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It was quite a coincidence to read your story about a young man of 40 who was reluctant to go get a colonoscopy. I had just returned from the clinic today after having a flexible sigmoidoscopy. I am 53 years of age and this is my first one. They found 5 small polyps, some hemmorhoid problems. I am expecting these polyps to be benign, since they were very small. I am glad I had done today, even more glad after reading your column. People shouldn't be afraid of this procedure. There is a little discomfort with air, but the whole thing was over in 20 minutes. And it probably saved my life. Unfortunately, I also found out today that I have Hypertrophic Cardiac Myopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle. While in the hospital last summer, I had an echocardiogram to check out a murmur. Since I didn't have any symptoms, I figured I was OK. The doctor didn't even bother to tell me until today, even though I found out that my brother was recently diagnosed with the same condition. It's hereditary. So what do I do now? I don't know. I've had many opportunities to be taken from this world. When I was born, the doctors had perform 8-10 operations to rebuild my ureters. I almost died of a staff infection when I was 9. I have lived under the dark spectre of mortality throughout my life. " Would I ever be normal, would I live to a certain age" were questions that came up often during my adolescence and early adulthood. But somehow, I survived, I thrived and gave of my gifts, one of which is love of music (I am a talented professional violinist). Now after today's news, although disappointing, I am not defeated. Anyone who has been through what I've been through and survived has to have been put here in this world for a reason. And that every day that passes is an opportunity to experience something new, a friendship, a sunset like no other sunset I've seen, the passage of reflected sunlight on my window...
