In My Experience - A Healthcare Provider's Perspective

In My Experience - A Healthcare Provider's Perspective
Asu Gurung - Director & Medical Advisor

Credible Sources of Information
What is one of the most common things all of us do when we have any symptoms or a provider gives us a diagnosis? We google. I mean it is hard not to, right? After all, we do have access to endless information just within the reach of our fingertips. All we have to do is type the symptoms and boom! pages and pages of information. As a healthcare provider, I am fully aware that most of the patients, if not all, will look online for information. I do not discourage looking online for health information. Knowledge is powerful and I encourage everyone to be aware of one’s own health. However, it is important that we get our information from credible sites/sources. I recommend using sites such as www.nih.gov, medscape.com, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic for general medical information. There are various organizations dedicated towards specific illnesses like cancer, diabetes, bone diseases, neurological disorders with lots of information. Happy researching!

Love Your Buns and Addressing Rising Rates of Rectal Cancer
We are an organization dedicated towards creating awareness against rectal cancer. We want individuals to be aware of signs and symptoms and when to seek medical care. We usually hear the term colorectal cancer which is a combined term for colon cancer and rectal cancer. Some of the common symptoms are changes in bowel habits, blood in stool, unintentional weight loss, fatigue. I have listed some of the websites down below for you to refer if you would like to know more.

A recent study done by American Cancer Society shows that young and middle aged adults in the US are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at an increasing rate. Therefore, American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends starting screening for colorectal for average risk person at the age of 45 instead of 50. Of course, we are waiting for insurance to start covering colorectal cancer screening at the age of 45 which is quite frustrating. However, that should not stop us from having a conversation with our provider regarding screening or discussing any symptoms one is having.

Click on the links below to learn more about colorectal cancer:

• https://www.cancer.gov/types/colorectal/patient/rectal-treatment-pdq

• https://www.fascrs.org/patients/disease-condition/rectal-cancer

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rectal-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352884

• https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/study-finds-sharp-rise-in-colon-cancer-and-rectal-cancer-rates-among-young-adults.html

If Symptoms Persist, Insist
Question unusual symptoms. Don’t assume your last colonoscopy will stay the same. If you have a concern, be empowered to defend your concern! Love Your Buns!

Love Your Buns is a non-profit initiative aiming to remove stigma and improve awareness around rectal cancer, its prevalence and its symptoms. A growing epidemic in young adults, rectal cancer is easy to remove if caught early, however due to a variety of reasons, young adults are not likely to seek screening options like colonoscopies. This gap in screening is leading to more advanced disease at diagnosis and more challenging and strenuous treatment. We're working to Educate young adults to increase awareness of the signs and increasing prevalence of Rectal Cancer and to Empower informed decision making and Improve quality of life in Survivorship.

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