Stacey works as a procedure scheduler at Granite Peaks Gastroenterology. When she was thirty years old and pregnant with her youngest child, she found a lump in her breast. The lump turned out to be cancerous, and it didn’t look good for Stacey. But after going through harsh chemotherapy and treatment, Stacey is a cancer survivor.
Eight years later, Stacey began working at Granite Peaks Gastroenterology. “At the time, I was desperately needing a job,” she says, “but I wasn’t happy about it…all I could think about was how upset I was to be talking to patients about their bowel habits all day.” Little did she know that her new job would be a blessing in disguise. Stacey tells us:
“One morning, I was chatting with a new coworker about my battles with breast cancer. One of our doctors, Dr. Heiner, overheard the conversation and asked me if I had ever had a colonoscopy. Shocked, I sternly replied, ‘I am thirty-eight years old, no I have not had a colonoscopy!’ He told me that breast cancer and colon cancer are very closely related, and the next thing I know, he’s scheduled me for a procedure the very next day.”
“So there I was, about to have a colonoscopy performed by my employer, wondering how I was going to go into work to face him after he’s seen my best side. As the sedation wore off and I woke up, Dr. Heiner was there smiling and proud and said, ‘The colonoscopy just saved your life.’ He went on to explain that he had found precancerous polyps and that I would have never made it to forty if I hadn’t had the procedure.”
“Thirteen years later and I am still here, a cancer survivor, preaching to the choir every single day. I have had five colonoscopies since and have had precancerous polyps each time. I can’t begin to tell people how important [colonoscopy screening] is. That’s why I love my job so much, I love sharing my story to help people understand and spread colon cancer awareness.”
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the U.S.. But when colorectal cancer is diagnosed early, the 5 year survival rate is 90%. Screening and early detection saves lives. Schedule a colonoscopy with Granite Peaks Gastroenterology today.