Written by Tracy Gurneau, daughter
My mom Barb Bock was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in 1996 at the age of 48, she went to the doctor with diarrhea for a month and some stomach pains and within a couple days she had a colonoscopy and then abdominal surgery with the removal of part of her colon and the diagnosis of Colon Cancer. She struggled with her cancer, chemo and multiple surgeries to lose her battle with Colon Cancer in November 2001. One year after I turned thirty and three months before my second marriage which she was unable to hold on for. I wish she had been heathly and had been there on my Wedding Day, but I know after many tears that she was there as the Angel on my shoulder and she was not suffering any longer and I was thankful for that.
I am a nurse and mother of two teenage children, who still talk about there Grandma and how much we all miss her. This time of year is very hard as it was her favorite time of year, Mother’s Day is coming and so is her Birthday on May 22nd.
I want to tell her story and mine in hopes of changing the mind or life of one person that is battling with Colon Cancer or has a family history of Colon Cancer. I had my first Colonoscopy at age 38 in December 2008, because I want to live to see my children and grandchildren grow up. The recommendation is that you have a colonoscopy ten years prior to when a parent was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. No one should have to be without a parent and not being able to pick up the phone and call them or invite them to the next event of there grandchildren or to just day Hi how was your day.
I hope that enough people come to realize that the little inconvience that you go through for a colonoscopy is a drop in the bucket, compared to if you had to go through chemotherapy, surgeries and the lose or not being able to work or get out of bed everyday.
So my heart goes out to everyone dealing with cancer, or dealing with the lose of someone they love from Colon or Rectal Cancer.
Prayers and Hugs to Everyone.
Tracy