Ryan Reynolds underwent a "lifesaving" colonoscopy that he then broadcast on social media after losing a bet to Rob McElhenney.
The actors embarked on a campaign to spread awareness of colon cancer with the organization Lead From Behind. The result was a video that contained footage of Reynolds undergoing the procedures, and his recovery.
In the video, which was posted on YouTube, Reynolds said he and McElhenney, co-owners of a Welsh soccer club, made a bet that McElhenney could not learn the Welsh language. If Reynolds lost, he would undergo a colonoscopy.
Looking at the camera, McElhenney then launches into an explanation of the bet in Welsh.
"Rob and I turned 45 this year which means getting to this age is getting a colonoscopy," Reynolds says. "It's a simple step that could literally, and I mean literally, save your life."
As the video continues, Reynolds is seen arriving at the hospital and having the procedure. A doctor then reveals he found an "extremely subtle polyp" on Reynolds' colon.
"This was potentially life-saving for you. I'm not kidding. I'm not being overly dramatic," the doctor later tells him. "You are interrupting the natural history of a disease, of a process, that could have ended up developing into cancer and causing all sorts of problems."
The doctor explains that the discovery was exactly why people over the age of 45 should have a colonoscopy.
"This saves lives, pure and simple," he said.
McElhenney also underwent the procedure and it was also filmed. In the video, he jokes about comparing his results to Reynolds', saying he "could not go wrong."
"They either find nothing, and that means my colon is cleaner than his, or they find a polyp and it's either bigger than his … or it's smaller than his which means I have less of an opportunity to have cancer," he says. "Either way I win."
Three polyps were discovered on McElhenney's colon, which were removed.
"Getting in on time is the key," McElhenney's physician said, adding that colon cancer is a "100% preventable disease."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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