Bruce Roos has never shied away from a hard day’s work, but that doesn’t mean he’s not ready to enjoy, and explore some other things in life that are important to him. Thirty-five years as a dairy farmer, or any life-long career, will do that to a person. He and his wife Sandi raised their twin boys, Case and Cody, while running the farm on East Beaver Creek.
The couple is excited to enter this next phase of their lives. Yet, Bruce recognizes that at 58 years old, and with his family’s medical history, he has a responsibility to ensure he will be ready, and healthy, for their new adventures.
“I have a family history of colorectal cancer. My dad got it. He was diagnosed in, I believe, 1978. He passed away in 1980 and he was sixty years old.” Cornelis Roos died when Bruce was only a sophomore in high school. “I missed my dad. I went through a lot of ‘life isn’t fair.”
As he entered his 50’s, Bruce began getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer (CRC) a few years ago. During one of these colonoscopies, doctors found a polyp, which they removed. “The doctor told me that if I hadn’t taken care of that when I did, I would have been a very sick man”
Bruce is not alone in this proactive family battle. His sister Nelly was getting a CRC screening when doctors found cancer in her colon. “She was getting colonoscopies on a regular basis, every three years. It was a very aggressive form of cancer to have gotten to that stage so quickly.”
Doctors removed a section of Nelly’s colon and reattached it to save her life. “She is currently cancer-free, she’s doing fine,” said Bruce.
Bruce has made lifestyle choices to help improve his chances of avoiding a cancer diagnosis and to be in a better position to fight it if necessary. This includes lifestyle changes in diet, alcohol consumption, exercise and getting regular CRC screenings every three years.
Throughout this time, Bruce has gained a real understanding of what’s important to him and how to prioritize a life-work-health balance, as he Sandi prepare for retirement. Their plans include lots of travel and spending time with family.
“We’ve saved enough money to go into retirement. Now, I want to be sure that I’m taking care of myself enough to enjoy the years that we’ve got to look forward to. Throw a grand kid in the picture and that changes things too,” said Bruce, his composure immediately softening as he talks about Rose, his two-year-old granddaughter.
“I want to be around for that.”
Bruce hopes that sharing his story will remind others to focus on the important things in life and to realize there are ways to increase the odds of enjoying them longer. He believes that even if only one person decides to get a CRC screening after hearing his tale, it was worth sharing it.
“I don’t know much more to add, you know, you look around, you look at life, you look at the things you enjoy, and you ask yourself, ‘Do I want to be here?’ If you do, there’s only so much I can say. It is up to you, but I can only recommend that if you really enjoy things in life, do these things to help prolong your life.” If you are aged 50-75, contact your healthcare provider about getting screened for colorectal cancer.
Mark Wiegardt isn’t the kind of man to complain much. Owner of Pearl Point Oyster in Netarts, Oregon, and a fourth-generation oysterman, Mark knows something about hard work, integrity and the importance of family. But, like many people, practicing self-care often takes a back seat to the responsibility of being a father, husband, and hard worker. Every once in awhile, we need to slow down some, and check in on our own health – both physically and mentally. Arguably, Mark was reminded of this life-lesson the hard way.
In late 2017, Mark experienced persistent fatigue and weight loss. “I thought, maybe I was just getting old. Working on the bay, in the oyster business is tough work, so you expect to be fatigued…,” Mark trails off as he recounts the events leading up to a discovery that has forever altered his life – and the life of those who care about him.
“I was losing weight, but it was over time so I didn’t really notice it, others did, but I didn’t. Until one day shaving, I saw it in the mirror.” Yet, Mark continued to procrastinate about getting checked out by a doctor.
It was when Mark was visiting friends in southern Oregon, that things finally came to a head. “I had a really good friend that finally convinced me I needed to get checked out, really checked out. I reluctantly caved in.” Mark went to the local hospital and got an endoscopy and colonoscopy. “When I woke up, I’ll never forget it, the nurses wouldn’t look at me. Something was really wrong.” The doctor told Mark they had found a stage 4 cancerous mass in his colon. “I told him to get it out of me.” Following surgery, Mark was going to require a regimen of chemotherapy, but his prognosis was still pretty grim. “You start asking questions, like, ‘are we going to be able to fix this? What’s the probable outcome of all this.”
“They actually gave me four to six months to live.”
Mark began the fight of his life. Although chemotherapy took its toll, he was luckier than some. It would knock him down for a few days after treatment, but Mark was able to work and soon, the weight came back. Looking at Mark then, it was hard to tell he was battling cancer. Still, in 2018, doctors gave him a one in ten chance of surviving a year. Mark sought guidance from his father.
“He says, ‘Mark you gotta make it.’ And I said what do you mean dad? And he said, ‘You gotta make it to give other people hope. And I thought about that, and I said, yeah, I gotta punch through on this, and let people know that you can survive it.”
Mark pauses and consider his words. “But, it’s just a lot easier if you catch it early.”
Today, Mark cherishes every day he has to spend with family and friends, and he still enjoys working out on the mudflats of Netarts Bay. “Listen, it’s sort of like going to get your teeth cleaned. No one likes to go to the dentist to get their teeth cleaned because you always find something wrong. But, believe me, if there’s something wrong in your colon and it’s cancer, you want to catch it.”
Mark wanted to share his story so that it might encourage others who are reluctant to get screened for colorectal cancer. “If you don’t think it’s such a big deal for yourself, do it for your family and your friends. Do it for them. Because I guarantee you, if you get diagnosed with it, you are going to see some people that are going to be pretty darn worried about you.”
If you are aged 50-75, and have not been screened for colorectal cancer, or if you have a family history, please contact your healthcare provider today to learn more about screening options.
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
