to home was a real advantage.

“在做手术的时候, I just wanted to get it done as fast as possible and didn’t even think about shopping around. But facing 6 months of chemo, I seriously considered looking at some of the big cancer names. 在与博士交谈之后. Warmuth虽然, 我在冰球突破平台有过丰富的手术经验, 我决定留在这里继续治疗. 我很高兴我这么做了. 事实上，离家这么近是一种安慰, I can see 佛罗里达大学健康冰球突破平台 from my window – and I can’t imagine having gotten better care anywhere else. 从诊断, 通过治疗和康复, 医院里的每个人都很关心和支持我.”

如今，斯科特对自己的健康状况感到谨慎乐观. He says the whole experience has brought him closer to his family and closer to God – and even though it was the most difficult time in his life there were many positives that came out of it. He is sharing his story to encourage every man and woman out there to have a colonoscopy at age 50.

“我只是一个乡下的好孩子,他说, “maybe even viewed as a little bit of a tough guy by some and there are lots of guys around here just like me who think to themselves – ‘I’m good. 我真的不需要任何医生那样来打扰我。”. 但是让我告诉你. 筛选测试没什么大不了的. Having a test that you might think is going to be a little embarrassing or invasive is absolutely nothing compared with what you have to deal with when you get cancer. 拿出点勇气把测试做完. 你不会后悔的. 我真希望我早点这么做.”

与斯科特不同，乔. was very aware from a young age about the importance of colon cancer screening. 有结肠癌家族史的人, 乔从四十多岁开始就定期接受检查. Unfortunately, at 63, his screening revealed that he did indeed have stage 2 colon cancer.

“It’s important to focus on hope and recovery when you talk with patients and their families about their diagnosis and all the available treatments,乔的胃肠病学家斯图尔特·索罗卡评论道, MD. “即使是第四阶段, 希望总是有的, 一旦诊断出来, 是时候关注这一点了. 今天我最想分享的是什么, is that colon cancer is a preventable disease and there is no reason anyone with access to regular testing should get to stage 4 or, 可悲的是, 死于结肠癌.”

确诊后, 很像斯科特, Joe was very focused on getting the cancer removed as soon as possible and was in surgery at 佛罗里达大学健康冰球突破平台 within 5 days of his diagnosis. 快速进入对我来说至关重要,乔说, and all my doctors and the people at Flagler were very helpful in making that happen. The surgeon did an amazing job and even though I was there under terrible circumstances I was just ecstatic about the care I received while in the hospital.”

有点科学家的味道, 乔对他的诊断做了大量的研究, 与他的医生合作, made the decision to go ahead with chemotherapy even though his cancer was caught relatively early and was completely removed.

“It was important that my doctors and my caregivers really listened to me and included me in the decision-making process, 他们都这么做了,乔评论道。. “我创建了自己的活页夹来记录我所有的约会, 对话, 临床试验信息, 我的帐单, support groups – just about everything you can think of - and that helped keep me on track.”

Joe took advantage of the many free classes offered at Flagler’s Cancer Education & Support Center and says a multi-faceted treatment program is a key component to the healing process.

“在弗拉格勒, 他们为癌症患者提供瑜伽, 创意日志和其他一系列的课程. I took part in as many as I could and I think that really helped me heal both mentally and physically. I also have a wonderful wife and a supportive family, which was a tremendous help.”

今天, Joe says he’s as healthy as a man in his sixties can be and he is looking forward to sharing many more years with his wife and family. He remains committed to being vigilant about taking care of his own health and, 还有斯科特·马丁博士. Soroka鼓励我们社区里所有的男人和女人都这样做.

“I see patients every day who are coming to me because they have symptoms: stomach pain, 血, 弱点, 乏力, unexplained weight loss - and the diagnosis is often a later stage of colon cancer,”医生说。. Soroka. “请不要等待症状. If you are 50 or older and have not been screened schedule your appointment – and if you are any age and have a family history of colon cancer, 今天就和你的医生谈谈. 齐心协力，我们就能预防结肠癌.”