A story of waiting too long
By Daniel Arens
Although the medical procedures one local resident has faced after being diagnosed with colon cancer have went relatively well so far, he still finds himself facing one major regret.
Jay Seibel, a resident of Beulah, said the major takeaway he hopes people find in hearing his story is not to wait to get a colonoscopy, a medical exam that can help detect any signs of abnormalities in the colon that could point to cancer.
Seibel, 57, found excuses to avoid getting his colonoscopy after turning 50, which was the recommended age for a person without a family history with colon cancer to get this particular check-up. It wasn’t until December 2018 that he had the test done.
“My wife had me scheduled for a colonoscopy three times, but I was always too busy,” he said.
Seibel said there were no real symptoms he noticed of anything wrong in late 2018, but that family and friends noticed he was getting a little paler. He decided to get a checkup Dec. 6, and also got his overdue colonoscopy at that point.
The result of the colonoscopy was the discovery of a cancerous tumor on the colon, which was successfully removed during a surgery Dec. 17. Seibel had the procedure done at Sakakawea Medical Center (SMC) in Hazen with Dr. Michael Schmit.
