I’ve been thinking, what should I say? Do I want to say anything? Then, a few evenings ago, some friends started asking questions about my story and experience with colorectal cancer. Out of that discussion, I came up with a few things I think are of value to everyone. So here they are.
- Get screened. There’s a simple test you can now get from your doctor to check for blood in your stool (aka: poop). Do it. If you are over 50, have a colonoscopy. No excuses, just get it done. Believe me, my colon cancer story is more horrifying that anything you have heard about colonoscopies. If you want tips on making your procedure less challenging, contact me; I have tips!
- If you EVER think you see blood in your stool, or on the TP- even if you have hemorrhoids (I did)- see your doctor. I was “too young” to have colon cancer when I was first diagnosed (as well as uncertain if I had truly seen blood or imagined it). My MD at the time had just had a 39 year old friend diagnosed with colon cancer so he sent me for a scope “just to be safe”. He saved my life.
- Do some research about your risk factors as well as what you can do to reduce your risk. I have lots of thoughts and opinions on this, so if you want to know more about what I think- let me know. Otherwise I will leave that for another post. (Teaser: cured meats such as bacon, ham and pepperoni are classified as “known carcinogens” by the World Health Organization.) Two of my favorite resources are Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Cancer and Chris Beat Cancer (books and websites). The gift and curse of technology is that we now have so much information- literally- at our fingertips, and it’s sometimes backed by research and sometimes not. I think you will find that the 2 resources I mentioned above are in the former category.
Take away: cancer of all types is becoming more common every day AND we are not powerless in the face of it. Comment if you have questions or want to know more.
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