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David Dubin: I am David Dubin, two time colon cancer survivor, founder of Alive and Kickn
and advocate and here are some stigmas that I wish would just go away.
There are a lot of stigmas associated with colon cancer that I would love to see removed.
First and foremost is that colon cancer is not just an old man's disease. Under age 50
obviously and is getting younger and younger women as well as men. Colon cancer you know
it's random. Obviously, you got the genetic component, but otherwise colon cancer affects
anybody and I guess that it is getting younger and younger, so the old man's disease as far
as I am concerned really should not be the stigma anymore. The second component is the
colonoscopy. I hear colonoscopy being used as a punch line and I am okay with this as
long as it becomes a conversation that turns into something positive afterwards. Gone are
the days or at least they should be gone of the drinking of gallons of chalk as the prep
the night before, it is much easier and colonoscopy as a procedure, you know, we are talking about
an outpatient, we are talking not always having to take place at a hospital, it's a very easy
procedure. Unless no procedures are perfect but in the right hands, it should be a very
easy simple procedure, minor anesthesia and as I would like to say, you get a nap afterwards,
but also the stigma that cancer, especially colon cancer is a death sentence, death meaning,
you know, quality of life not just the loss of life. You know there was a time when colon
cancer people thought you would have to get a bag, you know colostomy bag and that's not
the case. You don't lose your quality of life. I can go out on a limb and say colon cancer
survivors are not alone by any means. There is a very nice community out there and there
is a whole lot of people living lives to the fullest everyday. You can still have the full
quality of life that you had previously, so it is a bit of an adjustment.
For an interactive tool to learn more about your colon cancer and your personalized treatment
options, go to MyColonCancerCoach.org.