Have I caught your attention ?
From the minute our children enter the world we talk about poo. I bet it doesn’t take much to cast your mind back to that lovely first meconium ..
It’s something we get to know in such intimate detail from that very first experience to the not so pleasant experience of 2.5 year old twins who can create such ungodly nappies toilet training is fast approaching ! ( I predict a blog-post of the horrors of training twins ,3 day guides, 1 day guides etc to follow that future eventful experience).
Are you still with me ?
We have no problem dissecting nappies when they’re sick, helping along constipation, using suppositories to bring down high temps, literally analysing bowel and digestive movements of our kids and ensuring all is right there as we understand the importance of gut and bowel health. Ok we hold our noses in wrinkly disgust but we do it, we “explore” the nappy content for signs of anything out of the ordinary, we revel in delight when normal movements happen and we cry when the pain of constipation affects your little baby .
Why can’t the same be said for our own?
See I can actually see you squirm now, is she talking about me checking my own poo?
Yes I am, I am asking you to monitor your bowel habits, I am asking you to not ignore bleeding from down below. I am asking you to visit your GP if anything changes with your digestive or bowel habits .
Why ?
I have suffered off and on for alot of my life with IBS, I have had so many colonoscopies over the years resulting in varying diagnosis you have Ulcerative colitis, you have Chrons disease it’s just IBS, its nothing, when you have kids your symptoms will disappear..
It could have been bowel cancer.
My mam had literally no symptoms, some constipation and cramping over the years. A year after her breast cancer diagnosis ( now in full remission thank god from that cancer) ) our world fell apart when we heard the words Colo-Rectal cancer.
A fecker of a tumor had been growing for more than likely ten years unbeknownst to mam.
An intense treatment plan was put in place, followed by surgery for a temporary colostomy bag and then reversal surgery of the bag months later . Mams diagnosis was good and she is well on the road to recovery , I say to this day for both cancers I will never be as strong a woman as my mam , she literally faced both cancers head on. Her positivity and unwillingness to let it get to her mentally has stood to her. I am sure in her quiet moments she felt fear ,rage and was scared but she never let it show . I am so proud of her and the fight she continues to fight as it hasn’t left her without scars and battles, but she is here and runs around with my two for which every day I am grateful.
Other men, women and children have battled this disease and not been as lucky as mam, I could write an essay on those around me who have lost loved ones and I am so sad for them and their families. I can only pray that every advancement made by those who dedicate their lives to research and trying to find a cure will one day with all our help through awareness and donations will do just that.
But what can you do ?
It’s not all about money, its about awareness. It’s about checking your breasts for any changes and not ignoring changes when you poo or any changes to normal habits !
We need to be less embarrassed about poo, about down there. If a lump protruded from your face you would go to the doctor, you can’t see whats going on in your bowel and digestive system , symptoms such as changes in habit, blood when passing stools, gas (see more here https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer/symptoms-and-diagnosis#sthash.XxhffuND.dpbs) are ones that you CANNOT afford to ignore.
Let’s get talking about more than just our kids poo, be aware of your own and help spread awareness of an often silent cancer.
See more here :
http://arccancersupport.ie/our-aim
@irishcancersociety @arccancersupport
DodeestoDaquiris 
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