[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Bowel Cancer Awareness Week has just started today.

Bowel cancer (also know as colorectal cancer) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in Australia, yet it is highly curable if found early.
In Australia, you have a 1 in 21 chance of contracting this disease in your lifetime.
In the IceInSpace forum, that means that about 100 of us will be affected.

People with any of the following symptoms should see their doctor:
1. bleeding from the back passage or any sign of blood in a bowel motion
2. an unexplained and persistent change in bowel actions. For example, looser or more frequent bowel motions or becoming severely constipated
3. unexplained tiredness
4. lower abdominal pain or a persistent feeling of fullness.

This is not the time to indulge in self diagnoses, " I'm lactose intolerant and always get the runs, I've got hemorrhoids and always get a bit of blood on the tissue" You don't know for sure, you're not a doctor. Don't put this off, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR.
Bowel cancer is the most curable of the cancers, so long as you get an EARLY DIAGNOSIS.

The slogan "Don't Die of Embarrassment" is indicative to the feelings everyone has. No-one likes the idea of being prodded and probed down there, it's uncomfortable and very undignified. Good humour is essential.

Another fact to be faced is that this disease does not discriminate by age or sex. While it is more common in older people, it can happen to ANYONE at ANY AGE.

For more information, please click on the link in my signature.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.



Why am I an advocate for Bowel Cancer Awareness?
I was diagnosed just before Easter with Colorectal cancer.
I believe that if I had known about the symptoms I would not have put off going to the doctor for so long.
I don't want anyone here to wait as long as I did.