For the last year, I’ve had some weird health issues. In April 2013, I was very sick with what I thought was food poisoning. I had lab tests and saw three doctors – two told me they couldn’t find anything and one told me I had intestinal parasites. I had not traveled out of the country, so I was shocked to learn this. Last May at the Mom 2.0 conference, I became very sick with all the same symptoms I had in the previous month, and after further tests and examination, the same three doctors stood by their previous diagnoses.
Fast forward several months and I was still experiencing many of the same symptoms. Some of these symptoms were consistent with colon cancer, so one of my doctors suggested a colonoscopy.
Say what? Colonoscopy. It’s not a glamorous topic but a necessary and important one.
Currently, colon cancer affects 1 in 20 people. Yes, one in 20.
The good news is that colon cancer is often beatable when detected and treated in its early stages. Colon cancer can even be prevented altogether when polyps are removed before they develop into cancer.
If you have symptoms like persistent stomach aches and pains, rapid weight loss and bloody bowel movements, you may want to talk with your doctor about having a colonoscopy.
#ColonCancerACC Twitter Chat on 3/20
Join Penn Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center for a Twitter chat to discuss colon cancer, prevention, and the factors that increase your risk.
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time: Noon to 1 p.m. Eastern / 9 to 10 a.m. Pacific
Hashtag: #ColonCancerACC
Host: @PennMedicine and @PennCancer
Where: On Twitter
Thankfully, my colonoscopy and biopsies were fine and there was no evidence of polyps or anything abnormal. And surprising to me, the entire process was rather simple.
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Help someone learn the importance of regular colonoscopies and save a life.
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Join @PennMedicine and nationally recognized experts from @PennCancer for a Twitter chat Thursday, 3/20 from Noon to 1 pm ET when we will discuss what you need to know about colon cancer.
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http://bit.ly/1dQW50b
Knowing risk and prevention saves lives. Join @PennMedicine @PennCancer for #ColonCancerACC chat 3/20 12pmET http://bit.ly/1dQW50b
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