On June 20, 2017, shortly after having an annual physical, my doctor scheduled me for a routine colonoscopy at a clinic near our home in Livonia, Michigan. This was my third colonoscopy, so I was comfortable with the required prep work and procedure.

Before the procedure, the doctor said that the entire process would take approximately 20-30 minutes at the most. After the procedure, I was taken to the recovery room where my wife was waiting for me. Shortly after I awoke, the gastroenterologist walked into the room to report his findings. The procedure took a little over 1 hour and 15 minutes. At that point, I knew that something was wrong. He told me that he found a growth inside my colon and proceeded to show me photos taken of my colon during the colonoscopy.  He said that he was fairly certain that it was cancerous and during the procedure he asked several other specialists to view my results and share their medical opinions. They all agreed that it was colon cancer.  He advised me to immediately schedule an appointment for a consultation with an Oncologist.

I will never forget the day that my wife and I met with the Oncologist. My appointment date was five days before I was planning to compete in the Motor City Triathlon at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. This would be my second triathlon.  I trained by biking 20-25 miles per day and spending up to one hour, 3-4 times a week, swimming at the recreation center. At the meeting with the Oncologist, it was confirmed that I was in Stage 2 of colon cancer and the recommendation was that I have surgery to remove the tumor.  For cancer patients, the word “staging” is used to describe the level to which a cancerous tumor has grown and how far (if at all) it has spread. After the initial diagnosis and depending on the outcome of any recommended surgery, a treatment plan would be devised.