DUBLIN, Ohio — Health experts are concerned that the pandemic may have caused people to put off getting recommended cancer screenings.
According to the American Cancer Society for colorectal cancer alone -- one in three people are not up to date with screenings.
A local mom undergoing treatment for the disease shares why she pushed for testing sooner.
Jenna Everett always wanted a big family. The mom of three was planning for another -- when those plans had to change.
“I never thought I would talk about fertility preservation or embryo or egg freezing or surrogacy,” she said. “It was a lot of big decisions very, very fast.”
She's undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer. And before her treatment started -- there wasn't enough time to freeze her eggs. However, she says catching the disease early -- could mean more time with her family.
“It definitely makes you appreciate the small things in life and the time that you have with your kids because it very well could have been missed and I could have had a different outcome and it's scary but it's also a blessing,” she said.
The road to her diagnosis was a difficult one.
Over the summer she started having abdominal pain and reflux.
“I started having changes in my bowel habits so I had blood in my stool which I know is not normal,” she said.
A CT scan and an ultrasound -- showed nothing. Wanting answers, she asked for more testing and got a colonoscopy.
“And that's when I was diagnosed,” she said.
They found a mass the size of a lime. Eventually, they also found the cancer spread to two lymph nodes.
She's 36. The recommended age for a colorectal cancer screening is 45.
According to the American Cancer Society, “by 2030 researchers predict colorectal cancer will be the leading cause of cancer deaths in people ages 20 to 49."
"Colorectal cancer is increasing in younger people,” said Dr. William Wise, a colorectal surgeon with OhioHealth. “I think that is screening is the most important thing colorectal cancer is really one of the only if not the only totally preventable cancer with screening tests."
Everett coincidentally began treatment at the beginning of March -- colorectal cancer awareness month.
And raising that awareness is a big part of her new journey.
“Had I not stepped up and said 'hey I want some answers' I would not have made it to that health maintenance milestone of 45 years of when you need a colonoscopy,” Everett said. “So I might not have been here.”
She’s also walking 40 miles this month to raise money and awareness. Find out more about her mission here.
For more information on cancer awareness visit here.