Bob Colby stands on what used to be the garage steps of his home in Apison, Tenn. on Wednesday near ground cleared for a new foundation. His injuries in last April’s tornadoes led to the early discovery of his bladder cancer, which was successfully treated.BROUGHT TO A CROSSROADSEditor’s note: The tornadoes brought many people to a crossroads, where they had to face questions about life and self, the future and sometimes the past. Today’s crossroads story looks at a man who learned something about himself before it was too late.
Bob Colby says there was a silver lining to last year’s April 27 tornado, which blew away his Apison house, badly injured his wife and bruised him from head to toe.
It probably saved his life.
The full-body scan performed on him at Erlanger hospital the morning after the tornado was aimed at finding internal injuries.
“But the next day as they were discharging me, the hospital guy said, ‘Mr. Colby, you have no internal injuries, but we did find something in your bladder that’s not supposed to be there. You might want to follow up with your personal physician.'”