TEMPLE, Texas — Two Temple men are hoping to bring greater awareness to a disease that kills thousands every year, colorectal cancer.
For Brad Hejl in Temple, it all started at a regular six month check-up back in 2011.
"The doctor said, 'You're 50 years old, now it's time for your colonoscopy,'" Hejl said.
Hejl didn't think he needed one. He felt fine.
"They found a stage four cancerous polyp deep inside me," Hejl said. "All I could think was you know, I'm gonna be dead in six months."
His world stopped.
"I was completely shocked when a doctor told me it was stage four and aggressive type cancer," Hejl said. "That's all I heard. I went into a deep depression because you hear cancer, you just automatically think this is a death sentence."
Thankfully, Hejl went into surgery.
"They removed a polyp, and luckily for me, it hadn't spread anywhere else in my body," Hejl said.
Because Hejl took care of it early, he is now in remission.
"I'm 13 years out from the surgery, and I'm still doing good so far," Hejl told 6 News.
Hejl's friend, Wesley Teeters, is battling colorectal cancer now.
"I could have beat it, but I was being hard-headed," Teeters said.
When he was having trouble going to the bathroom, his doctor suggested a colonoscopy. It was something Teeters didn't want to do at first.
"I said, 'I'm not going to get one,'" Teeters added. "Nobody's gonna touch that area. You know, I was a guy. You don't do that. And I will tell you, I was a fool."
He doesn't let his cancer define him which is why Teeters hopes to educate others on the importance of getting checked.
"I've actually had about nine people get a colonoscopy because of me," Teeters added. "I look at it now as a blessing as far as me being diagnosed with it because now I can educate other people."
He says if you notice your body is off, go get it checked out, no matter your age.
"Cancer does not wait for a number," Teeters said.
Teeters hopes his message can save someone's life.
"Colon cancer is curable. It's just you have to catch it early," Teeters said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says if you have any symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
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