Fran’s Story: A Routine Screening. An Extraordinary Outcome.

On the morning of July 3, Fran Swartzentruber walked into Daviess Community Hospital certain of one thing: she felt fine.

No pain. No bleeding. No weight loss. No symptoms.

“It was just time for my routine colonoscopy,” Fran said. “My primary cared enough to nudge me, and I listened.”

What followed, in the span of a few weeks, was the kind of story that begins in everyday prevention and is carried forward by people—by a surgeon who told the truth with kindness, and by a navigator who turned an overwhelming moment into a series of understandable next steps.

Fran and her husband, Norman, are well known in the area. They own Odon Locker, Inc., a family business rooted in the community since 1970. Guided by faith and a hands-on work ethic, they’ve built a reputation for quality and integrity—values that shaped how Fran approached her health, too. “Do things the right way,” she said. “That’s true in our shop and it’s true in health care.”

‘He looked me in the eye and told me the truth’
 

Fran’s colonoscopy was performed by Marcus A. Kurucz, M.D., FACS, a board-certified general surgeon at Washington Surgical Associates and Daviess Community Hospital. The procedure itself was routine. The follow-up call a few days later was not.

“They asked me to come in,” Fran said. “The nurse was professional and kind, but I knew we needed to talk.”

On July 14, Fran met with Dr. Kurucz.

“He didn’t dramatize it or minimize it,” she said. “He looked me in the eye and told me the truth: one of the polyps was cancerous. Then he explained—in plain language—what that could mean and what we would do next.”

Part of the discussion was clinical. One polyp had been removed in full; another, larger lesion had been partially removed and sent to pathology, which returned with cancerous findings. Part of the discussion was practical: more imaging, additional evaluation, and a timely referral to the right specialists.

“What impressed me most,” Fran said, “was that he was both honest and hopeful. He laid out worst-case and best-case, and then he pointed me in the right direction. I felt cared for and guided—not rushed.”

Dr. Kurucz said that kind of conversation is at the heart of his work.

“Screening saves lives, but it’s the conversation that helps people take the next step,” he said. “My job is to be clear, be kind, and move quickly.”

A steady voice at the center of the storm

On July 15, one day after her visit with Dr. Kurucz, Fran received a call from Sharon Mead, DCH’s cancer patient navigator.

“Sharon told me who she was and what a navigator does,” Fran said. “She said she would walk with me, explain terms I didn’t understand, sit with me in appointments, and be the person I could call when the questions hit at 9 p.m. She kept her word.”

Mead, a two-time breast cancer survivor, says her role is simple: be present, be clear, be persistent.

“Patients deserve answers in words that make sense,” Mead said. “I’ve been the person in the chair. I know that a calm voice and a plain explanation can change how a day feels.”

Mead coordinated imaging and helped align a prompt medical oncology visit with Srikanth Tamma, M.D., at DCH’s Lohano Center for Advanced Medicine on July 24. In collaboration with the plan, Fran was referred to a colorectal surgeon at another facility for a procedure.

“Sharon sat with me, took notes, and called to check on me more than once,” Fran said. “She made sure I never felt alone.”

‘Nothing’s wrong—everything’s right’

As the plan progressed, the expectation was straightforward: the outside colorectal surgeon would reassess the area previous scans had identified and remove any remaining tissue along with a small border of healthy tissue. Pathology would then confirm the results.

Fran was taken to the operating room. About 20 minutes into the procedure, a nurse came to the waiting area and asked Norman to come with her. He feared the worst.

“He thought something was badly wrong because it had only been 20 minutes,” Fran said. “Instead, the nurse said, ‘Nothing’s wrong—everything’s right.’”

When the colorectal surgeon began the scope to reassess the spot Dr. Kurucz had marked with medical ink during Fran’s colonoscopy—to flag the exact location of the mass—there was nothing left to remove.

“I call it a modern-day miracle,” Fran said. “We were stunned and grateful.”

Fran is quick to place that moment within two realities: the power of prevention and the support she felt along the way.

“I believe in prayer,” she said. “And I believe in screening. Both mattered in my story. If I hadn’t gone in when I did, I would have eventually gotten sick. I didn’t have symptoms. I went in because it was time.”

The human part of medicine

Fran describes herself as a “busy Odon grandmother.” She works with her family’s business, babysits three days a week, and keeps a paper calendar on her wall filled with appointments, events, and reminders. She appreciates straight talk and small-town kindness.

“I trusted DCH because it’s close to home, and because I knew if they couldn’t do something, they’d point me to someone who could,” she said. “That’s what Dr. Kurucz did. That’s what Sharon did. The honesty and the kindness were the human part of medicine for me.”

Mead says that’s the culture the team strives for.

“People remember our deeds,” she said. “They remember whether we called, whether we explained, whether we stood with them. Fran reminds us why that matters.”

Why a routine colonoscopy still matters

Dr. Kurucz emphasizes that Fran’s experience is a reminder—not to wait for symptoms.

“Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for preventing and detecting colon cancer,” he said. “Most colon cancers begin as polyps. In many cases, we can remove polyps during the same procedure. When additional care is needed, navigators like Sharon and our oncology partners help patients move quickly and confidently.”

Fran’s message is simpler.

“Please go,” she said. “The prep isn’t as bad as you think. It doesn’t take long. And the peace of mind is worth it. If they find something, finding it early can change your life.”

Close to home, start to finish

For Fran, the story is about more than test results.

“It’s also about people,” she said. “A surgeon who told me the truth with kindness. A navigator who translated fear into a plan. A hospital that let me stay close to home. I’m thankful for all of it.”

Dr. Kurucz sees the same arc from his side of the table.

“Patients like Fran choose us for the combination—local access, clear communication, and the right care at the right time,” he said. “We’re proud to provide that here.”

Schedule screening or a surgical consultation

Daviess Community Hospital provides comprehensive general surgery and GI services close to home, including colonoscopy and upper endoscopy (EGD), hernia repair (with eligible robotic-assisted options using the da Vinci Xi® system), breast surgery, skin cancer and lesion removal, chemo port placement, and pilonidal cyst surgery. Many procedures are minimally invasive, which can mean smaller incisions, less pain and faster recovery for eligible patients.

No referral is needed for most services.
To schedule a colonoscopy, endoscopy, or surgical consultation with DCH’s general surgery team, call 812-254-8856.