Colon Screening: Cancer Awareness Month

You might have heard about the death of James Van Der Beek from Dawson’s Creek.

He was 48. Or perhaps you remember when Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died on August 28, 2020, at age 43.

I will never forget the message I received from my beloved friend, coach, mentor and business Lawyer Appalenia (Apple) Udell - “Goodbye Brie! I am so glad we got to know each other in this life. Hug emoji…”

The text caught me off guard as I had no idea what was going on with Apple at the time. I text her back “I have been thinking of you! Where are you going??” She was in hospice. She died a week later. 45 years old.

What sews together all of these cases? Stage 4 Colon Cancer.

I met Apple in 2016 and at our first meeting I knew she saw what I dreamed of creating in Direct Osteopathic Primary Care, something different than what was currently out there in healthcare. She was a leader in the DPC movement and she knew that our clinic would be different: holistic and uniquely Osteopathic. She knew I also wanted to follow my values to find a way to continue to accept Medicaid insurance for those who had been following me from practice to practice for years since residency.

She saw my dream, she helped me bring it to life. We had walking meetings & laughing meetings. We advocated together for DPC to become legal in the state of Colorado. We were paving new paths in healthcare, together. I miss her so much.

I turned 45 and got my Cologuard cancer screening promptly, in her honor and in honor of her wonderful husband and two young daughters.

What is the best way to get screened?

The one you will DO! Cologuard is easy - detecting cancer DNA and microscopic blood (a sign of cancer). If it is positive you need a colonoscopy to investigate further. If it is negative you should rescreen in 3 years. It is SO EASY! If you want the gold standard, Colonoscopies can not only detect cancer, they can remove polyps and let you know if your future cancer risk is high - as some polyps can become deadly, while others not as likely. I know that you don’t want the colonoscopy prep, no one does! Think of it as a cleanse. :)

Get screened for colon cancer. It isn’t hard to do. It could save your life.

With Love, Dr Brie