WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Cancer-free. They're two words Kendrix Jones is grateful to be saying.
"Zero cancer in the body from the size of a softball," Jones said.
We first met the Wesley Chapel father and his wife, Carolynn, back in March, shortly after his late-stage colon cancer diagnosis at just 40 years old.
"My life was normal, and then a month ago, I came down with what I thought was the flu," Jones said in March.
Over the last five months, Jones has been through five rounds of chemo and a nearly 12-hour surgery to remove his cancer.
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"They had to remove 20% of my pancreas and also 100% of my spleen," said Jones.
It's a journey that hasn't been easy, but Jones and his wife said sharing their experience has been easy.
"We just hope that we can help others by sharing our story. If you do stay on top of this and you do listen to your body and know when things are wrong, especially men (laughs)," said Carolynn, "And listen to your friends or spouses or wives to make sure you're taking care of yourself then hopefully you can catch it early."
But catching it early can also come with a hefty cost. Jones said he was asked to pay anywhere from $1,000-3,300 out of pocket for a colonoscopy and biopsy shortly before his diagnosis.
And he said his age was a factor.
Right now, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that colon cancer screenings should start at 45 years old. Often, insurance companies won't cover one if you're younger.
As Jones prepares for another six rounds of chemo to make sure he stays cancer free, he said that he hopes to see this guidance change.
"It's expensive, and we need to get it fixed, and we need to be our own advocates and push, push, push because again it saves lives, and it needs to be done at an earlier age," Jones said.
