Red Apple Day - Bowel Cancer Awareness

pmacc · 22-06-2016, 01:56 AM

Dear fellow AFF members

Today the 22nd of June is Red Apple Day which is used to highlight Bowel Cancer Awareness

Unfortunately Bowel Cancer is on the rise in Australia and it doesn't get a lot of attention even though it's the 2nd largest cause of new cancer cases. Each year 15,151 Australians are given the unfortunate news that they have Bowel Cancer with 3,980 patients ultimately losing their lives to this horrible disease (209 of them are under the age of 50). By 2020 it’s predicted that the number of Australians diagnosed with Bowel Cancer will rise to 20,000.

I cannot stress to all the members and visitors in the AFF community, please do not skip your stool tests. If you notice something unusual or blood in your bowel moment don't ignore it go see your GP. If there is family history of Bowel Cancer or polyps don't put off having a colonoscopy because you can’t be bothered. Bowel Cancer is very beatable with high cure rates in the earlier stages.

And to the younger AFF members, this isn't a 50 years and over issue!
I am 25 and one of the unfortunate Australians that got diagnosed with Bowel cancer 3 weeks before Christmas. Luckily for me I caught it just in time which has given me a high chance of being cured. But I had no warning signs, if my appendix didn’t burst due to the tumor in my bowel blocking it, I probably would not have of known about my cancer until few years down the track when it would likely be too late to stop.

While screening through the stool tests is unlikely to be given to those in their twenties and thirties anytime soon, all I can suggest to everyone young and old is look at your diet (particularly meat and processed meat consumption), look at your fitness and pay attention to anything irregular.

To me it would be a lot easier making some minor lifestyle adjustments just so you never have to set foot in an oncology room and go through 6 months of absolute misery, feeling like every treatment day is Groundhog Day.

Autolite · 22-06-2016, 07:19 AM

Well written and GREAT advice.

Crazy Dazz · 23-06-2016, 02:42 AM

**** testing is a good first step, you can get the tests at your chemist (I think you post them off?) Worth doing at least once a year. As you get older, a yearly colonoscopy is worthwhile.

Also be aware that a "healthy" diet is no protection. My mum, god bless her, was one of those obsessed with every health warning she read in Women's Weekly. For as long as I can remember she was always eating "high-fibre," "low-salt," "low-fat," "non-processed," "no red meat," "no caffeine," and whatever else the Weekly recommended. (She had many truly disgusting recipes.)
And in the end, it was still bowel-cancer that did her in.

Thing is, you can live without a prostate, but living without most of your bowels is an absolute misery, and ultimately you won't last long.

Having a colonoscope shoved up your bum once a year, is cheap insurance.

pmacc · 23-06-2016, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

**** testing is a good first step, you can get the tests at your chemist (I think you post them off?) Worth doing at least once a year. As you get older, a yearly colonoscopy is worthwhile.

Also be aware that a "healthy" diet is no protection. My mum, god bless her, was one of those obsessed with every health warning she read in Women's Weekly. For as long as I can remember she was always eating "high-fibre," "low-salt," "low-fat," "non-processed," "no red meat," "no caffeine," and whatever else the Weekly recommended. (She had many truly disgusting recipes.)
And in the end, it was still bowel-cancer that did her in.

Thing is, you can live without a prostate, but living without most of your bowels is an absolute misery, and ultimately you won't last long.

Having a colonoscope shoved up your bum once a year, is cheap insurance.

Spot on, diet can help but there is no proof that eating well will absolutely prevent it. A good balance that includes having some 'vices' once in a while is what i believe is best to aim for. End of the day you need to enjoy your life.

What i want to stress to everyone on here is don't ignore testing and any changes to your bowel movements

Road_Warrior · 23-06-2016, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmacc

Dear fellow AFF members

Today the 22nd of June is Red Apple Day which is used to highlight Bowel Cancer Awareness

Unfortunately Bowel Cancer is on the rise in Australia and it doesn't get a lot of attention even though it's the 2nd largest cause of new cancer cases. Each year 15,151 Australians are given the unfortunate news that they have Bowel Cancer with 3,980 patients ultimately losing their lives to this horrible disease (209 of them are under the age of 50). By 2020 it’s predicted that the number of Australians diagnosed with Bowel Cancer will rise to 20,000.

I cannot stress to all the members and visitors in the AFF community, please do not skip your stool tests. If you notice something unusual or blood in your bowel moment don't ignore it go see your GP. If there is family history of Bowel Cancer or polyps don't put off having a colonoscopy because you can’t be bothered. Bowel Cancer is very beatable with high cure rates in the earlier stages.

And to the younger AFF members, this isn't a 50 years and over issue!
I am 25 and one of the unfortunate Australians that got diagnosed with Bowel cancer 3 weeks before Christmas. Luckily for me I caught it just in time which has given me a high chance of being cured. But I had no warning signs, if my appendix didn’t burst due to the tumor in my bowel blocking it, I probably would not have of known about my cancer until few years down the track when it would likely be too late to stop.

While screening through the stool tests is unlikely to be given to those in their twenties and thirties anytime soon, all I can suggest to everyone young and old is look at your diet (particularly meat and processed meat consumption), look at your fitness and pay attention to anything irregular.

To me it would be a lot easier making some minor lifestyle adjustments just so you never have to set foot in an oncology room and go through 6 months of absolute misery, feeling like every treatment day is Groundhog Day.

Spot on. 39yo and two 15mm polyps removed from my bowel back in March.

Get. It. Done.

"An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of the cure"