James's Story

A picture of health and a colon cancer diagnosis at 55

At 55, James Berner considered himself the picture of health. He exercised regularly, maintained a healthy weight, enjoyed golfing with friends and occasional snowboarding, and had no symptoms that suggested anything was wrong. Married to his wife, Tara, and the proud father of five, James was busy balancing a career in industrial sales with an active family life. Like many people who feel healthy, he didn't see much reason to schedule routine medical appointments.

To keep him healthy, Tara encouraged him to establish care with a primary care physician and schedule a routine physical.

"I had always considered myself healthy," says the 56-year-old Oxford resident. "I exercised regularly, ate well, maintained a healthy weight, and honestly didn't think I needed routine medical care because I wasn't experiencing any symptoms."

During the annual physical, his physician recommended a Cologuard® screening test for colorectal cancer—a potential life changing decision. 

Routine screening leads to life-changing diagnosis

When the test came back abnormal, James remembered he wasn't overly concerned. “I assumed it was probably a false positive or perhaps a small polyp. Since I had absolutely no symptoms—no pain, no bleeding, nothing unusual—I delayed scheduling the colonoscopy for several months.”

Tara continued to urge him to undergo a colonoscopy and scheduled the procedure on his behalf in December of 2025.

"I always joke that I finally had to book James' colonoscopy myself because he kept putting it off,” she expresses. “The reality is, he genuinely thought he was fine. He felt healthy, he exercised, his blood work was perfect, and he had absolutely no symptoms. Cancer wasn't even a possibility in our minds.”

Waking up to news that no one wants to hear

During the colonoscopy, a large mass was discovered which the doctor believed was cancer. “He had already tattooed the area for surgery and immediately began coordinating referrals to a colorectal surgeon, an oncologist, and my primary care physician,” says James. “Tara was sitting beside me when I woke up, and hearing the words, "you have colon cancer," was something neither of us will ever forget.”

The phone call that changed everything

James says the hours after his diagnosis was overwhelming. “We had no idea what stage the cancer was or whether it had spread. Like anyone receiving that kind of news, my wife and I had countless questions and very few answers.”

On the drive home, Tara reminded James that one of her close friends is married to Dr. Ernesto Drelichman, a colorectal surgeon at Henry Ford Health. They both decided the next step would be to reach out to Dr. Drelichman for guidance.  After meeting with him, they both felt confident in the decision to put their trust in Dr. Drelichman to lead the surgical care because of his reputation and the way James was treated from the very first conversation. 

“He never rushed us, answered every question honestly, explained everything in terms we could understand, and made us feel like we were his only patients,” notes James. “When you're told you have cancer, you want complete confidence in the person caring for you. Dr. Drelichman gave us that confidence immediately. His expertise is exceptional, but what impressed us just as much was his compassion and the genuine care, he showed my wife and me throughout the entire process.”

How the surgery went

On December 20, 2025, Dr. Ernesto Drelichman performed a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy to remove the portion of James' colon containing the tumor. James recovered exactly as hoped, leaving the hospital just three days after surgery.

"James' recovery reflects the benefits of our Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program," explains Dr. Drelichman. "ERAS is an evidence-based approach that begins before surgery and continues throughout recovery. By combining minimally invasive techniques, regional nerve blocks, multimodal pain management, early nutrition, and early mobilization, we're able to help many patients experience less pain, shorter hospital stays, and a faster return to their normal lives."

The best Christmas present of all

Anxiously waiting to hear about the pathology results, James and Tara would receive a belated Christmas present that would bring unimaginable joy during the holiday season. Just before midnight on Friday, December 26, Dr. Drelichman personally called James with his pathology results. “He knew we were anxiously waiting, and rather than letting us spend another weekend wondering, he took the time late that Friday night to share the good news himself—that my cancer was Stage II, all 26 lymph nodes were negative, and I would not need chemotherapy.”

James emphasizes that simple act speaks volumes about the kind of physician he is.  “He didn't have to do that. Most doctors would have waited until Monday or had someone from their office call the following week. Instead, he made sure we could finally exhale and enjoy the rest of our Christmas with our family.”

Dr. Drelichman explains, "James' prognosis is excellent. Thanks to Tara's persistence, his cancer was detected through screening before it had spread to his lymph nodes or any other organs. That early diagnosis made all the difference. It's a powerful reminder that colorectal cancer often develops silently, without any warning signs, which is why screening is so important."

He adds the ultimate goal is to prevent colon cancer from developing in the first place. In nearly every case, colon cancer begins as a precancerous polyp. “During a colonoscopy, these polyps can be found and removed before they ever have the chance to become cancer. That's why colonoscopy is so phenomenal —it's one of the few screening tests that doesn't just detect cancer early; it can actually prevent cancer altogether. One routine screening test that I do almost every day truly has the potential to save a life.  That's why I love my Job!”

Back to resuming normal activities

With a focus on healing, following post-operative instructions, returning to a healthy diet and exercise routine, and continuing regular follow-up care, James is happy to express that he is doing very well after his procedure.

“My energy has returned, I'm back to work, I'm golfing again, and I've returned to essentially all of my normal activities,” he says.

James emphasizes that he is incredibly grateful for the outcome and care Henry Ford Health provided during one of the most frightening times in his life.

“From Susan Markowicz, Dr. Drelichman's nurse practitioner who made an incredibly overwhelming situation feel organized and manageable to the CT technologist who was gentle and reassuring as I navigated this diagnosis, every member we encountered treated us with warmth, professionalism and genuine kindness.” 

Sharing his story in the hopes of helping others

If there's one thing James and Tara want people to take away from his story, it's this: Don't wait.

“I had absolutely no symptoms. I felt healthy, my blood work was excellent, and I truly believed nothing was wrong. If I had continued putting off my colonoscopy, my story could have had a very different ending,” James expresses. “My wife refused to let me ignore the abnormal screening result, and because of her persistence—and the incredible care I received from Dr. Drelichman, Susan Markowicz, NP, and everyone at Henry Ford Health—I'm here today.”