Welcome Chris4Life

When I was young, if ever anything went wrong or I was disappointed with an outcome of a situation, my parents and elders would always look me in the eye and say, “Well, at least you have your health.”  I would think to myself crossly, “What does that mean?  Doesn’t everyone my age have her health?  Unhealthy people are those who smoke, eat bad food, and don’t exercise.  Then it just catches up to you when you are old.”  Even for years into my young adulthood, I still couldn’t comprehend not taking one’s good health as a part of everyday life. I mean, we are all pretty much “healthy” until we reach 70 or something, right? Then we start to see the downside of age and health.

No, not right, obviously.  The reality is completely quiet the opposite.  The very idea of children being terminally ill is purely heart wrenching.  The thought of losing a parent, sibling, child, or friend to a disease that wasn’t preventable is devastating.  But when you lose any of those people in your life to something that WAS preventable…well, how simply awful. Because, it was quite possibly preventable.

The reason why I write this post on health is two-fold. One purpose is to share with you a future post about my eye-opening experience I had during my Executive Physical with PartnerMD.  It was my first physical I’d had since probably 1998.  Yes, right. Wake up call. The second reason I write about health is that I’ve recently joined the newly formed Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation in an official partnership.

Colon cancer? Yes, COLON CANCER. Do those very words make you squirm in your seat?  Make you feel a bit uncomfortable?  It should. Then again, it shouldn’t.  There was a time that we were embarrassed to say “BREAST CANCER”.  Thank God those days have passed.  Heck, there was a time when the only type of cancer that was acceptable in any social conversation was “lung cancer” and that was because the Surgeon General was coming down hard on the tobacco industry and smokers.  Smokers were doing bad things to their bodies.  We could point fingers and shake them.  You will get lung cancer if you smoke.  The end.

Colon cancer is almost like this undercover, not talked about disease that is not only a killer, but possibly PREVENTABLE.  There’s a cancer that’s preventable? And stoppable?  That’s impossible.  Let’s talk about this.  And if the word COLON makes you feel weird, I’m sorry, but guess, what. You have one and you have to take care of it, so get over it.

First, I want to welcome the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation.  Michael Sapienza, his family and the Board formed this non-profit in honor of his and his siblings’ mother, Christine Sapienza, who lost her battle to colon cancer this past year.  Their purpose is to raise money for the Lombardi Cancer Center and Georgetown University Hospital, where Chris spent her last years.  Chris4Life has praised the work, the staff, the doctors, and the facility for being there entirely for the Sapienza family during the treatment and care of Chris.

The foundation’s Mission is:
-To find a cure for colon cancer by funding and facilitating cutting edge research programs across the nation.
-To improve the lives of patients diagnosed with colon cancer by funding and developing programs to support patients and their caregivers.
-To increase awareness of the life-saving importance of early screening for colon cancer by using innovative strategies.

Its 4 Values are: Compassion, Empowerment, Perseverance, Life

I have personally learned an extensive amount about the colon and colon cancer over the past few months in working with Chris4Life.  Admittedly, when Mike first came to me, I was a bit squeamish about the topic.  He laughed when I leaned over at our meeting and whispered “colon” in the middle of our conversation, like it was profane.  That changed quickly after further conversations and research. I learned that it is never too early to start thinking about your colon and a healthy digestive system.  I learned that with early detection, colorectal cancer is preventable.  I learned that a lot of people have put off and continue to procrastinate getting a colonoscopy because they are scared of the procedure.  I learned that if you are diagnosed with colon cancer you can survive, but your chances of a long survival are slim. (By the way, a colonoscopy at 50 is imperative.  There are reasons why you should get one earlier, but this test can save your life because if there is a polyp found, it can be removed immediately.)  I learned that there is a brave young woman by the name of Jen Puglise who was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer at the age of 30. She’s a mother, a wife and now 33 with basically no colon left, who is speaking out loudly about this disease.  I learned that my being embarrassed about talking about my colon is ridiculous and no one says that better than the frank and funny columnist Dave Barry.

Barry did an article recently on his own colonoscopy called A Journey into My Colon – - and Yours. in the Miami Herald.  His message (while hilarious) is loud and clear: Do NOT wait.  You are stupid if you wait after 50 to have this highly effective and low risk procedure: http://www.miamiherald.com/dave_barry/story/427603.html

There’s a lot you as a young person can do to maintain a healthy digestive system and colon, in fact you can’t turn on the tele without seeing Jamie Lee Curtis and her probiotic yogurt, but you can help by eating whole foods and drinking lots of pH balanced water (Fiji is the best in that category).  And by the way, may I just say for the record, I was horrified with the onslaught of advertisements for Doritos, Denny’s and Budweiser beer during the SuperBowl last night.  We are trying to get away from obesity, heart attacks, high cholesteral, clogged arteries and heart disease as a country, not run towards it.

Please take a moment to look over the Chris4Life Colon Cancer website.  I’ll be putting up videos and new messages on the Punch, Twitter, and Facebook, but you can join them in the fight against this cancer here:

Twitter http://twitter.com/chris4cure
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris4Life-Colon-Cancer-Foundation/

If you have a friend or loved one who has a story to tell (or even you!) about colon cancer or good experience with the Lombardi Cancer Research Center, please contact Chris4Life.  The Foundation is holding its private launch event in March but they’d love to know about your story too.  http://chris4life.org/contact

On a side note, the founding members of the Board are extremely passionate, professional, goal oriented, determined and know how to get things done FAST.  They are an impressive group.  Believe me, I played devil’s advocate when first meeting with Mike months ago and was floored by his determination and steadfastness.  I guess you could say his mom has been the wind beneath his wings in creating the organization.