Normalizing Colonoscopies: A Family Tradition
Summary: If 30 is the new 45* for a colonoscopy in certain patients with a family history of colon cancer, then Josh Reinert is all in.
Coming to terms at an early age with the death of a loved one is an indelible milestone. For Josh Reinert, it was the loss of his grandfather on his maternal side. He was 18. 鈥淎t that age you鈥檙e not really friends with a lot of adults, but my grandfather was one of my best friends at that time. He was my buddy,鈥 Josh recalled. 鈥淲e did a lot together.鈥 He remembers helping at the corner store that his grandfather ran in Trexlertown, PA, helping with his vending machine business, and hunting with the man. He also recalls his grandfather鈥檚 severe stomach pain that led to a hospitalization. It was stage 4 colon cancer. 鈥淏y the time they found it, the tumor was very large, and the cancer had already metastasized鈥 he said. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 live long after that; maybe a year.鈥
Curiosity and speculation
Naturally, grief prompts questions like 鈥榳hy鈥? But Josh鈥檚 grandfather鈥檚 death sent him on an investigative journey into family history and disease state. 鈥淎t that point in time I found out that there was colon cancer on both sides of my family,鈥 he said. In his senior year at high school, 鈥淚 decided to write a report on colon cancer 鈥 I wanted to understand the disease, what 鈥榮tage 4鈥 meant, what 鈥榗ancer metastasizing鈥 meant,鈥 as well as the typical prognosis of advanced colon cancer.
He learned that his grandfather鈥檚 experience with colon cancer wasn鈥檛 uncommon; a diminished quality of life that included chemotherapy and a colostomy bag. Josh also contemplated an alternative outcome: What if his grandfather had opted to be screened for colon cancer, as was recommended, nearly a decade before his death?
Joshua Reinert Program Manager Infection Prevention
Center of Excellence - Endoscopic Solutions Division
在线黑料门Corporation
Dermatologist recommended
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Josh鈥檚 father started getting colonoscopies around age 30, on the advice of an unlikely source. 鈥淢y dad went to the dermatologist for a routine skin tag removal,鈥 said Josh. 鈥淪omething on the intake form caused his doctor to recommend that he go for a colonoscopy.鈥 A question related to his father鈥檚 family history of cancer likely led the doctor to nudge him into action.
Josh also investigated further into his family history. 鈥淚n addition to my grandfather on my mom鈥檚 side, I found out that my great grandmother and a great uncle on my dad鈥檚 side also passed away from the disease,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ne of my great aunts on that side also passed away in her 60s from colon cancer, and I ultimately found out that none of the family members that passed away from it had ever been screened.鈥
On the other hand, Josh鈥檚 paternal grandfather and another one of his great aunts on that side of the family, both now deceased, routinely had been screened for colon cancer. They both had colon resections; but neither developed colon cancer, according to Josh. Another of the siblings on that side of the family, Josh鈥檚 great aunt, has been undergoing regular colonoscopies for decades and is 鈥渟till trucking at 96,鈥 he added.
Josh鈥檚 father still gets routine colonoscopies. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in his mid- to late-60s, has been screened for 30+ years, and continues to do it to prevent cancer,鈥 said Josh. His father鈥檚 routine also made Josh鈥檚 decision to get screened a simple one.
It鈥檚 time!
When Josh turned 30 he was resolved to get his first colonoscopy. 鈥淚 think seeing my dad go every three years just normalized it for me,鈥 said Josh. Although he does recall his friends鈥 initial reactions when he told them of his plans. 鈥淭hey were like, wait, you鈥檙e going for a colonoscopy? What is wrong with you?鈥
The good news for Josh is that nothing was wrong, and he鈥檚 certain it was the right time to start. 鈥淲hen I told the doctor about my history, he said, 鈥業鈥檓 glad you took the initiative to come in because this is truly a life-saving procedure for somebody with this type of history.鈥欌
Keeping up with traditions
Josh is a prep pro now. 鈥淚 just had my fourth exam. I鈥檝e had polyps removed in the past,鈥 he said, adding that while his last exam was clear and that his doctor said that he was 鈥済ood for another five years,鈥 he doesn鈥檛 want to take any chances. 鈥淏ased on my family history, I鈥檓 going to talk to the doctor and get it put back on the three-year schedule,鈥 he said.
For Josh, colonoscopy screening is a 鈥渘o-brainer鈥 given the alternative. And he feels that working at 在线黑料门brings his story full circle鈥攈e admits to asking his gastroenterologist which scope models the facility uses as he is curious whether or not the facility is using the newest Olympus庐 technology.
In terms of his legacy to his children, he continues 鈥渘ormalizing鈥 regular colonoscopies to prevent colorectal cancer. He said he makes it a point for his nine-year-old daughter and his six-year-old son to know why he gets screened, along with their grandfather and uncle, Josh鈥檚 older brother. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing it to stay healthy, and that鈥檚 why we go,鈥 he explains to them. 鈥淚 want to be here as long as possible.鈥
If anyone has normalized colonoscopy for Josh鈥檚 family it鈥檚 96-year-old great aunt. 鈥淪he has been getting screened since her 50s,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think it points to the fact that with our family history, if you do get screened early, you鈥檙e able to catch [colon cancer] early and not have it be the reason you鈥檙e no longer here.鈥
“She has been getting screened since her 50s,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think it points to the fact that with our family history, if you do get screened early, you鈥檙e able to catch [colon cancer] early and not have it be the reason you鈥檙e no longer here.”
*Colon cancer screening guidelines from the and the support colon cancer screening for adults from 45 to 75 years of age who are at average risk for developing colon cancer. Adults with a family history may benefit from earlier and more frequent screening, which should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
Josh Reinert is an employee of 在线黑料门, Inc. The statements contained herein are his experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Please talk to your doctor regarding this important topic.
