Stuart Scott

[some]

I think the point of the post was that it would be nice if there were no stigma attached to this particular cancer. many have mentioned in the past how much attention breast cancer gets for example when crc is the number 2 killer. I think this stigma is related. It took me some months here to be comfortable with it. I then realized that Poop is important s***. My kids have books called Everyone Poops and another called The Story of Farts and they love them.

And, it would be great if people wanted to use their stature and popularity to bring attention to the disease to help raise funds and awareness and help others. No, they are of course NOT obligated, but it would be appreciated and great if they so desired. He is talking about it in some ways in this announcement and I believe he does some stuff with Livestrong. I was happy to read of the twitter support he received.

[WorriedWife]

March is the big month for awareness for cc. (I'm sure you all know that), and I think I might have posted this before somewhere, but Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum's (love them!!) father-in-law was dx with cc. I am not sure what stage, but he is bringing awareness this March. I think that is great and maybe it will help get others going...here is a copy and pasted paragraph.


Charles Kelley Films Ad For Colon Cancer As Father-in-law Battles The Disease
Lady Antebellum star Charles Kelley has filmed a public service announcement about colon cancer as a special thanks to the medics who are helping his father-in-law battle the disease.
The Need You Now singer taped the ad in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday (05Nov12) and he hopes it encourages fans to sign up for health checks.
Kelley's father-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer a few years ago and he says, "It's really been hard on the family, so it hit really close to home.
"Any time my band can use our platform to encourage more people to get screened, that is a positive thing."
Kelley's Psa also features his wife and her parents and it will run as part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March (13), according to USA Today.

[michelle c]

I do not have a problem with saying that I was diagnosed with colon cancer. The colon is the large intestine and I've never felt embarrassed or even thought about it as taboo. Is it because I'm Australian? I don't know. I'm also a nurse so perhaps talking about this kind of thing doesn't phase me. I've never had anyone pull a face or look disgusted. Perhaps they're just polite

I really don't know why he doesn't reveal the type of cancer he has. Maybe he doesn't think that it is relevant. This is no disrespect but I've also noticed that obituaries of people who pass from CRC usually say that they had cancer. Perhaps their family thinks it is not relevant either to reveal the type.

Of course, I don't go blabbing to everyone but if the subject comes up I don''t feel embarrassed or ashamed.

[jean60]

Ski, your post touches on something I have begun to feel very passionately about. Language. We (as a society, so for the most part) just are not comfy with the words we need to use with this cancer. Years ago, I used to speak at an annual women's conference and it became my practice to make the entire audience say the word menopause aloud. Yes, this was a long time ago and no, I am not completely crazy. I just noticed that people did not say the word unless it was in whispered conversation. Wouldn't it be nice to think I am 100 years old so that explains it...I am really talking about the OLD days. But I am not.
When I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, at some point I prepared an email to let some folks of my choosing know what was happening. I will never forget typing that message and getting to the word "rectal" and pausing. I thought about using colorectal, which I suppose would have been fine. Trouble is, it wouldn't have been the truth. I had (have?) rectal cancer. Among that group of people are women who have fought breast cancer and I can tell you that I see a definite difference in the conversations about my cancer.
We have to get comfortable with the language and yes, when public figures get comfortable with it they can make a real difference. As for the rest of us, I think we can make a difference when we talk about it, using language that is not offensive or vulgar, just REAL. Words are powerful. Some of them make folks uncomfortable. But sometimes getting uncomfortable can be the beginning of change.

Jean

[Bev G]

Those of you who have been around for a while will have already read this, or have taken the opportunity to skip it , I sent it to the NYT last year, and they weren't interested. I might try again this year in time for CRC Awareness Month. It touches on a lot of stuff we're talking about in this thread.



It’s Not All About Pink

Who among us hasn’t known someone with breast cancer?

I certainly have, and have had a couple of scares with it myself. My scares with it however, haven’t been too bad, because I’ve already got stage IV colorectal cancer. With three major surgeries, seventeen hospitalizations and many months of chemo in the past 18 months, I’ve sort of felt like, “Ah, well, what’s one more cancer going to add up to in the whole scheme of things?”

