March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and I will be wearing blue in recognition of the importance of routine screening for colorectal cancer.
The American Cancer Society tells us the disease is the second most deadly of all cancers but the most preventable with proper screening.
And while diagnoses of colon and rectal cancer are on the decline among people 50 and older, there is an alarming increase of these cancers among younger patients. Millennials in particular are contracting the disease at a rate four times higher now than decades ago.
THE NEWS
Five years ago, life was going swimmingly. I felt great, looked pretty good, took care of myself, ate well and tried to do everything right. But then one day - a punch to the gut… Actually it was much worse than a gut punch. It was a tumor in my colon; and if not for the fact that a colleague at NY1 casually mentioned that he was going for a colonoscopy, I never would have made the screening appointment that detected my cancer; and quite likely, I would not be sharing this story with you. I would be dead.
A look back at my video diary:
MSK TO THE RESCUE
For years I was under the delusion that just because I have no family history of colon cancer and there were no symptoms I could safely assume I would remain healthy and cancer free. Obviously I was wrong. And in fact, as I have come to discover, most cases are very much like mine. The majority of patients with colorectal cancer have no reason to suspect the disease until, unfortunately, it’s too late. I stupidly waited far too long before making that appointment. From the moment of the diagnosis, life took a tailspin. Everything went dark and mortality set in. It took several days before I came up for air. And that’s when I decided to share my tale of woe in an effort to spare others the pain of my terrifying experience. I decided on Memorial Sloan Kettering for the surgery and thanks to Dr. Martin Weiser and his incredible staff, my Stage 2 cancer was effectively treated.
IT'S NO LONGER AN OLD PERSON'S DISEASE
I was incredibly lucky. My cancer was caught in time. But while colon cancer rates are down among people my age and older, they’ve shot way up among the young. The statistics are alarming. Millennials are being diagnosed with rectal cancer at quadruple the rate from 30 years ago. Whoa! And conlon cancer is hitting them at twice the rate now. So far there’s no reason for the sharp increases, but sadly, because the science has always pointed to people over 50 at the most risk, 20, 30 and 40 somethings often don’t get proper treatment till it’s too late.
GOTTA GO AT 45
There really is no way to detect colon cancer in most people without proper screening. Colonoscopy is the best procedure…and for years the American Cancer Society recommended colon cancer screenings starting at age 50. But responding to the rise in these cancers among young patients, they’ve changed the guidelines, now recommending colonoscopies starting at age 45. Of course if there’s any family history, you should consult your doctor for the best time to be screened. I know most people think it’s a pain in the a#* but it’s really not. You have to fast for a day, drink some sweet liquid, sit on a toilet for awhile and then go for the test; you get a great sleep and best of all, peace of mind. I urge anyone who’s procrastinating, as I did, to make the appointment. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for a loved one and hopefully they’ll do it for you. Nothing would make me happier than to hear someone say “After hearing your story, I finally made an appointment to get checked.”
END THOUGHTS
Ever since my mom died from lung cancer 22 years ago, “the big C” had become my bogeyman, the monster under my bed. Hearing those life-threatening words: “You have colon cancer” was the realization of my worst fears. But as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. There’s an expression that we often use in the news business when someone dies from a terminal illness: ‘She lost her battle with cancer’. I cannot accept that after what I’ve been through. We are all meant to die one way or another. There is no losing when life ends. It’s nature. Each of us has a journey to take. Mine featured a frightening detour but I got through it; and no matter what happens to me, I will not continue to feed those demons with irrational fear. Fearless living is itself a victory!
