When asked why he wouldn't indulge in any of the normal fairground "cuisine", he told me about his recent "health scare" in December 2007. Apparently, my TALL friend was diagnosed with colon cancer and his doctors immediately scheduled surgery to have the polyps removed. That scared him enough to motivate major lifestyle changes in his diet and exercise habits. He was lucky, he is living cancer free to this day.
But the twist to the story, the reason I'm writing about this, is because his sister died from cancer the year before. Colon cancer to be exact. The irony is that she had been battling colon cancer for 10 years prior to her death and didn't tell anyone, not even her family members, until she was on her death bed.
As a Public Health educator who firmly believes in the power of prevention, I find this woman's actions upsetting because if she had told her family members that she had colon cancer, that would have alerted her surviving siblings to their risk of cancer. See, the risk of developing cancer and the subsequent need for preventative testing doubles if you have an immediate family member who has or had cancer. Immediate family is mother, father, brother, sister.
f you are struggling with a health risk, if possible, please tell someone in your immediate family. Sharing that type of information does not indicate weakness but reflects a loving concern for the health and well-being of your family. Life is not all about you but about relationships. If you are struggling, be a blessing to those you love by at least passing on a part of your family history.
Blessings,
The Fall Prevention Lady
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