If you feel ill with fever, flu-like symptoms or respiratory illness, please call us to reschedule your appointment. Please Do Not Bring Children Under age 16 to Appointments.

Meet Colon Cancer Survivor Ben

At age 59, Ben noticed he had been experiencing subtle changes in his bowel movements for the past nine months. He decided to talk with his internist about his symptoms. Ben’s internal medicine physician mentioned that he was very overdue for his colonoscopy screening. Since Ben didn’t have a family history of colon cancer, he should have had a colonoscopy done at age 50. Knowing he could not put it off any longer, Ben scheduled a colonoscopy with a gastroenterologist.

Ben’s colonoscopy revealed a large cancerous polyp that had gone through the colon wall and spread into his lymph system. Faced with a diagnosis of Stage IVA colon cancer, his chances of survival were lower than he hoped for.

With his gastroenterologist’s support, Ben was optimistic that he could beat colon cancer. He had surgery to remove the section of the colon containing the cancer, along with the lymph nodes. Six months of chemotherapy was the next step in his brave fight against colon cancer. During those hard days of chemo treatment and its challenging side effects, Ben maintained his positive attitude and was determined to be a colon cancer survivor.

Ben is now 75 years old and his follow-up colonoscopies have not shown any recurrence of cancer. Ben IS a colon cancer survivor — and he wants everyone to know just how important colorectal screening is. Colonoscopy screening is vital for those aged 50 and older, having abnormal bowel movements, or with a family history of cancer. Get a colonoscopy. It can save your life, just as it did Ben’s.

Call Granite Peaks GI today to schedule your colonoscopy at (801) 619-9000 or request an appointment online.

 

March 31, 2014 and Beyond…

Today is the last day of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, but that doesn’t mean the fight against colon cancer stops today. Here are some things you can do to help yourself, your family, and your friends:

  • Get Screened!  If you’re 50 and over, schedule your screening colonoscopy today.  It could save your life.
  • If you have a family history of colon cancer, the US Preventative Services Task Force recommends screening starting at age 40 for those with a high-risk, or 10 years earlier than the youngest age of colon cancer diagnosis for any affected relative.
  • Colon Cancer is 80% preventable when detected early, but is still the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
  • If you’ve been screened, good job! Now spread the word through social media, blogs and word of mouth. We need your help to inform others.

Learn about the symptoms:

Colon Cancer typically has no symptoms.  If you have any two of the following symptoms, call your gastroenterologist immediately to discuss screening and other options:

  • Rectal bleeding
  • Weight loss with no known reason
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea, constipation or narrower stools than usual
  • Bowel never feels empty
  • Blood in stool (bright red or very dark)
  • Persistent cramps, gas, pain, or feeling full or bloated.

Contact Granite Peaks to schedule your appointment!  Follow this link (https://www.granitepeaksgi.com/service/colonoscopy-screening/) and select “Book Appointment” at the top of the page to schedule your colon cancer screenings.  You may also call us at (801) 619-9000. If you have questions or need more information, here are additional resources for you:

Screening Colonoscopy Information (Granite Peaks)

Colon Cancer Alliance

 

Dress in Blue, Presidential Proclamation & Screening Day

On February 28th, 2014, President Barack Obama proclaimed March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and said, “I encourage all citizens, government agencies, private businesses, non-profit organizations, and other groups to join in activities that will increase awareness and prevention of colorectal cancer.” (Click for full Proclamation)

In an effort to raise awareness for colon cancer, today (the first Friday of March) is National Dress in Blue Day.  Why Blue you ask?  According to the Colon Cancer Alliance , “the nationally-recognized blue star represents the eternal memory of the people whose lives have been lost to the disease and the shining hope for a future free of colon cancer.”

In addition to National Dress in Blue Day, March 7th, 2014 is also National Colonoscopy Screening Day! Click to watch a video to learn what a colonoscopy screening is really like.  Here’s a hint: it’s much easier than you are imagining. 

  • Colorectral cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.
  • Your likelihood is 1 in 20 (this will vary based on family history, first degree relatives, and lifestyle)
  • 136,000: the number of new cases of colorectal cancer each year in the U.S.
  • 1 in 3 American adults (roughly 23 million) aren’t screened for colon cancer, as recommended.
  • Colon cancer is 80% curable when detected early, and most colon cancers can be prevented with appropriate screening.
  • Colon cancer claims more than 50,000 Americans each year.
  • The recommended age for a screening is 50, however, if you have a family history of colon cancer, your first screening should be 10 years before the relative was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Please call Granite Peaks Gastroenterology to get scheduled for your colonoscopy, if not for you, do it for those you love.  