The things I’d like to talk about have to do not so much with breast cancer, but with colorectal cancer, for fairly obvious reasons. Also, as a disclaimer, chemotherapy has destroyed my super-ego, so I am quite likely to say anything, and the consequences be damned!

I stand in solidarity with all women with cancer, whatever the type. And all men with cancer. Oh, and all children with cancer. And all dogs with cancer: My grand-dog Bailey, the smartest, sweetest and most obsessive-compulsive Chocolate Labrador in the universe has cancer. Cancer, by and large, is an equal opportunity killer.

Unfortunately, it is not an equal opportunity donation magnet.

Almost 200,000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States, and about 40,000 die of the wretched disease. The National Cancer Institute funding for breast cancer research tops $630 million dollars a year. Their funding for colorectal cancer is $270 million dollars a year, even though there are more deaths caused by colorectal cancer each year than by breast cancer and AIDS combined. (note: now I have to double-check this, I'm no longer sure it's true based upon the advice Gaelen and CR gave me)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, second only to lung cancer. It kills many, many women each year, and is gender-blind, about 50,000 die a year, and these deaths are pretty evenly split between men and women. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to talk about CRC without talking about (shhhh!) poop. And who wants to talk about poop, except perhaps a four year old?

When I was in college to become a nurse, in the mid-70s, it wasn’t cool to talk about breasts, despite the 60s; at least not in public. Virtually no one talked about breast cancer, and there were certainly no opportunities to go in the grocery store and see virtually everything tied with a pink ribbon.

Then, Lance Armstrong! Oh my gosh! I think the only way the public would ever be talking about (double shhhh!) testicles was for some great looking man who is a superb athlete to be diagnosed with testicular cancer, a very rare cancer indeed. Yet how often do we see the ubiquitous yellow wrists bands? Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a fantastic effort, and I applaud anything that raises cancer awareness, but why must we keep our heads so pitifully buried in the sand regarding CRC?

Could all of this denial just be the YICK factor?

No, I don’t think so. It’s other stuff too. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be the great masquerader for colorectal cancer. Frequent diarrhea, bloated abdomens, cramping abdominal pain. Many folks with metastatic CRC were told they had fairly benign IBS, myself included.

Lots of people don’t get a colonoscopy screening because they are terrified by the procedure, or their doctors won’t refer them for one. The incidence of metastatic colorectal cancer is increasing among the young (20-30 something’s) and they are not typically referred for testing, even if they are symptomatic. I know of several women who have been diagnosed during their pregnancies, in their mid-twenties, and they are currently battling to stay alive.

Most people, probably, have heard that the preparation for a colonoscopy is horrible. It is. There are no two ways about it. That is unless one likes horribly cramping diarrhea that goes on and on for hours. And, the joy of drinking a gallon or so of what tastes for all the world like thick sea water with a little lemon flavoring for good measure is, thank God, hard to compare to anything.

Oh, wait though, I can think of something worse than a colonoscopy prep.

Chemotherapy. A colon resection. A liver resection. A lung resection. The funny thing about CRC is that one prays for the opportunity for a major, life threatening surgery (liver and/or lung resection) when they have metastatic disease, because it is the only possibility for cure. 70% of people with metastatic disease never even become candidates for a surgery to remove the metastatic lesions. But, yes, I think I would take a colonoscopy prep any day over chemo.

Colorectal cancer is the only cancer that can be almost entirely prevented. Almost all CRC starts with a benign polyp. Remove that polyp when it is young via colonoscopy, before it has an opportunity to become malignant, and voila! You’re cured. Wait too long, and you’ve got a problem on your hands, and your colon or rectum, and your liver, and your lungs, and your bones, etc.

People, it would be magnificent to find a cure for breast cancer, and thus relinquish some of the pink to the lingerie drawers, where it all used to be. Then again, it would also be magnificent to find cures for the less posh cancers: colon, blood, bone, ovarian, lung, brain, pancreatic…you know, the list goes on and on…it’s not all about pink.

