Get Screened –It’s Worth the Trouble

Marie Gynane-Willis grew up without her mother, who died young of colorectal cancer. Now Marie wants to encourage everybody with a family history of colorectal cancer to get screened regularly, so others don't have to grow up without a parent. Here's her story.

I was just one month shy of my fifth birthday when my mother died from colorectal cancer. She was only 33 years old. When I think of her, I can only recall her as sick – I don’t remember her as healthy at all.

That was 47 years ago. Forty seven years of growing up without my mother, witnessing my father’s grief and pain, and wondering – always wondering – how different my life might have been with her in it.

In the mid-1950s, Esme Gynane followed her husband Gerry, my dad, to Canada from England. In tow was my older brother Damien; I was born in Edmonton in 1955. My dad worked hard to get established here, and had just started his own construction company. He and mom were building a new home for us in the west end – a home my dad did not have the heart to move into after my mother died. My dad was filled with grief; I think he felt that all the dreams they had shared – and had begun to realize – were gone with my mother’s death. We felt utterly alone: all our family was back in England and now there was just my dad, my brother and me.

My mother died of a disease that kills far too many people. The tragedy is that this disease – colorectal cancer – has a very successful treatment rate if detected early enough. I know it’s an icky thing to talk about, but talk about it we must. Here is what else I know: if you have any history of colorectal cancer in your family, talk to your doctor about a regular screening program. If you have no history of this cancer, and are between 50 and 74 years of age, talk to your doctor about an annual FOBT test – the fecal occult blood test will identify any traces of blood in your stools and your doctor will advise more investigation to identify the cause, which could be any number of things.

The first time I went for my screening test I was terrified of what they might find. Now I look at this as something good and sensible to do for my health. I feel I am being pro-active and taking care of myself with the information I have.  It’s all part of being a grown-up, I say.

If I could save one person, one daughter, one family from having to endure the pain and loss I have known, it would be enough.

Get screened – you’re worth it. It really is a matter of life and death.  

  Learn more about Alberta's Colorectal Cancer Screening Program