A Chicago-area mother of four who was nearing her 50th birthday recently underwent a life-saving surgery thanks to a health pact made with her friends during her childhood.
Jennifer Harmening was dreading the thought of having a colonoscopy, but looked back to a childhood pact made with 18 of her friends regarding their health.
"We had a discussion about, you know, now we're 50 years old, we should start. We need to get screened," Harmening said.
Harmening went for her colon screening just one day shy of her 50th birthday, a decision that would prove to save her life.
Doctors told Harmening that they found something that required a biopsy, which later confirmed she had Stage 1 colon cancer.
The diagnosis struck fear in Harmening and her children alike, with the diagnosis coming amid a 2.4% increase in colon cancer diagnoses for individuals under the age of 50.
Dr. Rodney Thill of Advocate Christ Medical Center treated Harmening, and said getting a colonoscopy by age 45 is key to early detection.
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"We do not want patients to wait for symptoms, for weight loss, for abdominal pain, for blood in the stool or changing bowel movements," Thill said.
Because Harmening's cancer was detected with a colonoscopy, a surgery removing part of her intestine was all that needed to be done.
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While Harmening will have to get a colonoscopy every five years, she is grateful to her lifelong friend group.
"If it wasn't for my group of friends and their encouragement," Harmening said. "I don't know if I would have gotten it."
