I think it’s safe to assume we’re coming to this conversation on similar footing: No one is champing at the bit to talk about colonoscopies. Certainly, no one is trying to publish their innermost thoughts about colonoscopies publicly on a blog. (Oh. Should I have used a pen name?)

The guidance for people with CF is, generally, you should get your first colorectal screening at age 40. Or, if you’re a transplant recipient like me, you need to get your first within two years after transplant, or by age 30. This is because people with CF have a 5–10 times higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than the general population, and that risk becomes 20 times higher after solid organ transplantation. These numbers are well-documented, but procrastination has its own logic, and these numbers felt less real than the daily rigamarole of medications and treatments that already demand my attention.  

My confession: As of January 2026, I was 14 years post-transplant, about to turn 36, and still had not gotten my screening. My reasons were part avoidance, part “doctor fatigue” (really, do I have to add one more specialist to the docket?), and part denial that colorectal cancer would even happen to me.

But this year I began producing a podcast in partnership with BreatheStrong CF called “Bold Enough to Ask.” It’s a podcast about sexual and reproductive health for people with CF, and I was forced to think about the things I was avoiding on that topic. Alongside a phenomenal host, Chad Bautch, a father with CF, and co-producer Georgia Brown, I dove into a project that would introduce me to perspectives on preventative care that hadn’t really been top of mind when I was fighting to stay alive in my 20s.

It’s easy to procrastinate when it comes to preventative care because it hasn’t become a crisis. We don’t feel the effects of ignoring it until something happens; unlike when one misses doses of a modulator, the consequences are felt relatively quickly. What’s more, the concept of “doctor fatigue” is no joke. I have a cadre of specialists including a pulmonologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, transplant specialist, internal medicine team … and anyone aging with CF understands what it’s like to see that list continue to grow. Now I’m supposed to toss in a gastroenterologist and some invasive procedure where I need to fast for multiple days then chug laxatives to flush out my colon? Is there another option? Can we do it over email?

On our third episode of “Bold Enough to Ask,” Chad shared his story. He talked about how lucky he was that he followed his team’s recommendation to get a colonoscopy within two years of his transplant; they found colon cancer on the first go and were able to successfully treat it.  

We also spoke to someone in his 50s who had not yet gotten a colonoscopy, and Georgia and Chad reacted with compassionate yet ardent encouragement — “Don’t let it fall by the wayside. Just get it done.” Another interviewee shared his cancer story as well. Silently listening, I realized my own shortcomings. My doctors had been telling me to get a colonoscopy for four years, and I still hadn’t done it.

This served as a wake-up call for me. 

Putting off a cancer screening does not stop cancer from happening; it only delays treating it if it’s there. Of course, cognitively, I know this, but in practice, ignoring it felt easier, even though it is a form of gambling.

The preparation part of the colonoscopy was fine, albeit uncomfortable. I was instructed to avoid seeds and certain fibrous foods for a week ahead of time, then fast for a few days, then chug a couple gallons of laxatives over the course of several hours. Then I got really comfortable with my toilet for the evening. In the scheme of things, I’ve endured much worse.  

What I was truly anxious about was the possibility that I had waited too long, and it would be too late to do anything about it. There is so much we can’t control in our CF journeys — by not being proactive had I bungled the one thing I could control?

I am happy to report that I left my procedure with a clean bill of health. What was neat, though, was that I also learned new things about my CF and its relationship to colon health. In the end, whether everything turns out fine or we are forced to face yet another hill to climb in our health journey, isn’t it better that we take charge of what is in our control? 

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