Health screenings are important now that Covid restrictions are lifted

Health screenings are important now that Covid restrictions are lifted

IT IS NATIONAL FUDGE DAY!COVID-19 SHUTDOWNS ANDPRECAUTIONS DELAYED MEDICALAPPOINTMENTS AND PROCEDURESFOR MANY PEOPLE -- INCLUDINGREGULAR PREVENTATIVESCREENINGS -- ACCORDING TO THEAMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY.{COVID EFFECTED THAT A YEARAGO, BUT THAT’S NOT YOUREXCUSE ANYMORE.

YOU SHOULD BEGETTING SCREEN ANNUALLY.}IN GREAT FALLS... LACEYGALLAGHER -- WITH THE CANCERCONTROL PROGRAM -- SAYS THEPANDEMIC CANCELED OR DELAYEDANNUAL SCREENINGS FOR SOMEPATIENTS...BUT NOWAPPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE --AND SHOULDN’T’ BE PUT OFF.GALLAGHER SAYS IT’S IMPORTANTTO GET SCREENED -- SO EARLYDIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION ISPOSSIBLE.{"IN MEN THEY’RE CHECKING YOURPSA IF YOU’RE OLDER, IF YOU’REYOUNGER THEY MAY BE LOOKINGFOR TESTICULAR CANCER.

THATHAPPENS IN MEN USUALLY UNDERTHE AGE OF 30.

WITH WOMENWE’RE DOING AN ANNUAL EXAM TOMAKE SURE WE’RE NOT GETTINGCERVICAL CANCER, BREASTCANCER.

AND THEN OF COURSETHE GOLD STANDARD OF ACOLONOSCOPY.

THEY JUSTRECENTLY LOWERED THE AGE TO45."}AND LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUTTEETH...DENTAL OFFICES ALSO FELT THEEFFECTS OF COVID.IN GREAT FALLS...WESTSIDEFAMILY DENTAL WAS CLOSED FORAROUND TWO MONTHS -- EXCEPTFOR EMERGENCIES.THAT BACKED UP REGULARCLEANINGS AND CHECKUPS --WHICH ARE RECOMMENDED EVERYSIX MONTHS.{"WELL NOW YOU’VE TAKEN TWOMONTHS WORTH OF HYGIENE.

SIXMONTHS FROM THEN IS ANIGHTMARE AND OCTOBER WE HAD AREALLY HARD TIME GETTINGPATIENTS IN WITH OUR SEE OURHYGIENISTS BECAUSE WE MISSEDOUT ON SCHEDULING TWO MONTHSINTO THAT TIME."}DR. FAIRHURST SAID THEY ARECLOSE TO OPERATING IN A NORMALCAPACITY -- LIKE THEY DID PRE-PANDEMIC.HE SAID THERE ARE A STILL AFEW PATIENTS WHO ARE HESITANT,BUT OVERALL THEY’VE GOTTENCAUGHT UP ON APPOINTMENTS.FOR ONE GREAT FALLSWOMAN....THE PANDEMIC WASMARKED BY A DIFFERENT KIND OFHEALTH SCARE -- AS SHE SPENTMONTHS WAITING...INDENIAL...FOR HER CHANCE TO SEEDOCTORS.{RENEE: "YOU’RE ANGRY, YOU’REDEPRESSED, YOU’RE IN DENIAL,ANXIETY, FRUSTRATION WAS A BIGONE.

YOU JUST WANT IT TO GOAWAY.}{THOSE ARE ALL WORDS MANYPEOPLE USED TO DESCRIBE 2020-- AND THE PANDEMIC.}{RENEE: "IT WAS A CRAZYYEAR.}{FOR RENEE MELNIK...THE MIX OFEMOTIONS AND UNCERTAINTY CAMEFROM NOT ONLY WHAT WASHAPPENING IN THE WORLD AROUNDHER...BUT NOT KNOWING WHAT WASGOING ON INSIDE OF HER.}{RENEE: "YOU SIT THERE AND YOUWAIT FOR IT TO TURN INTO THETHING THAT THEY’RE TELLING YOUIN COULD TURN INTO."}{JUST WEEKS BEFORE COVIDPROMPTED SHUTDOWNS IN2020...RENNE WAS DIAGNOSEDWITH HIGH GRADE STAGE THREELESIONS ON HER CERVIX}{RENEE: "DOCTORS WEREN’TSEEING ANYBODY UNLESS PEOPLEWERE SICK.

I WASN’TCONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY, S}{RENEE SAYS...*AT THETIME*...THAT WAS OK WITH HER-- SHE DIDN’T WANT TO RISKGETTING COVID WITH UNDERLYINGHEALTH CONDITIONS...}{BUT SHE HAD TO SIT WITH THEKNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WASHAPPENING IN HER BODY --DENIAL OFTEN GETTING HERTHROUGH EACH DAY.}{RENEE: "I’M LIVING WITH THISAND KNOWING THE WHOLE TIMETHAT CANCER WAS RIGHT AROUNDTHE CORNER FOR ME.}{WHEN SHE DID GET A CALL AGAINMONTHS LATER TO COME BACK INTOTHE DOCTOR’S OFFICE...IT CAMEWITH A MIX OF EMOTIONS.}{RENEE: "FOR ME THERE WAS ALITTLE BIT OF ANGER THERE ASWELL, BECAUSE OK WELL YOUWEREN’T WORRIED ABOUT ME SIXMONTHS AGO, WHY NOW?

WHY ISIT SUCH AN EMERGENCY FOR YOUNOW?

IN MY MIND I HAD TOTALLYHAD TO REFOCUS EVERYTHING.

ITBECAME NOT AN EMERGENCY FOR METHEN AT THAT POINT.}{ALTHOUGH SHE WAS WORKINGTHROUGH HERFRUSTRATION...RENEE SAYS SHEDID UNDERSTAND WHY THE DELAYHAPPENED.}{SHE WAS AFRAID THOUGH -- THATHER CONDITION HAD GOTTENWORSE}{RENEE: WHEN I FINALLYDEVELOPED THE COURAGE TO GOBACK, IT HAD PROGRESSED, ANDTHINGS WERE A LITTLE BIT WORSEAND THEY ENDED UP FINDING AMASS ON MY UTERUS AS WELL.THEN IT WAS OH MY GOD, WHAT DOI DO?"}{THE MASS WAS REMOVED -- ANDTHANKFULLY WAS NOT CANCEROUS.}{RENNE: "LIFE IS GOOD NOW,EVERYTHING IS OK.}{SHE CAN FINALLY LOOK BACK --AND TRY TO PROCESS THE LASTYEAR -- AND GET SOME REST}{RENEE: "YOU BECOME A SURVIVORTHEN, AND THAT’S WHERE I AM."}{IN GREAT FALLS, SN, MTNNEWS}RENEE SAYS HER EXPERIENCECHANGED THE WAY SHE LOOKSCHANGED THE EXPERIENCE RENEESAYS HER RENEE SAYS HEREXPERIENCE CHANGED THE WAY SHELOOKS AT HEALTHCARE - AND THATSHE’LL BE MORE VIGILANT IN THEFUTURE WITH PREVENTATIVESCREENINGS.SHE CREDITS LACEY GALLAGHERFOR HELPING HER GET CONNECTEDWITH THE MONTANA BREAST ANDCERVICAL CANCER PROGRAM.THE PROGRAM PROVIDES FREECANCER SCREENING SERVICES ANDALSO ADDITIONAL FINANCIALASSISTANCE FOR THOSE WHO AREELIGIBLE.WE’LL HAVE MORE ABOUT THEPROGRAM - ON OUR WEBSITE