Postby weisssoccermom » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:09 am
First of all, thank you Terry. We talked on the phone this afternoon about the post and I thank her for speaking up on some of the same issues that I didn't want to bring up for fear of being shot down again.
When I started this post, it was just to inform people that there was a small segment on the Oprah show about colorectal cancer. Nothing more. Somehow this whole thread has taken on so many different meanings and honestly, I think that we have gotten way off track.
Frankly, I don't give a darn about whether people like Oprah or not. The simple fact is, her show, along with Dr. Oz brought this topic into millions of homes that day. It doesn't matter to me HOW people became aware of colorectal cancer, just that they did. It's unrealistic to think that this small segment hasn't made a difference. Maybe it would have been more effective is a colorectal cancer survivor was on the show to tell people what we go through with treatments, quality of life, etc. It's NOT our show, it's Oprah's and she has the right to do with it what she wants. Instead of bitching about what Oprah did or didn't do, or whether she tittered when she said the word poop, or anything else about her lifestyle, we should be concentrating on how we can take the opportunity that she handed us and run with it!
Our bowels are just not everyday, comfortable topics of conversation. How many of us even 6 months before our diagnosis ever would have imagined that you would be "talking" with complete strangers about your bowel habits (POOP), your rectum, colostomy bags, excessive gas, radiation, whatever. I'd venture a guess not very many of us!
Something happened today in part because of this thread. Another cancer patient who I have been helping is now distancing herself from this site because of some of the very angry and disrputive things that have been posted - particularly on this topic. It bothers me that we should be the very people who are here to help other newly diagnosed patients as well as each other and yet this name calling and angry posts are getting in the way of what we should be doing.
So, can we please just stop with all of this negativity? Can we please just put an end to this whole topic and move on? Nothing positive is going to be accomplished if these discussions keep heading in the direction that they are going. Enough, please.