Phone: (801) 619-9000 or simply request an appointment by clicking here

Happy Colon Cancer Awareness Month!

Welcome to March, National Colon Cancer Awareness Month!

  • Colon Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.
  • On average, your risk is about 1 in 20 (varies according to individual risk factors, i.e., family history)
  • 90% of new cases occur in people 50 or older, however, colon cancer does not discriminate and can happen to men and women at any age. Colonoscopy screening at this age is crucial.
  • People with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or offspring) who has colon cancer have two to three times the risk of developing the disease.
  • Currently, there are more than one million colon cancer survivors in the U.S.

Upcoming Events:

Granite Peaks Gastroenterologist, Dr. Kyle Barnett will be doing interviews on throughout March to raise awareness for colon cancer.

  • March 11th: Channel 4 mid-day
  • March 13th: Channel 2 afternoon
  • March 19th: Channel 5 afternoon

Granite Peaks Gastroenterology accepts all insurance plans and performs screening colonoscopies at the following locations:

Schedule your life-saving procedure by calling (801) 619-9000, then press number 1 when prompted. You can also request an appointment by clicking here. Someone will contact you within 24 hours of submitting your request. Schedule an appointment today, if not for you, do it for those you love. 

Learn about our Endoscopy Center by clicking here.

Let My Heartache Be Your Wake-Up Call

“I miss his hands. He had these really strong, loving hands that always made me feel safe. When I see others with similar hands, I always think of my dad,” reflects Jenny Chavez, who lost her dad, Joe, to colon cancer four years ago. “He really should still be here. We still need him,” adds Jenny, who regrets that they were not more aware of this kind of cancer and how easy it is to prevent.

Joe was the loving patriarch of a family that included six kids and a plethora of grandchildren as well as stepchildren and step grandchildren. He babysat his grandchildren and surprised them with mini-adventures. Jenny’s son, Cameron, was always close to his grandfather’s side. “Dad called Cameron his little sidekick,” recalls Jenny, pointing out her dad’s enthusiasm for family road trips and adventures hiking or riding snowmobiles or four-wheelers. “He embraced life and loved his life,” says Jenny. “He worked hard and played hard always including his family.”

Despite Joe’s enthusiasm for life, he was stubborn about going to doctors. “He was a tough guy and always had the attitude of ‘I’m fine, I can handle this,’” admits Jenny. She attributes some of his hesitancy to seeking out medical care to being self-employed and scarce health insurance options. Joe was an electrical contractor. It was only when Jenny found him at home, feverish and sick and barely being able to walk, that she got him to the hospital. He was diagnosed with diverticulitis and an infection had formed; when the doctors went to drain the abscess they found a tumor. He had Stage 4 colon cancer and passed away four years later at 60.

“If he had gone in for a colonoscopy at 50, which would have been six years prior to the diagnosis, I honestly believe that it would have saved his life or at least caught the cancer earlier allowing for a better prognosis.” Jenny laments that she knew so little about the importance of colon cancer screenings yet was well-educated and diligent regarding screenings for breast cancer. No one in her family had ever had colon cancer before.

“I would have really pressed my dad to get screened if I had been more educated,” says Jenny, who now reminds her brothers regularly to get screened as they approach 40 (the age appropriated to those with a family history). She herself has had three colonoscopies as a result of other conditions. “It’s so easy, especially considering the alternative. Watching my dad die was painful.” Jenny talks openly now with her children and other family members about the screenings and being more educated about the risks of colon cancer in their family. “My kids know as they get older that this is just something we do—it is part of the routine of how we take care of ourselves,” explains Jenny.

When Jenny misses her father—especially on his birthday or Father’s Day—she visits his grave or re-visits memories or meditates to be with him again. Grateful for what he modeled, Jenny has learned to live life in a similar way. Joe was a fair and honest man who put a high value on integrity and put 100% into everything. Jenny adds, “he showed up unconditionally for others; always available as a support system for others.”

“Taking care of yourself is not only about you; it is about everyone that surrounds you,” stresses Jenny. “If you were to be gone, how is that going to affect the people that love you?”

Let My Heartache be Your Wake-up Call is part of a Centers for Disease Control Campaign to build awareness about the importance of colon cancer screenings. 

 

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