National Colorectal Awareness month

I agree Amos. Over here in OZ there is definately a need for more awareness specifically on our ilness..colon cancer. What really concerns me is the high possibility that many people may have the disease but are unaware of it because in a lot of cases no symptoms show up until the cancer reaches advanced stages(from about stage 2 on)
Many cases are not dx'd until stage 3 simply due to lack of symptoms. The other thing that worries me is the fact that bleeding from haemharroids "very often" the cause of incorrect dx-ing. That is a fact I have known over here for a long time. I was dx'd in 97 with haemharroids but not dx'd with bowel cancer until 03 and that was only due to my cancer almost completely blocking the bowel. The cancer went thru the bowel wall and was a 2/3 blockage as well. Many cancers do not block the bowel but do intrude the wall or go on to invade outside the bowel. If not for my blockage and the symptoms involved they may well not have found my cancer until stage 3 or 4.....I was somewhat lucky.
The issue here is that ALL unusual bowel activity should be thoroughly investigated whether or not bleeding is present..AND...ALL bleeding deemed to be the result of haemharroids should also be further investigated. This means not just with a sigmoidoscopy but a full colonoscopy and/or barium enema.
I am not the only person to have haemharroids...indeed we all have them potentially...they just cause a lot of misdirection as to the "care" needed to correctly dx any other bowel related problems.
Nuff said......cheers, kanga n Jen

We need to scream it out. I wear my Livestrong & a colon cancer bracelet. When people ask or comment, I tell them it is for colon cancer awareness. I talk to anyone about my cancer. Just to spread the word, and increase awareness in the medical profession.

I am a young "healthy" doctor, who doesn't look sick at all! I blow most people away when I tell them I am stage 4. But I feel it is my place. I don't feel right hiding it. I am a cancer survivor, and people need to hear my story so other young people with rectal bleeding get proper testing before the cancer spreads.

Oops, sorry about the soapbox. It is up to us to tell everyone we can to know about the disease. For me, it is worldwide colorectal awareness life.

Thanks for starting the thought. jana

Last month I launched a letter writing campaign to the local newspapers pleading with them to make some small mention of the fact that March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. They fail to see the cruel irony in devoting page after page to the release of jailbird Martha Stewart (including the crochet pattern for a poncho that she wore the day she was released from prison) Martha and her cronies at Imclone cashed in their stock the day before Erbitux was denied approval from the FDA. The attempt to fast track this colon cancer drug failed due to sloppy testing and inaccurate data. The greed driven market manipulation delayed the release of Erbitux by two and a half years.
How many patients suffered and died because of this arrogant, unfeeling bunch of chiselers? It is impossible to know since this disease kills by inches. The consequences of denying an effective form of chemotherapy will be felt for some time, by the patients and their families and friends.
The local rags fail to see the juxtaposition of extensive coverage for the Domestic Felon and the lack of same for colon cancer as anything but business as usual. They are dancing on the graves of the victims of these evildoers. Sometimes I wonder if all the media is one conglomerate owned by some greedy, venal thief.
In a panicky moment of paranoia, I cancelled all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines and stopped watching TV. You can't be too careful--Big Brother is watching...
I am mad a hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!
Aspaysia