Sorry I didn't reply to your question regarding screening. The rule of thumb (here in Canada anyway) according to my oncologist is that if you have a family member that has had colon cancer then "all" members of the immediate family should be screened 10 years earlier then when that member contracted cancer. I am 50, my child will have to get screened before he is 40 years old. My grandfather died of colon cancer, had I known I should have been screened when I was in my 40's as well. As far as food goes, lots of fruits and vegetables,- I made a fruit smoothie every morning with my vitamins included and probiotics, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, tuna, salmon, no red meat, chicken, fish, wild meat, lamb, no sugar, (can use honey in tea, and cooked dishes). Here is my secret - it is long but hope it helps someone:
Imagery: When I rested I would imagine a white light surrounding and caressing my cancer. I went to a woman who practices Therapeutic Touch/ Reiki/ and Quantum Touch and does reconnective healing.
Stress & Conflict: I avoided it and retreated if I was in it or around it and still do and will continue to for at least 5 years.
Positive Thinking: Everyday I looked for something positive about having cancer, even if it was as little as being able to get in to do my blood tests ahead of everyone else. I didn’t have to wait. Every time someone came over to visit that I hadn’t seen in a long time – that was a positive, or someone else bringing my meals all made for me – that was a positive. I spoke all the time about the positives I never felt sorry for myself. I looked forward to my chemo treatments and sharing with other like patients that were there. I made wonderful friends during my treatments and shared a very personal experience with many of them. Now when I look back on my year with cancer I look back with gladness. Glad that I was able to witness such extreme kindnesses and the experience and education of really getting to know my body and the capabilities and lengths one will go to survive.
Nutrition: I went to a Naturopath and used many of the recommendations that she suggested which included, no red meat, no sugar (or at least as little as possible) and substituted with honey.
But there again, I listened to my body and even before I went to the Naturopath, I was craving those foods that I found out later were good for cancer treatment and prevention. Such foods included sweet potatoes, tomatoes, salmon, tuna, cauliflower, etc. I ate nutritious foods. You become very in tune with your body when you are ill if you listen to it and my having an illeostomy made it even more so.
Water: I drank it continually throughout the day.
Activity: I sometimes pushed myself to get up and out, but would also rest in the afternoons if only for 20 minutes.
Laughter: I laughed often and surrounded myself with happy people. Because of my attitude those around me were content in my illness as well and it comforted them knowing that I was smiling.
Belief: I truly believed that I would get well. I did not read anything about death, nor did I think about it. I believed in life and my living it to the fullest and I put my trust in my medical professionals. I did not watch sad shows or the news.
Friends & Family: I encouraged visitors, family and friends to drop in any time. I spoke of my illness often and with emphasis on making them also believe I would be well and encouraging them to strive towards prevention of this dreaded disease.
Vitamins: I supplemented with probiotics, a good multi vitamin, a B complex and Vitamin D3, and liquid calcium with magnesium in it. All of this was put into a fruit smoothie that I had every morning. I would put in strawberries, bananas, huckleberries, or blueberries, honey, orange juice, and sometimes soy milk.
Love: Lots of it from everyone around me.
Intuition: I did what my body said was good for me and acted upon my intuition. “In every person there lives a wise physician” and in keeping to that, I listened to what my body was craving and I would have someone go out and get what I craved if I was unable to.
Emotions & Hopelessness: I believed that I would have no side effects from the cancer, radiation, and chemo and I had little in all circumstances and it has been proven that a good emotional state of mind helps with the complications and side effects of chemo and radiation. However, there was a moment in my treatment and only one, when my hemoglobin dropped and I literally felt like I was going to die. My emotions ran amuck and I was truly scared. I wanted and needed someone with me all the time. I didn’t know of anyone to talk to about my thoughts so I made an appointment to see a local physician friend that had conquered leukemia. Although he was very helpful in telling me of his journey it was nowhere near my experiences. After leaving his office I went shopping and bought some new clothes. That was the best medicine I could have given myself. I was a normal person doing something very normal and very satisfying to say the least.
I cried more from people’s kindnesses then I did from adverse care or treatment and I stress again that I never felt sorry for myself, or questioned “why me?”
Shopping: I bought new clothes when I was able and bought bright coloured clothes. I am not usually one that spends money on new clothes or on myself in general for that matter. Usually I buy my clothes at second hand stores, so the thought of new clothes was new to me.
Alternative Medicines: I was advised by my Medical Oncologist not to take anything that would adversely react with the chemo and radiation. Vitamin B was actually one vitamin that interacts and I was advised to drop that during treatment. There again, I put my trust in my medical professionals, abilities, expertise, and experiences. They have been through this a whole lot more than I had. I found a balance between conventional and non-conventional medicine that worked for me and that I felt comfortable with. I believe the sessions with my Quantum Touch practitioner helped develop good imagery in my body fighting off the cancer on its own. I met with a Naturopath and took their nutritional advice, not to the level that was suggested, but to the level that felt right for me. You have to believe in what ever treatment you decide for yourself or the conventional treatment that is required in order for it to be effective.
Spirituality: Of course this is personal to everyone, but I believe in God and could write a book about the many times throughout my journey and treatment where I was shown that God continued to protect and heal me.
Creativity: Reading, watching in-depth movies, painting (as I am an artist), doing anything creative was almost impossibile. The chemotherapy treatments left me with what we termed chemo brain and we have since learned that that is actually the term that people use to describe the phenomena which apparently affects a higher percentage of women. Words come none too quickly, almost dyslexic, or to what I presume dyslexia is. For example, when I tried to think of the word wallpaper, I said “you know the paper you put on walls.” Uncanny, but I could not think of the word wallpaper. In trying to point out a limo that passed by, I said “look!, a long car with doors.” After a year and six months since my cancer diagnosis I continue to fight “chemo brain”. I am told that this will get better, but I believe old age will be kicking in shortly and thereby is another positive thing from cancer, because I can explain my odd forgetfulness to chemo brain, when if the truth be known, it will probably just be from getting old.