The running joke in my family is that I’m always at the doctor’s office. I’ve never missed a checkup since I was in my early 20s. And I go in for everything. If my elbow hurts or I get the sniffles, I’m calling right away for an appointment. If something’s wrong, I’d rather know now when I can still do something about it than when it’s too late and I can’t. 

That’s why it’s so ironic that I was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal...