What's up your butt? Did you know March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month?
Did you know March was Colon Cancer Awareness Month? Many of my friends know that colon cancer is close to my, well, um, heart, and I am now cancer free after having been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in September 2015. A routine colonoscopy screening identified the cancer and I was waking up in ICU before you could say colorectal cancer.
What’s up your butt?
Have you had your screening? The American Cancer Society recommends colon cancer screenings at age 45. For my kids, they will need to get their screenings ten years before I was diagnosed. Colorectal cancers are the second leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Now is the time to get screened.
Don’t be a statistic!
Don’t let the pandemic delay your care. With the speed my surgeon took me from diagnosis to surgery, there simply is no time to delay testing or treatment. The delay of testing in 2020 may lead to a decline in cancers for the year, but when the numbers rise again we will likely see more colon cancers in the advanced stages, when it is harder to cure.
Know the signs!
Colorectal cancers tend to run in families.
Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding.
Stools that are narrower than usual.
Unexpected weight loss.
Frequent gas pains, cramping or bloating.
Ongoing changes in your bowel habits.
Wear blue on March 5th to help raise awareness!
My Journey Part 1: Preparing for a Colonoscopy
My Journey Part II: I’d Like to Buy a Bowel, Please
Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Fight Colorectal Cancer
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