Father of five, who didn’t see his doctor for year and half thinking that his upset stomach is due to lactose intolerance, was discovered to have a precancerous growth in his colon

Few weeks ago, we reported about the story when a man died of cancer after he was misdiagnosed and the cancer was not discovered and treated on time once again showing how regular medical checkups are important for everyone in early disease discovery, leading to early treatment which in some cases can prevent death.

Since the pandemic began, many people had to postpone or even completely cancel their regular medical checkups simply because hospitals were focused on treating Covid-19 patients. While no such data is available, many health experts believe skipping these regular checkups eventually resulted in more deaths overall in the last two years.

The 39-year-old Dan Gut, a father of five, didn’t see his doctor for a long time even though he had problems with his stomach almost on a daily basis for 18 months. Speaking to Newsweek recently, Gut said he had upset stomach every time after eating ice cream and thought he might be lactose intolerant. Year and a half later, he finally decided to visit his doctor after he wasn’t getting any better and was becoming more and more concerned about his health. He was left completely shocked when he was told he was having a precancerous growth in his colon.

Gut said in a statement: “I hadn’t dealt with anything like what I was experiencing, and I didn’t want to deal with it. I felt healthy and was busy living my life, like a typical guy. Given the responsibilities I have with my family, getting checked out was something I should have done right away.”

A colonoscopy revealed he had more than 100 growths known as polyps and an advanced precancerous growth in his colon called an intramucosal carcinoma. It is common for colorectal cancer to start as a polyp in the colon or rectum, and removing them can prevent the disease from developing.

The doctors were not able to determine how fast these polyps could move and infect other parts of his body, but Gut was informed there was 100 percent chance of these polyps turning into cancer. In 2021, nearly 150,000 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 have died making the third leading cause of death from cancer in America. Most of these cases are people at 67 years of age, with only 4.6 percent at Gut’s age.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, doctors advised Gut to have his colon removed. He was also diagnosed with celiac disease, which requires him to eat a gluten-free diet.

Gut said: “I have an amazing wife and five wonderful kids that depend on me for so many things. I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to provide those things for them. But I also tried to stay strong and not let my worry show so my wife and kids wouldn’t worry even more.”

A colorectal surgeon confirmed that the disease would have been fatal for Gut if he waited more because most certainly it would have turned into cancer and spread to other organs too. Additionally, the surgeon claims it is very important for everyone to know their family history as this type of cancer often comes with no symptoms.

Following the surgery, Gut returned to his normal everyday life. Gut now encourages everyone to see their doctors immediately after the first signs because immediate medical checkup is always better than a checkup few weeks later.

Gut said: “It’s important to know, especially for men, that it’s OK to see your doctor. It’s OK to share your negative health situation or symptoms because everything is treated easier and quicker when it’s [caught] early.”

Cindy Carey

Publisher

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