03/23/2026
Get Screened. Please.
You may remember when Chadwick Boseman died at 43.
Or hearing about others lost far too young.
I will never forget the text I received from my beloved friend, mentor, and business attorney, Appalenia (āAppleā) Udell:
āGoodbye Brie. I am so glad we got to know each other in this life.ā
I had no idea she was in hospice.
She passed away a week later. She was 45.
What ties these stories together?
Stage 4 colon cancer.
Apple believed in Direct Osteopathic Primary Care before it even fully existed. She saw the dream. She helped bring it to life. We had walking meetings, laughing meetings, and advocacy meetings as we worked to make DPC legal in Colorado. She was brilliant, bold, and deeply supportive. I miss her every day.
When I turned 45, I completed my colon cancer screening in her honor ā and in honor of her husband and two daughters.
Hereās what I want you to know:
The best screening test is the one you will DO.
ā¢ Cologuard is simple and non-invasive. If negative, repeat in 3 years. If positive, follow with colonoscopy.
ā¢ Colonoscopy is the gold standard, it can detect cancer and remove polyps before they become dangerous.
Yes, prep isnāt fun. Think of it as a cleanse. š
But colon cancer is preventable and treatable when caught early.
Please get screened.
It could save your life.
