The gastroenterologist that did the initial colonoscopy, told him he wished my son had come to see him 10 years earlier, but then went on to say, it probably wouldn't have mattered, because they don't begin screening anyone at 38, which is how old he would have been at the time. My Dad had colon polyps twice, was a smoker, but none of them were ever cancerous. He eventually died of lung cancer though. So did my Mom and one of my sisters.
My youngest son started smoking in his teens. I was the only one in my family that never smoked, yet I've had my own problems with diverticulitis, which caused a perforated bowel in 2010. I ended up with a temporary colostomy, which was reversed three months later. I've never had any polyps, nor has my other son who has never smoked, but he has suffered from IBS over the years. Because of my father's polyps, we both began getting screened at the age of 50.
I want people to know how important it is, that if anyone has a history of polyps in their family, they should be screened as early as possible.
We have colon cancer in my family, too. I got my first colonoscopy at 43. No cancerous polyps so far.
Thanks for sharing that, you may save a life with that advice.