Colonoscopy may be ‘inconvenient’ but necessary
Nick Neal has a message for anyone delaying their colonoscopy: make the appointment.
“I totally get it – it’s inconvenient, it’s uncomfortable,” he said. “But for the minor inconvenience it causes, the potential downside is too high of a risk.”
The Valparaiso resident was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in March of 2025, underwent treatment and has a good prognosis because the cancer was caught early.
Nick, who works in the fire suppression industry, keeps up on maintenance and regular checks for his house and cars, so he figured he should treat his body the same way.
When he approached age 45, he talked with his primary care physician about a colonoscopy referral, knowing medical experts lowered the recommended colorectal cancer screening age from 50 to 45 after an uptick in deaths in younger people.
“I had no symptoms, no urgency,” Nick said.
He made an appointment with Powers Health Medical Group gastroenterologist Mark Fesenmyer, MD, for a colonoscopy.
“They found four polyps,” Nick said. “Three were non-issues, but one was of pretty serious concern. Dr. Fesenmyer’s bedside manner and professionalism and his team were very good.”
They cautioned that biopsy findings could take a week or longer, but Nick learned the results two days later.
Over a span of two weeks, he turned 45, underwent a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with cancer. It was caught at Stage T1/T2, which is among the earliest stages of colorectal cancer. Further scans and testing showed no signs of other cancer in his body.
Nick underwent surgery on May 5, 2025 to have the cancer removed. For three months, as his body healed from surgery, waste was diverted to an ileostomy bag. By July, he was free of the temporary bag.
“I’m feeling good now,” he said. “There was no cancer beyond the resection cut.”
The flurry of medical appointments and testing has waned, and his prognosis is favorable.
“He is doing well and is being closely monitored with follow-up testing,” Fesenmyer said. “Everything has been coming back within range.”
By October, Nick had returned to some light landscaping and other projects around his house.
Nick, who has no family history of colorectal cancer, is grateful for his family’s support and for his medical team’s guidance. He hopes others will use his experience as motivation to stay on top of their health tests.
“Definitely get your regular checks,” Nick said. “I know people put them off, but try your best not to.”
Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer in both women and men. Most patients do not experience symptoms early on, when the cancer is most treatable.
“If a patient has symptoms that might suggest colon cancer, such as bleeding, a change in the shape or size of their stool, change in the frequency of bowel movements, abdominal pain or bloating, they need to speak with their physician,” Fesenmyer said.
A stool test and a colonoscopy are the two ways to screen for colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy is the best test for average-risk patients and the only option for those who have an elevated risk, Fesenmyer said.
Polyps, which are precancerous mole-like growths on the lining of the colon, can be removed during the colonoscopy and biopsied. If no polyps are found and the patient’s risk of developing colon cancer is average, the next screening can wait for 10 years.
The second screening option for those with an average risk of colon/colorectal cancer is a stool test called Cologuard.
“This test looks for certain DNA markers and for blood in the stool that can indicate someone has a polyp or cancer in the colon,” Fesenmyer said. “If the Cologuard test returns positive, a colonoscopy is required for further examination.”
Factors that increase colorectal cancer risk include eating meats that are grilled, broiled or fried; a family history of the disease; smoking; consuming a diet high in red meat and processed meats; drinking alcohol; and being overweight or obese.
