Chapter 3
During the next few days I became determined I was not going anywhere anytime soon. Cancer was not going to win this fight. Besides, I had a Stanley Cup parade I needed to attend before I died.
When I think of all the things I would miss most dying from cancer. Things like walking my daughter down the aisle. My future life with Sherry and perhaps some grandchildren or traveling. At first none of those life events even popped into my head.
When I think of all the things I would miss most dying from cancer. Things like walking my daughter down the aisle. My future life with Sherry and perhaps some grandchildren or traveling. At first none of those life events even popped into my head.
Not one of them.
It was only the Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup parade which I was determined to be sticking around for.
I knew that I was in for a huge fight, but I was long overdue for a good fight.
So cancer bring it on.
Once diagnosed no cancer patient truly knows their outcome. Cancer is a horrible disease and cancer is a crapshoot. Cancer does not care how much money you have or what God if any you pray to. Cancer does not care how old you are or if you are a good or bad person.
I knew that I was in for a huge fight, but I was long overdue for a good fight.
So cancer bring it on.
Once diagnosed no cancer patient truly knows their outcome. Cancer is a horrible disease and cancer is a crapshoot. Cancer does not care how much money you have or what God if any you pray to. Cancer does not care how old you are or if you are a good or bad person.
Cancer plays no favorites.
It is not until treatments, surgery and possibly more treatments before I would be able to get a handle as to whether I would be attending any future parades.
Colorectal cancer is the third biggest killer of all cancers right behind lung and breast cancer. Actually, being diagnosed with colorectal cancer could be a blessing in disguise.
Let me explain.
Colon cancer has made major strides in improving mortality rates especially over the last couple of decades. Thirty years ago my diagnosis would have seen me perhaps getting my affairs in order.
It is also one of the cancers that have become an epidemic worldwide. Billions of dollars have gone into research over the last two decades. Billions of dollars towards bettering the odds for guys like me today.
This might sound outrageous, but if I was destined to get cancer in my lifetime, colorectal cancer if caught early was a good one to get.
A week or so passed, Sherry and I were now sitting in Dr. G's office. Once again everything was explained in complete detail, but this time with large colored charts. My tumour had started as a small polyp probably about ten or so years earlier. It slowly grew with no symptoms until it became too large and it started to affect my bowel movements.
By this time it was now cancerous and life threatening.
Had I had my first colonoscopy at age fifty like it is recommended then perhaps my tumour would have just been an overly large precancerous polyp. It could easily have been removed. Perhaps this cancer I was now going to deal with could have been prevented with a bit of due diligence on my part.
Then again maybe not.
I was not averse to seeing a doctor since I had moved to Bracebridge back in 2004. I never had my own family doctor so I went for my yearly physicals at one of the local clinics in town. I was assigned to Dr. B who I would see on all my visits.
I never realized just how incompetent Dr. B was until I was in his office with blood in my stool.
I left without the medication and headed back over to the clinic. I was determined to have one of the other doctors see me which was arranged. All my stool samples came back negative a few days later so a colonoscopy would be next on my to-do list.
Back in 2007 after my annual physical Dr. B says right out of the blue he thinks I should have a colonoscopy. I knew age fifty was when the Provincial guidelines recommended having your first scope; I was only forty-seven. Dr. B made me an appointment to see a Dr. C who was then a general surgeon in town.
Did he maybe feel something with his gloved finger during my physical?
After I was diagnosed I requested my health records and discovered that the Ontario Ministry of Health had paid Dr. C $81.60 for my less than five minute consultation on that morning.
Later I learned that Dr. B had sent others in Bracebridge to that same doctor for the same consultation. All went through the same little five minute charade like I did and were all sent home.
But, now I had rectal cancer.
I was not too eager to have a colonoscopy back in 2007. However, maybe this whole cancer diagnosis might have been prevented had Dr. C done my first scope at age forty-seven when Dr. B referred me to see her.
I could not imagine dealing with Dr. C now that I had cancer after she turned me away six years earlier. She eventually left Bracebridge and would be replaced by Dr. G.
Good riddance.
Doctors are like any profession and they have both their good and bad. I got a bad one, actually I got two bad ones. There are also good and bad Pharmacists and I got a good one.
It is not until treatments, surgery and possibly more treatments before I would be able to get a handle as to whether I would be attending any future parades.
Colorectal cancer is the third biggest killer of all cancers right behind lung and breast cancer. Actually, being diagnosed with colorectal cancer could be a blessing in disguise.
Let me explain.
Colon cancer has made major strides in improving mortality rates especially over the last couple of decades. Thirty years ago my diagnosis would have seen me perhaps getting my affairs in order.
It is also one of the cancers that have become an epidemic worldwide. Billions of dollars have gone into research over the last two decades. Billions of dollars towards bettering the odds for guys like me today.
This might sound outrageous, but if I was destined to get cancer in my lifetime, colorectal cancer if caught early was a good one to get.
A week or so passed, Sherry and I were now sitting in Dr. G's office. Once again everything was explained in complete detail, but this time with large colored charts. My tumour had started as a small polyp probably about ten or so years earlier. It slowly grew with no symptoms until it became too large and it started to affect my bowel movements.
By this time it was now cancerous and life threatening.
Had I had my first colonoscopy at age fifty like it is recommended then perhaps my tumour would have just been an overly large precancerous polyp. It could easily have been removed. Perhaps this cancer I was now going to deal with could have been prevented with a bit of due diligence on my part.
Then again maybe not.
I was not averse to seeing a doctor since I had moved to Bracebridge back in 2004. I never had my own family doctor so I went for my yearly physicals at one of the local clinics in town. I was assigned to Dr. B who I would see on all my visits.
I never realized just how incompetent Dr. B was until I was in his office with blood in my stool.
Every year like clockwork I would get my annual physical. It was mostly because I wanted to have my heart and blood work including my cholesterol checked. I already had borderline high cholesterol levels. I was continually monitoring those levels because of the heart issues on my father’s side of the family and I just wanted to stay on top of them.
I swear I never remember Dr. B taking longer than ten minutes to complete any physical. He was always quick and each physical always ended with the gloved finger digital rectal exam. I would then go see the nurse in the back room where she drew the blood samples for the lab and did the EKG.
Even though I always had an appointment, I still spent most of my time in the waiting room on my visits to the clinic.
It was Dr. B who I had first seen when blood began appearing in my stool back in August 2013. Without any rectal examination and after telling him my issues, he immediately determined that I had pinworms and handed me a script. I remember my daughter Stephanie got pinworms in daycare when she was a toddler.
I could live with a pinworm diagnosis.
Two weeks passed and once again I had gone back to see Dr. B with the same issues. His immediate response was to take more of the pinworm medication.
Now, this is probably the most critical part of my journey.
I went back to the pharmacist to get the second dose of pinworm medication. The pharmacist remembered me and he quickly came out of his office.
He was firm as he addressed me.
“You don’t have pinworms. If you did then that first dose of medication would've taken care of it. You are over fifty years old with blood in your stool and your doctor did no examination…YOU NEED TO GET YOURSELF CHECKED OUT PROPERLY....NOW!!!!”
Holy shit!
I swear I never remember Dr. B taking longer than ten minutes to complete any physical. He was always quick and each physical always ended with the gloved finger digital rectal exam. I would then go see the nurse in the back room where she drew the blood samples for the lab and did the EKG.
Even though I always had an appointment, I still spent most of my time in the waiting room on my visits to the clinic.
It was Dr. B who I had first seen when blood began appearing in my stool back in August 2013. Without any rectal examination and after telling him my issues, he immediately determined that I had pinworms and handed me a script. I remember my daughter Stephanie got pinworms in daycare when she was a toddler.
I could live with a pinworm diagnosis.
Two weeks passed and once again I had gone back to see Dr. B with the same issues. His immediate response was to take more of the pinworm medication.
Now, this is probably the most critical part of my journey.
I went back to the pharmacist to get the second dose of pinworm medication. The pharmacist remembered me and he quickly came out of his office.
He was firm as he addressed me.
“You don’t have pinworms. If you did then that first dose of medication would've taken care of it. You are over fifty years old with blood in your stool and your doctor did no examination…YOU NEED TO GET YOURSELF CHECKED OUT PROPERLY....NOW!!!!”
Holy shit!
I left without the medication and headed back over to the clinic. I was determined to have one of the other doctors see me which was arranged. All my stool samples came back negative a few days later so a colonoscopy would be next on my to-do list.
Back in 2007 after my annual physical Dr. B says right out of the blue he thinks I should have a colonoscopy. I knew age fifty was when the Provincial guidelines recommended having your first scope; I was only forty-seven. Dr. B made me an appointment to see a Dr. C who was then a general surgeon in town.
Did he maybe feel something with his gloved finger during my physical?
Perhaps that was why he was referring me to this doctor three years before I was even due for my first scope. I found this very strange, but I kept my October 22nd appointment.
I got there exactly at 9 am.
The doctor greeted me as she walked into the office.
I got there exactly at 9 am.
The doctor greeted me as she walked into the office.
“So what brings you here?” she asked.
“Dr. B sent me to have a colonoscopy,” I replied,
“Dr. B sent me to have a colonoscopy,” I replied,
I remember thinking she should’ve already known why I was in her office. Afterall this was not a clinic, I needed a referral to see her.
“Do you have any symptoms?” was her next question.
“No, none at all, everything is good” I replied
“Do you have any family history?”
“Nope”
“Then you don’t need a colonoscopy,” she told me.
My consultation was over in less than five minutes.
“Do you have any symptoms?” was her next question.
“No, none at all, everything is good” I replied
“Do you have any family history?”
“Nope”
“Then you don’t need a colonoscopy,” she told me.
My consultation was over in less than five minutes.
After I was diagnosed I requested my health records and discovered that the Ontario Ministry of Health had paid Dr. C $81.60 for my less than five minute consultation on that morning.
Later I learned that Dr. B had sent others in Bracebridge to that same doctor for the same consultation. All went through the same little five minute charade like I did and were all sent home.
But, now I had rectal cancer.
I was not too eager to have a colonoscopy back in 2007. However, maybe this whole cancer diagnosis might have been prevented had Dr. C done my first scope at age forty-seven when Dr. B referred me to see her.
I could not imagine dealing with Dr. C now that I had cancer after she turned me away six years earlier. She eventually left Bracebridge and would be replaced by Dr. G.
Good riddance.
Doctors are like any profession and they have both their good and bad. I got a bad one, actually I got two bad ones. There are also good and bad Pharmacists and I got a good one.
No, I actually I got a great one.