Why did you get the COVID vaccine? We asked a number of Texans this question, and we will publish their responses on these pages in the coming weeks. Find the full project at dallasnews.com/opinion.

“Approximately 11 years ago, a doctor handed me a referral to see a specialist for a common medical procedure, a colonoscopy. I didn’t take any action for 13 months. What I did not know was that during those 13 months, a cancer was growing in my body, and it would ultimately result in a significant health crisis both for me and my family.

“These are the lessons I learned: 1. Take the necessary action to avoid a health crisis; and 2. Make ‘me’ a priority. These are the reasons that I got the vaccine!

“When COVID-19 hit, I asked a lot of questions. I had learned the hard way what happens when you don’t seek information, don’t ask questions and put things off. When the vaccines became available, I had plenty of questions and researched them all. My nightly reading was the CDC.gov site, and I called my doctor often. Thirteen months was not going to elapse this time without my taking action.

“The results of my research and responses from my doctor made me say ‘yes’ to the vaccine. I got the vaccine because I am mindful of my chemo-compromised immune system, and I wanted to improve my chances of beating COVID-19, as I know people who died from the virus. I am also smarter now than I was in 2010. Fortunately, data show that my chances of survival are much better now that I have received both doses of the vaccine.”