CheckUr:

Title translation: Check your colon!

March is colorectal cancer awareness month, so you know I had to post some important info about CRC here as that's what took my Ric from me.

Colon cancer is on the rise, especially in the younger age ranges. The best thing to do? Get screened! One problem is that the recommended age to get screened is 50.. having just been reduced to 45 in several places. However even that is not good enough, Ric was just 28 when diagnosed! If at all possible and especially if any symptoms arise then speak up and get checked - it really could save your life.

How do I get screened?

I can hear you asking.

Check out https://quiz.getscreened.org/ for a free, personalized screening recommendation and/or check with your health provider.

What symptoms should I look out for?

Another great question!

Some symptoms to watch out for:

• Changing bowel habits

Changing bowel habits may include intermittent or constant diarrhea and/or constipation, a change in the consistency of your stool, or stools that are more narrow than usual.

• Persistent abdominal discomfort

Abdominal discomfort may present as cramps, gas, or pain. You may also feel full, bloated, or like your bowel is not completely empty. Nausea and vomiting can also be a symptom.

• Rectal bleeding

Blood in or on your stool is a symptom of rectal cancer and colon cancer. The blood can be bright red, or the stool may be black and tarry or brick red.

• Weakness and/or fatigue

Weakness and/or fatigue may be a sign of colorectal cancer. Weakness and/or fatigue may be accompanied by anemia or a low red blood cell count.

• Unexplained weight loss

A loss of weight for no known reason should always be investigated. Nausea and/or vomiting are also possible symptoms.

Is it possible to have no symptoms?

Sadly, yes. And actually, the most common symptom of colorectal cancer is no symptom.

As was the case for Ric. He had none of the symptoms mentioned above, which made it very hard to detect early, and meant it actually wasn't detected until it was already too late.

But it's still best to keep an eye out for all of these possible symptoms and get checked if anything seems unusual.

Some scary facts:

• The Average Lifetime Risk for Men = 1 in 23.

• The Average Lifetime Risk for Women = 1 in 25

• CRC is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

• In 2023 it is estimated that 153,020 people will be diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer in the US

• And out of those, 52,550 people will die from Colorectal Cancer.

I'm not sharing these facts to scare anyone, just to show how much of a threat CRC can really be, and how incredibly important it is to get screened! Nobody wants to talk about their colon or intestines, it's weird, it's gross, it's taboo. But talking about it and getting checked could quite literally save your life. Take it from someone who's lived it, and wishes more than anything that the standard screening age was 25.

So please CheckUr: !! #checkyourcolon

(All this info and much more can be found at https://www.ccalliance.org/)