There was a photo on a local magazine a few years back of a little boy climbing inside a colon. Well, not a real colon, mind you, but a 40-foot inflatable one? I did, and it hurt from where I was sitting.
No, it hurt that I read that colorectal cancer is the no. 1 killer behind lung disease. Breast is next, followed by pancreatic and prostate. And they are among the most preventable. I've had one of them and am on the road to recovery and got checked today for another.
Disneyworld and Universal are among the nation's leading destinations, and most people would rather journey on the Magic Mountain roller coaster than bounce around a walk-in colon - but testing has no height and weight requirements, and there are no "E" tickets issued for this theme ride.
I went down to the downtown Phoenix location and climbed inside the colon and it was fascinating. Not exactly cocktail party conversation at most summer soirees, but one worth noting and one worth urging people I know, to see what's going on in their bodies.
So, I scheduled one here in Arizona. They say preparation is the worst part - and they are right - but I went ahead, and 30 minutes after a procedure that was not scary, horrible or terribly uncomfortable, I was given a five-year clean bill of health and celebrated at my local deli with a double-decker corned beef sandwich that I felt I richly deserved.
In 2014, after I had to remind my doctor to take my PSA, they discovered I had Stage 1 prostate cancer. My father had it and lived another 20 years, passing away at 80 and still playing tennis. After 48 radiation treatments, and no side effects, I'm seeing my numbers drop. I'm lucky that everything still works well and I am hopeful. Again, had I not checked, I would not have known.
It was then that I fired off e-mail to my male friends, 50 and above, and told them that the bark is worse than the bite (except for the biopsy) and encouraged them to go for tests. When symptoms appear, it is often too late.
We take preventative measures here with a monsoon by moving our patio furniture inside and we 'summer-ize' our cars so we don't overheat when the temperature hits 117 - but go to a doctor and ask we be tested to prevent dying? Well, somehow, we of the male species would rather not be explored digitally because it's just not something we do.
Fast forward to late August 2015, I counted from 1 to 1800 in one-second intervals as I spent my time in the enclosed MRI 'coffin' for another Breast exam, a follow up to my mammogram and ultrasound a few weeks ago, after something didn't feel right. Early results were negative but I'm leaving nothing to chance.
For the men out there, this is much more than a recap of my medical history. It's a cautionary tale that if you're too manly to see what's going on with your body, heed my advice: Check it don't Neglect it.
The Dow is struggling this week, yet without seeking out advice on my own physical health, no amount of personal wealth would matter. Last I heard, you can't take it with you. But if you wise up, you can certainly make it last.