By Brenda Cannon Henley
“You can gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'” – Eleanor Roosevelt
A danger of writing a printed personal column for more than half a century is that you come to know, love, and respect many of your faithful readers. Some of them begin to feel that they know you and your family well because of the many stories they have read over the years. I have several illustrations of this very thing happening to me and my family.

Most of the time, these experiences are fun, rewarding, and encouraging. Only a very few times in my writing career have I had a bad or unhealthy reaction to a column. That happened last week when a woman reader was hurt that I had not confided in her, and thousands more, concerning my recent health journey. A personal column is vastly different than a news article because, well, you can be personal.

With those thoughts in mind, let me bring you up to date. I also share this report hoping to help save lives.

The second week I lived in Florida, I took a small fall in my bedroom. I was exhausted from the move, wasn’t totally familiar with the new house, and woke up around 3:00 AM very thirsty. Planning to go to the refrigerator in the kitchen, I literally missed the door to the hall, and instead, fell into my closet. I did not think I was hurt except for a badly scraped knee. I got my water, cleaned up my knee, and went back to bed.

All was fine. Two days later, I started losing blood. I knew it was not a female issue, and passed it off as something from the move or the fall. The bleeding continued and on a Wednesday night at church, I became more ill and was taken to the ER at a large hospital near my new home. A really good physician examined me thoroughly, ran a battery of tests, and prescribed an antibiotic, and my discharge instructions included a visit to a specialist in gastrointestinal illnesses. The diagnosis was ulcerative colitis made by the ER team.

Let me insert here – I am seldom ill. My basic contribution to the medical community has been the birth of three chikdren. When I am interviewed by a new nurse or doctor, they generally do not believe I have such a short medical history and only take two medications. They want more and point to the large tote bags my fellow patients have with the for their medications.

I honestly never dreamed I was ill. Condensing three months of doctor visits, two Invasive Colonoscopies, some anxious moments waiting on lab results, I found I had very large polyps growing in my colon, but I had never had pain.

A skilled surgeon removed the polyps and while I was beginning to wake up in the OR/Recovery Room, I heard the surgeon say, “That one is cancer I am sure.” He had been doing this work 45 years and the lab confirmed he was right.

Let me say that I consider myself to be a brave girl, but that word, cancer, will rock your boat. It was especially eventful to me since my husband battled the dread disease and died from it five years ago.

The surgeon believed he got it all, but the bleeding continued. He was concerned and I have grown to admire his talent. So, last Wednesday, July 17, I underwent a second Invasive Colonoscopy, and he again found “something.” We are waiting again on lab results.

I had a colonoscopy, required by my insurance, three years ago and passed with flying colors. When the labs came back the first time, I was told that the polyp where the cancer was found was huge. The surgeon said it looked like a ten year growth rather than the three years since last checked.

I urge you to read my story, pick up the phone, and make an appointment today for your own testing. It can happen to any of us, I promise. Will keep you posted on these results.

Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at 409-781-8788, or
[email protected]

[7-29-2019]