The "Stick" Test - Fecal Occult Blood Test

A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a home testing kit used to detect hidden blood in the stool. Fecal refers to stool, while occult means hidden. This non-invasive test can be purchased at a local pharmacy and can be administered in the privacy of your own home. FOBT kits differ in method and accuracy: Newer FOBT kits:Newer FOBT kits (also called immuno-chemical tests) require you to dip a brush into the toilet after having a bowel movement and send the sample to a medical lab. This method is more reliable than older style FOBT tests and does not require any dietary restrictions. This type of FOBT is more accurate than older style FOBTs. These tests cost approximately $25 - $50.

"...Too Young To Be A Candidate for a Colonoscopy"

"Please accept my condolences on the death of Lynne. I recieved this blogsite from a family member of Lynne's and I felt it necessary to share my own personal experience. My brother is a colon-rectal surgeon, so we have the list of warning signs. He also had my husband and me getting the "stick" test through our 30s and 40s (which he sent to us with our birthday cards and then had us send back to him for testing) and then told me if I hadn't had a colonoscopy by the time I visited him the Christmas after I turned 50, he'd perform it himself! So, we're aware. But all that knowledge (which we passed along to everyone we knew) didn't change the behavior of my sister-in-law (my husband's side), who died six years ago because she was "too young" to be a candidate for a colonoscopy according to her weird doctor or to my brother's brother-in-law, who succumbed at age 32 - he died 3 months after diagnosis. Like your Lynne, no one else in the family had the disease or any other kind of cancer for that matter - - he was in a high-stress job and thought he had only occasional indigestion. A routine physical for a promotion discovered the mass. It's very sad. Please feel free to post this if it will help anyone reading to take action on their health.

Concerned Family Aquaintance"


If you know of anyone who has been touched by colon cancer, please share their story with us by e-mailing it to staceybon@msn.com. We promise to keep all identities anonymous if you so wish but urge you to help us bring life saving news to our friends and families.

"Ignorance is Bliss, I guess."

The following is a story from one of Lynne's dearest friends. It is self-explanatory. Read on.. S


Regarding my colonoscopy…It was so weird! I had a baby in July. I had the normal bleeding, but it continued. In December I still noticed blood in my stool, and for some reason I was nervous about it. I remember telling my husband about it. I did not know why, but it made me uncomfortable. I did not do anything about it, but got to the point that I did not “look” when I went to the bathroom. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. Then, I got the call from Lynne, and I could not believe it. She told me what was going on with her, and I shared with her my experience. She had told me that she had put it all to being pregnant and to just having a baby. I thought the same thing. So, she asked me to promise I would go to the doctor. I did, and they found a polyp that the doctor said was definitely pre-cancerous. He said had I waited till I was 50…the recommended age for a colonoscopy…who knows what would have been found.

I have shared this story with so many people, and many friends have gotten tested. Lynne’s story is heart breaking and I think it scares people. I know it scared me.

Know The Signs - Get a Colonoscopy!

I received this post and thought it most definitely needed to be shared..

• Dear Friends,
  
  Lynne believed in the big picture, and that if she was to die of Colon Cancer that something greater would come of it. What the true reason for Lynne's sad untimely passing is, we may never know in our lifetime. However we do believe she would want us to help prevent others from dying unnecessarily from this silent, very prevalent disease. So please if any of the following relates to you please get a colonoscopy, don't take no for an answer, INSIST on the test;
  
  Silent Symptoms of Colon Cancer -

• unexplained change in bowel habits
• chronic diarrhea or constipate
• blood in the stool
• persistent abdominal pain
• unexpected or sudden weight loss
• chronic tiredness or unexplained fatigue
  
  Remember if you have ANY one of these symptoms talk to your doctor. Young Mothers can think these symptoms are part of natural child birthing process.. They may not be, you should always talk to your doctor about concerns and get tested. Men & Women, before & after the age of 50 - please get tested.
  
  Please don't waste time. Lynne passed away 2 months after diagnosis, by the time her symptoms had her very concerned it was too late. Lynne was the first known member of her extended family to have this disease. She was not blessed with the advance warning you are now receiving.
  
  Colon cancer kills more people in the USA each year than breast cancer and aids combined. There is no need for anyone to die of colon cancer. Early detection is KEY as it is a very treatable cancer if found in time.
  
  Colorectal cancer develops slowly over a long period of time, usually starting out as a small grape-size growth called a polyp on the inner wall of the large intestine, colon and/or rectum. Not all polyps turn into cancer. Screening tests can be used to detect the polyps, allowing their removal during the colonoscopy before cancer ever develops. It is the only disease that THE TEST CAN BE THE CURE.
  
  Please make your Doctors appointment today. We have already heard from friends and family who have taken a colonoscopy since Lynne's passing and have discovered polyps that have been removed. These people can now live colon-cancer-free. You can too. Share your story of success with us all. Get tested in memory of Lynne.
  
  Posted by a concerned friend.