Andrew Eden, 72, and his son Linbern, 42, have a remarkable story to tell. The moral of their story involves a simple directive: get regular checks for colon cancer.
When Andrew Eden was in his early forties, he was an active member of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman. At one meeting, a doctor came to speak to the service organisation about the importance of screening for colon cancer.
Eden took the doctor’s message to heart. He had lost his mother Coreen to colon cancer, so the doctor’s talk about screening was not his first introduction to the disease.
After Eden’s first colonoscopy, polyps were identified. The polyps were not cancerous, but Eden’s luck changed ten years later, after a routine health check-up that revealed he was anaemic. Eden’s doctor recommended another colonoscopy, and this time, a mass was found at the place at which the small and the large intestine connect.
Eden’s colon cancer was diagnosed in plenty of time to remove the mass, as well as half of the colon and part of the small intestine. Nine years later, Eden continues to follow his doctor’s advice to be screened regularly, and no sign of cancer has since reappeared.
Eden’s family history of colon cancer as well as his past experiences with gall bladder surgery and a tonsillectomy enable him to appreciate the value of advanced planning when it comes to doing the best for one’s own health.
This appreciation soared to new levels when Eden’s son, Linbern, a DJ and a father of three children, received his own cancer diagnosis last winter.
Thanks to his father’s example and their shared family medical history, Linbern had requested a screening for colon cancer at the age of 35. As well, Linbern’s participation in the Lions Club Prostate and Colon Cancer Event (PACCE) heightened his awareness of the importance of screening.
Polyps appeared during Linber’s first colonoscopy but they were not cancerous. Linbern believed he was cancer-free, but early in January 2020, Linbern took a life-changing ride on a jet ski. During this ride, he experienced a sudden acute pain in his back.
Nine hours of tests at Linbern’s doctor’s office led to a CT scan, which revealed a tumour in his back muscles. The movements of the jet ski may have caused the tumour to shift and cause the pain Linbern experienced during his ride.
Following the CT scan that revealed the tumour in his back muscles, Linbern learned that another tumour was present in his adrenal glands. He was consequently diagnosed with stage four adrenal carcinoma.
During four hours of surgery at the University of Miami in February 2020, a team led by specialist Dr. Chad Ritch removed a tumour weighing five pounds from Linbern’s adrenal glands.
One kidney, part of the liver, and the adrenal glands were also removed during the surgery, which led to complications. Linbern described a state of constant pain for 70 days post-surgery.
Though Linbern’s struggle with cancer did not involve the colon, he credits his father’s example with his own experience beating cancer. Thanks to his father’s attentiveness to health checks and colonoscopies, Linbern felt prepared to face his own health issues.
Eden and Linbern’s experiences with cancer reveal that both father and son share a mindset that relies on planning ahead. Both were able to avoid a last-minute reaction to a significant health problem, having chosen instead to anticipate a problem and to be screened.
Next month, the Lions Club of Grand Cayman will hold a PACCE event in the form of a cancer awareness meeting at the Lions Centre. On 5 October, at 7pm, participants can be tested for prostate-specific antigens for free. Though the event is a PACCE, or a Prostate and Colon Cancer Event, attendees will also learn about testicular cancer.
As Andrew Eden and his son Linbern can attest, education and awareness can lead to early detection, which is the key to surviving curable cancer.
