Superstar Ryan Reynolds said a bet with fellow actor Rob McElhenney lead to him undergo a colonoscopy — which a doctor said turned out to be a “life-saving” procedure after they discovered a polyp.
In a video posted Tuesday, Reynolds, 45, and his fellow Wrexham soccer club co-chairman talked about the bet the two made last year, and what it would mean for the one who lost.
“I made a bet. I lost,” Reynolds shared in a message on the streaming site. “But it still paid off.”
The actor then explained that getting a colonoscopy is a “simple step” that could literally “save your life.”
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“I would never normally have any medical procedure put on camera and then shared,” Reynolds explained. “But it’s not every day that you can raise awareness about something that will most definitely save lives. That’s enough motivation for me to let you in on a camera being shoved up my a**.”
The “Free Guy” star’s doctor said that during the procedure he discovered an “extremely subtle polyp,” which they removed right away.
“This was potentially life-saving for you — I’m not kidding, I’m not being overly dramatic,” the doctor told Reynolds. “This is exactly why you do this. You had no symptoms.”
McElhenney then also ended up undergoing the procedure and doctors said they found three polyps that “were not a big deal,” but that it was a good thing to find early and remove.
“Colon cancer is preventable,” a scrolling message on the screen from the Lead From Behind group read at the end of the video. “If you’re 45 years or older, ask your doctor about getting a colonoscopy. And help Rob and Ryan kick cancer’s a**.”
Lead From Behind is an organization, “founded in 1999 by a group of 41 survivors, caregivers, and friends,” a message on the website read. “The Alliance exists to end colorectal cancer in our lifetime by” several preventive steps such as “providing personalized support,” “promoting screening and prevention,” and more, according to the website.
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