By Tai Prohaska
I had my first colonoscopy at age 36 and it was four years overdue.
That’s because my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer when she was 42. If you have a first-degree relative diagnosed under age 60, you are supposed to get “scoped” at 40, or 10 years before the youngest case in your family—whichever is earlier. For me, that meant age 32.
When my mother had part of her colon removed more than 30 years ago, young onset (diagnosed younger than age 50) colorectal cancer (CRC) was not as common as it is now. According to the Colon Cancer Alliance, 10 percent of new colon cancer patients are under age 50. These are individuals who are often just hitting their stride in terms of creating a family, growing a career and fulfilling their dreams.
A cancer diagnosis is never welcome news, no matter how old you are.
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. All Things Disability is pleased to host the Blog-a-Thon for Colon Cancer all next month. In addition to raising awareness of young onset CRC, guest bloggers will address issues relating to employment, finances, survivorship and prevention.
I invite anyone who has a personal story or perspective about colon cancer to submit a blog for consideration to be included in this forum. You can email me at t.prohaska@allsupinc.com.
You can also subscribe to this blog on the upper right hand corner of this web page.
Jog
Allsup is pleased to sponsor the Colon Cancer Alliance St. Louis Undy Run on March 25. If you live in the Metro East, consider joining Team Allsup. You can also look for an Undy Run near you by clicking here.
Although colorectal cancer screening saves lives, screening rates for CRC lag behind other cancer screenings. One of the reasons may be the dreaded “prep” needed for an effective colonoscopy. But, ensuring your colon is clear for its big day does not have to be scary. This article from Harvard Health and tips from the Colon Cancer Alliance can help allay anxiety. As Lyn B. posted on Facebook, “DON’T BE A WIMP!!! Get the test. It saved my life. Might just be it saves yours too!”
