‘It saved my life:’ Nanaimo man preaches proactive stance to beat colon cancer

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‘Don’t ignore it, if there’s blood where there shouldn’t be blood and they detected it, get yourself checked out. It saved my life, plain and simply it saved my life.”

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An estimated 1,300 people will die in the province this year from colon cancer this year.

Early detection of the second deadliest form of cancer in Canada leads to a 90 per cent survival rate.

Despite the fact Satermo’s wife is a nurse, he didn’t want a colonoscopy.

Satermo tried to convince himself he didn’t need it despite “abnormalities” in a stool sample.

“I certainly wasn’t thrilled about having a colonoscopy, I don’t think anybody in the right mind would say, ‘hey let’s go have one.’”

Satermo’s resistance to the colonoscopy procedure is all too common.

BC Cancer Colon Screening Program medical director Dr. Jennifer Telford said feelings of anxiety and embarrassment are barriers preventing many at-risk patients from taking ownership of their health.

“It’s really another part of your body and people need to be accepting of that and know that a preventative mindset is preserving their good health,” Telford said.

Dr. Telford said colon cancer often doesn’t present visible symptoms of blood in stool samples.

“When you’re well you really do need the screening because you won’t have symptoms that will trigger you to seek medical attention, that’s when screening becomes really important.”

She said an estimated 35 to 40 per cent of British Columbians in the at-risk age group have done the home screening test since the program rolled out late in 2013. Tests are available through a family doctor or health professional.

“We want to get those numbers higher,” Telford said, who noted the number of Canadians dying from colon cancer has fallen slightly in recent years.

Satermo said his at times stressful, but life-saving experience with the province’s primary healthcare system was a blessing.

The father of three and grandfather to three more said he no longer shrugs off the value of regular health check-ups, particularly as he gets older.

“If going in for yearly or even bi-yearly colonoscopies means I get to play with the grand children and wake up every morning and be cancer free, it’s worth every single thing that I’ve done,” Satermo said.

The Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation reports construction of a second surgical suite to expand colonoscopy capacity on the mid island is expected to begin at the end of the month. The new $3.1 million addition at Nanaimo Hospital primarily for colonoscopies is scheduled to take one year to construct.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes