Health screenings are a part of Sheldon Richards’ annual routine.
He has been doing the screenings as part of the
corporate wellness program at Campbell County Health (CCH) that his employer, Cloud Peak Energy,
has offered for several years.
But when he got the results from his 2017 screening, things looked a little
different. Sheldon, who’s now over 50 was given the recommendation by CCH
Wellness staff to complete
PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) screening, to test prostate cancer when he
had his bloodwork done. He said, “sure,” and didn’t
think much more about it – until the test results came in.
The results showed an elevated PSA level and it was recommended that Sheldon
follow-up with a
urologist.
“I procrastinated because the only symptom I had was having to urinate
often,” Sheldon said. But eventually his wife’s concern pushed
him to schedule a follow-up appointment in late 2017.
After some time on antibiotics and further examination, a biopsy ultimately
revealed the Sheldon did indeed have
prostate cancer.
“The whole thing didn’t hit me until I was in the doctor’s
office,” Sheldon said. “When you hear the c-word your life
changes dramatically.”
In June 2018, he began undergoing a series of treatments, including radiation.
Ultimately, Sheldon’s just thankful that the wellness team recommended
the screening or the cancer could have been much more advanced before
it was found.
“It was good they offered it,” Sheldon said. “They recognized
my age and recommended the test. It makes you more appreciative of those
screenings.”
CCH Wellness Supervisor and Health Coach
Christina Rose says the screenings can catch big and small health issues, and that’s
why it’s important to have the screenings done annually so there’s
a greater likelihood that the health problem will be caught early.
“If any results flag as a concern, we strongly encourage clients
to take their results to their physician for further care,” Christina
said. Some clients may also receive a letter from the Campbell County
Memorial Hospital
Laboratory to indicate a certain measure is out of
range to make sure the client is better aware.
In 2017, more than 15,000 people participated in CCH’s corporate
wellness program. The annual blood screening and wellness coaching is
provided through corporate partnerships with CCH that help many community
members keep their health in check.
“Wellness programs focus on the things we have control over in our
health so that we can make lasting behavior changes to improve quality
of life, prevent disease and become better health advocates for ourselves,”
Christina said. “It is encouraging to see employers supporting their
employees through Wellness programs. Supporting employees on their journey
to better health is truly a profound investment. Sheldon’s story
is such a beautiful example of that.”
While Sheldon didn't enjoy treatment, he does say he’s thankful
that the prostate cancer was caught earlier enough that his long-term
outlook is positive.
“My main thing is I want everyone to take it seriously and don’t
be afraid to ask questions.” Sheldon said. “What would have
been my diagnosis if they hadn’t caught it? Men need to take these
kinds of tests—they can save your life. Put away all your feelings
of shame and embarrassment, and follow through with the screenings.”
Campbell County Health
Wellness offers a daily screening program that makes it easy and affordable for
all residents to have their blood checked, or get other health screenings,
on a regular basis. The screening program provides blood draws Monday
through Friday from 6-11 am at Wellness, located at 1901 Energy Court,
Suite 125, with no appointment required. You can learn more about the
screenings available at Wellness at
www.cchwyo.org/screen, or call 307.688.8051.
Interested in learning more about Corporate Wellness programs?
A wellness program is an investment in your organization’s most
important asset – your employees. Organizations implementing wellness
programs report reduced healthcare costs, increased productivity, improved
employee morale and organizational loyalty. CCH Wellness works with your
company to improve the health of your employees as well as the spouses
of those employees. To learn more about Wellness, please visit
www.cchwyo.org/Wellness or call 307.688.8051.
Article written by Kim Phagan-Hansel, Wyoming freelance writer