Cover Your Butt!

So, tomorrow is the last day of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Sadly, it’s time to start taking down the streamers, blow the last horn and put away the banners until next March.

However, I have just learned that you have one last opportunity to celebrate this important month. Tomorrow, March 31st, thousands of people throughout the US will be calling into Congress in support of colorectal cancer screening legislation. This legislation, currently in Congress would create a National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.

Fortunately, the Colon Cancer Coalition has made it easy for you to call Congress. Tomorrow, simply dial 866-615-3375 and enter your ZIP code at the prompt. You will be directly connected to the offices of your Members of Congress. When your phone call is answered, you simply need to say, "I support the Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment Act." If you’d like a more detailed script, go to the following: http://coveryourbutt.org/c3-butt-in/.

To be honest, you really don’t need a more detailed script, since all that’s going to happen is that a staffer is going to put a check mark in the box that says that someone called in support of the legislation. Although it may seem trivial, Members of Congress do listen to what the people want and are very curious to hear what their constituents are calling about. So – all you really need to do is just say that you support the Act and you’ve done your part.

At the end of your phone call, DO NOT HANG UP. You will be reconnected back to the Butt-In line, where you can direct your call to your remaining Members of Congress. Please be sure to speak with all three of your Members of Congress (your representative and both senators) tomorrow. This will take less than 5 minutes of your time, but it could be tremendously valuable in the fight against colorectal cancer.

The more calls that Congress receives, the better, so urge your friends, family and co-workers to join you in the Congressional Butt-In! Afraid you'll forget to call tomorrow? Then use your cell phone now to text BUTTIN to 30644 and the Colorectal Cancer Coalition will message a reminder to you tomorrow.

Thank you for being a part of an important movement to eradicate colon cancer. We will win this battle. I just know it.

Stories of Hope

I am delighted to announce that the Colon Cancer Coalition has put my story on their website under the heading “Stories of Hope.” Let’s just say that I’d rather be on this list than in the other column entitled “Forget Me Nots,” the list that talks about those who have passed away from colon cancer. What is disturbing is the fact that the “Forget Me Nots” list is longer than the “Stories of Hope” list. I am hoping that we can change that.

While I was going through treatment and even to this day, the stories that I needed to hear were not of those who didn’t make it, but of those who survived and, even better, those who continue to thrive.

The strength and courage of survivor stories breathed hope into me during my treatment – if these people made it, so could I. Now, I get to pass on my story of hope to those who read the Colon Cancer Coalition’s website.

I know that several people who read this blog either are colon cancer survivors or know survivors. I’m asking you to share the survivor stories. Let’s make the “Stories of Hope” list 5 or even 10 times longer than the list about those who have passed away.

To read how to add a story or to read my story, just go to www.getyourrearingear.com/stories.

And – while registration information is still not out for the October 4th Get Your Rear In Gear 5K – there’s no time like the present for beginning your training (it’s only 3 miles, for goodness sake…)

NED (No Evidence of Disease) and Dress In Blue on March 6th!

I am thrilled to tell you that you don’t have to wait until Thursday to find out the results of yesterday’s CT scan and blood tests. I got the call from Dr. Fisher this afternoon informing me that there was no sign of cancer and that I remain in remission. He also said that as a little gift to me, I don’t have to travel to Stanford on Thursday to meet with him, since as far as he was concerned, I was doing just fine. A huge thank you for all of your praying and positive thoughts. They must have really worked for me to get the information 2 days early!

So – now that I can breathe a huge sigh of relief, I am going to launch into my National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month celebration. I have a great first activity – to promote Dress in Blue Day on March 6th. The purpose of Dress in Blue Day is to promote awareness about colorectal cancer and encourage people to get screened.

The following bullet points from the Colon Cancer Coalition outline very clearly why it is so important to raise awareness of Colorectal Cancer:

• Colorectal cancer is the #2 cause of death in the U.S.
• This year in the United States, colorectal cancer will kill as many people as breast cancer and AIDS combined.
• Over 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year.
• Colorectal cancer often has no symptom at all until it’s at an advanced stage.
• Colorectal cancer is 90% preventable when detected early.
• You can reduce your risk through regular screening.
• Beginning at age 50 (or earlier if you have a family history), everyone should be screened for colorectal cancer.

So – I know that my family will be wearing blue on Friday (the girls are already picking out their outfits) and I encourage you to do so as well. In fact, please encourage everyone you know to wear blue this Friday and then each of us can contribute in our own small way to raise our world’s awareness of this dreaded disease.

If you are interested in reading more about the Dress in Blue Day movement or would like ideas about how to effectively spread the word, please go to http://www.ccalliance.org/news_events_dress-in-blue.html.

Happy National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!! (I’m so relieved that I’m starting mine cancer-free…)

The 6th Month CT Scan

Today I headed down to Stanford for blood work and the 6th month post-chemo CT scan. It seems both like it was yesterday that I was going through chemo, but it also feels like it’s been a very long time. To be honest, I’ve been on edge for the last several days in anticipation of the scan and, more importantly, finding out the results.

So – off I went to the beautiful Stanford Cancer Center for blood work. I had forgotten both how exquisite and unnerving that place is. While waiting to be called for my blood draw, I tried to guess what kind of cancer the other people in the waiting room were battling. I had this overwhelming urge to walk around the room and ask everyone what they had and how they were doing. Fortunately for the other patients, the phlebotomist called my name and finished my lab work fairly quickly. They then sent me to the brand new Stanford Radiology Center in Palo Alto for my CT scan.

When I arrived I discovered that they were running early so they were able to take me an hour before my scheduled appointment. I have to note that the technicians and nurses were amazingly kind and caring. Really – if you’re going to get cancer – Stanford is a heck of a place to go.

I made it through the CT scan without anything noteworthy to talk about. Unfortunately, I won’t know the results of the scan until my appointment this Thursday with Dr. Fisher. However, after the scan, I found myself searching the faces of the staff to see if they “knew” something. When the doctor came in to tell me that they had what they needed and I could leave, I had an internal debate as to whether he was being so pleasant because he knew that I was ok or because he knew that they had found something.

After about 10 minutes of overanalyzing everyone that I came into contact with, I finally let it go and decided that there was nothing that I could do until Thursday.

So – please keep me in your prayers this week and on Thursday at 3 pm PST – send a little extra positive thought my way.