A Lifesaving Screening for Greta

When Greta turned 50, she went in for her routine annual physical. Her physician, Dr. Kenneson, ordered a Cologuard test—a non-invasive screening tool for colorectal cancer. Despite being a nurse herself and working in a primary care office, Greta let the test sit on her counter until it expired. After some encouragement from coworkers, she received another test in the mail. A few months later, on Mother’s Day 2023, she finally decided to complete and submit it.

Days later, Greta received a positive result. Though she had no symptoms and wasn’t especially worried, the positive test led to a colonoscopy performed by Dr. Walters at Benbrook GI. The findings were serious: a 33mm polyp. As Dr. Walters explained, the larger the polyp, the greater the chance of cancer. Pathology soon confirmed it was adenocarcinoma.

Dr. Walters told Greta how fortunate she was. Had she waited any longer, her outcome could have been very different. She was referred to Dr. Szabo, a general surgeon with Independence Health System. On September 7, 2023, Greta underwent surgery to remove 8 inches of her sigmoid colon. While the recovery was challenging, Greta was incredibly grateful that her cancer had been caught early enough to avoid chemotherapy or radiation.

She describes Dr. Szabo’s care as nothing short of phenomenal—from her first consultation to the daily rounds during her hospital stay, she felt supported, informed, and confident in her treatment. In her words, the care she received within Independence Health System saved her life. Greta is now healthy, recovering well, and deeply thankful for the expert, compassionate care she received at Independence Health System.