“This can happen to anyone, no matter how healthy you are”, Father thought he was having stomach problems because he was lactose intolerant until doctors discovered he had a precancerous growth in his body

The healthy husband and father of five says that when he started having bowel issues, he didn’t think much of it. “I always thought maybe it was what I was eating or like lactose intolerance.” the 39-year-old dad said. But, his condition progressively kept getting a little bit worse and a little bit worse. So, he went to see a doctor. It didn’t take long before doctors discovered what was wrong.

The 39-year-old father-of-five, Dan Gut, says that his bowel habits had changed and blood was appearing in his stool, but didn’t flag the symptoms to his doctor for 18 months. The father of five noted this often happened after he ate ice cream and assumed he was lactose intolerant. Unfortunately, he had a precancerous growth in his colon.

During an interview with Newsweek, Gut reportedly said that he decided to see a doctor when he wasn’t getting better and his wife encouraged him after he shared his symptoms.

The 39-year-old father from Ohio, Dan Gut, reportedly said: “I hadn’t dealt with anything like what I was experiencing, and I didn’t want to deal with it. I felt healthy and was busy living my life, like a typical guy. Given the responsibilities I have with my family, getting checked out was something I should have done right away.”

Unfortunately, a colonoscopy revealed he had more than 100 growths known as polyps and an advanced precancerous growth in his colon called an intramucosal carcinoma. According to the health officials, it’s common for colorectal cancer to start as a polyp in the colon or rectum, and removing them can prevent the disease from developing.

The 39-year-old man also said: “The doctor said that I have a 100 percent chance of these polyps turning into cancer. They didn’t how many, when or how fast they would/could move from the colon to other parts.”

After the diagnosis, doctors reportedly advised the 39-year-old father to remove his colon. Gut also said that he was diagnosed with celiac disease as well. Now, he needs to eat a gluten-free diet.

The 39-year-old father told Newsweek: “I have an amazing wife and five wonderful kids that depend on me for so many things. I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to provide those things for them. But I also tried to stay strong and not let my worry show so my wife and kids wouldn’t worry even more.”

Dr. David Liska, the colorectal surgeon who performed Dan’s surgery, reportedly said: “A lot of people who experience blood in their stool or changes in their bowel habits will attribute it to hemorrhoids. However, in some cases, it can be cancer. If Dan had waited much longer, he most likely would have gotten cancer that could have spread to other organs.

It’s important to know your family history, because that could put you at higher risk for colorectal cancer. Colorectal polyps or cancer can occur without symptoms. That hereditary information could be your only clue to prompt an earlier colonoscopy that can prevent the development of cancer.”

After the surgery, the 39-year-old dad said he feels great and has more energy. 

Gut also said: “This can happen to anyone, no matter how healthy you are. So it’s wrong of me to think I am invincible or that I am healthy so nothing is going to be wrong until I’m old.

It’s important to know, especially for men, that it’s OK to see your doctor. It’s OK to share your negative health situation or symptoms because everything is treated easier and quicker when it’s caught early.”