Rambling through central Illinois, strangely excited by rain.
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Just when I thought my grasp on the nuances of March was solid, along came an email reminding me that, in addition to rain, these 31 days belong also to Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
My information on the national colon celebration is from Rozana Dwyer, a doctor in the Graham Health System who is also a new resident of Elmwood. Doc Dwyer notes that, “Unlike other screening tools that find cancer earlier, a screening colonoscopy can prevent your chance of colon and rectal cancer by 50% by finding smaller, pre-cancerous poylps or growths that can be removed.”
Her email was timely, since my wife and I were already scheduled for colonoscopies when it arrived. As anyone who has prepped for a screening can attest, you need a good reason to suffer through all that time in the bathroom.
Doc Dwyer offers plenty more incentive, noting that colon cancer is still the second-deadliest cause of cancer-related deaths and that screening should start at age 45 (not 50) and possibly sooner if you have a family history of colorectal cancer. Then again, she said most colorectal cancer patients do not have family history and most have no symptoms.
There’s lots to chew on there, though during the prep period you can’t chew on anything.
Another thing I learned is that the process can be competitive and insurance companies are more willing to pay for the first screening than the second.
First the competitive part. My wife got a better grade on her prep than me and thinks the pictures of her colon look nicer than mine. Sigh.
More importantly, when my wife had her screening done, there was no charge. Two weeks later when I went in, the cost was $2,500. Same insurance. Same hospital. Same procedure. Only mine was a second screening. Seems there is a big difference there.
Then again, as one of the nurses noted when I grumbled, “$2,500 is pretty cheap to avoid cancer.”
I’ve thought a lot about that comment. The nurse was correct. All of us have lost someone to cancer. Myself, I’d pay way a lot to have my mother back, though it was lung cancer that stole her too soon.
So, yes, $2,500 and two days in the bathroom is not so bad if it means I can plant trees for many more March days.
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TIF districts have helped plenty of Illinois communities with redevelopment. But they are also quirky creations that sometimes seem downright dumb.
Consider the case of Maggie Connell of Farmington, an Edwards Jones investment rep who is in the process of moving her office from Canton to her hometown. She recently purchased the former Ulm Veterinary Clinic in downtown Farmington and has spent nearly $150,000 to renovate the structure. That’s the exact kind of projects TIF districts are designed to fund.
Ahh, but years ago, Matt Ulm was on the Farmington City Council and was also an owner of the building. To avoid conflicts of interest in council voting, Ulm agreed to have the building removed from the TIF. That part makes sense.
But while changing that would seem fairly simple, since Ulm has been gone from the council for years, Farmington Mayor Kenn Stufflebeam has been told the process could cost up to $100,000. That’s ridiculous and is a rule Illinois legislators should seriously consider amending.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