[Staci's team]

Jean, you kind of took the words right out of my mouth. From the very day she was diagnosed, Staci has not been hesitant to tell anyone who will listen that she has/had rectal cancer. Not colorectal, but just plain old rectal. I agree that there is indeed a stigma, but as you note so well, the first step in effecting change is in breaking down the "uncomfortableness" of the language we use. I've followed her lead and said "rectal" instead of colorectal as well. Are there people who blush and get uncomfortable? Sure -- but the more they realize that we're using the correct term and we're not going to stop using it, the more likely they are to take the disease seriously.

Presnt company ("The Colon Club") excluded, I also often find myself correcting people when they are talking about "colon cancer." I certainly don't do so meanly, but if my wife is forward enough about using the term rectal, I think I owe it to her to be as genuine as possible about her experience and that of the larger population of colorectal cancer patients as well. If people are identifying their particular diagnosis, then I'm fine with the specificity of using "colon" and won't object, but if they're talking generically about the disease, I'll often say "don't you mean colorectal?" It's not uncomfortable for me to say it....just trying to make it less uncomfortable for others by showing them that there's no shame in using the correct term.

[SoConfused]

Why would Stuart advocate for colon cancer if he admittedly suffers from stomach cancer? ... Advocacy is not an easy job and some folks really can't be reminded of their disease on a continuing basis ... even though it would be nice to have those in the public eye do more to raise awareness, it'd be unfair to expect them to do so just because they can.

I know there are days when I just would like to be left alone and not have to think about my illness. Can't be fun living this experience under scrutiny.

[Bev G]

Hi all,

I just spoke with my daughter, who's husband is the one on ESPN. She is going to ask her husband to speak with the "publicity" group at ESPN about the possibility of doing some Public Service spots in March about cancer awareness. Her husband may or may not be able to "narrate" the spot (can't think of the right word).

Bev

[Lara239]

I just got an email from a friend about this here in Nashville. I am so proud of this...speaking of celebrities speaking out about colon cancer awareness!
http://www.rttnews.com/2037648/alan-jac ... x?type=cnt
I am going to make sure I buy a bunch of tickets!

[sadysue]

This might sound odd but when I was first diagnosed, I always said I had colorectal cancer with no embarassment. I was wishing I had colon cancer because it did not sound so awful, at least to me I know it was stupid of me. It actually took me many months to say the words "rectal cancer" out loud to anyone, even my family. I was embarassed.

[PGLGreg]

Ski, your post touches on something I have begun to feel very passionately about. Language.

I've been reading the posts in this thread, from my sophisticated friends here, on the alert for the first use of that word even more taboo than "colon". Your post is the first I've noticed that mentions "rectal" (not counting signatures).

[sadysue]

Hi Greg...one post above your last is mine. I've got rectal cancer. It was so hard for me to say those words out loud but now it's just a fact of life for me and no big deal. I remember that Farah Fawcett (sp?) was sick with cancer for a long time and it wasn't until the very end of her life that anyone mentioned anal cancer. Tough subjects.

[Kathryn in MN]

Bev - love your letter. But there is one fact that needs to be changed. There are TWO Grade A screenings for cancer, that is that they can PREVENT, not just detect cancer. One is Pap smear for cervical cancer. The other is colonoscopy for colorectal cancer. Both of these can detect pre-cancerous conditions so they can be treated and not ever turn into cancer.

And wouldn't you know these are the two cancers I have had - staying up on my Pap's probably saved my life. My cervical cancer was very aggresssive and went from just dysplasia to carcinoma in situ (stage 0) to ending up stage II before I finally beat it. If I hadn't gone for my annual exam, I'd have found myself in a lot worse situation. Unfortunately I did not know about colon cancer and colonoscopy wasn't anything to worry about, because I wasn't "old" enough yet...

[SoConfused]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2013/01/15/stuart-scott-cancer-espn/1837559/

[Anonymouse]

Yes, it looks like he has some sort of gut cancer and looks like it's his third bout with the disease and only 47 years of age. He's been a staple on Sports Center for years, this is very sad news.