Leonard Eichhorn did what most patients do when they don't want a certain routine medical procedure- he ignored it and hoped it would go away.
Almost three years later, after constant reminding from Elizabeth Johnson-Bailey, his primary care manager at Lyster, Eichhorn scheduled his colonoscopy, which is a recommended procedure for those ages 50 and up, done every 10 years to check for colon cancer.
"I didn't think I needed it. I didn't have time. I didn't want something invasive done," he said. "The truth is I was worried they really would find something wrong with me."
Even through all the excuses, Eichhorn said his doctor was able to convince him that he needed to schedule an appointment.
"She reminded me every time I saw her and told me it was important," he said. "I finally decided to schedule it because she really cares about her patients, and I felt like I was letting her down, that I wasn't upholding my end of the doc/patient relationship."
Johnson-Bailey has taken care of Eichhorn since she started working at Lyster and said, "Even when we agreed to disagree, I felt it best to reinforce the key points each visit of the importance of having his colonoscopy done."
During the procedure, the doctor found and removed three polyps, one of which is known to lead to colon cancer, Eichhorn said.
He was relieved to know that the potentially cancerous polyp wasn't yet a problem and was also happy that the doctor didn't find anything worse, he said.
"If I would have put the procedure off longer, or not had it at all, there is a very real chance that I could have developed colon cancer," he said. "The outcome from that would be much worse."
After the procedure, he was surprised at how easy and pain-free it was, he said, adding the only thing he felt was hunger from not being able to eat the night before the procedure.
Knowing what he does now, he recommends that people needing a colonoscopy not put it off.
"Everybody needs to have the procedure for over 50 screening," he said, adding he will have another follow-up colonoscopy in three years because of the doctor's findings.
His advice to those who are uneasy about the procedure is to "just do it and know where you stand for internal health." He also recommends a good bathroom book to read during the at-home preparation phase.
If you are over 50 and are unsure if you need a colonoscopy, please contact your primary care manager by calling Lyster at 334-255-7000.
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