‘They saved my life’: Kentucky mom shares her colon cancer journey to save others

Morethan100,000Americansarediagnosedwithcoloncancereveryyear.Thismonthisatimeofyeartospreadawarenessaboutthedisease.InhonorofColonCancerAwarenessMonth,aColdSpring,Kentucky,momissharinghercancerstory.PattyGoeringisamomoftwowhohadnohistoryofcoloncancerinherfamily.Whenshewas48,shenoticedstrangesymptomsthatshe’dbeenbrushingoff–itturnedouttobestagethreecoloncancer.Shesaysdetectingitintimesavedherlife.”Shejusthappenedtoask,isthereanythingelseyou’reconcernedabout?AndIsaid,well,Ihaveseen,youknow,somebloodonmystooloffandonforthelastcoupleofyears,completelyignoredit,”saysGoering.In2021,shegotherdiagnosis.That’salsotheyearthattheAmericanCancerSocietyloweredtherecommendedageforacolonoscopyfrom50to45.Upuntilthatpoint,unlessyouhadafamilyhistoryofthediseaseorsymptoms,youweren’tscreenedinyour40s.”Iwasfairlyhealthy,nofamilyhistoryofanythingorcancer,”Goeringsaid.Dr