Red Rover, Red Rover! Send "Marine the Cancer-Sniffing Lab" Right Over!

Have you heard about “Marine” yet? She is a labrador retriever in Japan that has been specially trained to sniff out colorectal cancer (in stool or breath samples) with 98% accuracy! How awesome is that? Imagine a future where you go for your annual exam, and an adorable dog is brought in to happily sniff your butt and your stinky breath….I don’t know about you, but I'd be down with that :)

Until that day arrives, be sure to get your colorectal cancer screening and colonoscopy as recommended by your doctor (see link below for current, general guidelines). After all, colonoscopies do save lives! That's a straight-up fact!

P.S. How clever are those Get Your Rear in Gear folks!? I love their recent PSA (above).

~Mandy

Related links:

www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20030391-10391704.html

www.gut.bmj.com/content/early/2011/01/17/gut.2010.218305.full?sid=2d8e10c7-b62e-40b2-bfc9-f58d3324d92f

www.cancer.org/Healthy/FindCancerEarly/CancerScreeningGuidelines

www.getyourrearingear.com/

Time for a change

You may have noticed that Christine's profile (in the column at right) has changed. Here is what it said until the summer of 2009:

"I was originally diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer that had spread to the liver in August 2005 at age of 28. After two major surgeries and months of chemotherapy, I had no evidence of disease. In May/June 2007, a reoccurance was discovered in my abdomen and I am back on chemotherapy." ~Christine, 2008.

After she passed away, it was decided to keep the blog going. Mandy wrote a wonderful tribute to add to Christine's profile:

Christine passed away Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 7:45am. She will by deeply missed, always loved, and never forgotten by all those who were blessed to know and love her. She was an inspiration, a true friend, and a hero. Her beautiful smile, laugh and witty humor -- even in the midst of battling cancer -- is a shining example to all that life IS worth living and fighting for.

Christy did not want us to be sad. Instead, she wanted us to celebrate her life by learning from her experience, and by continuing her fight against colorectal cancer.

So, let's raise a toast to our beloved Christine...and then go kick some cancer ass!

Note: Never fear, loyal followers of this fabulous blog! Christine's family and closest friends will continue making posts in her honour.

Since then, Mandy and Jan have written several posts, some touching, some hilarious (just like Christy). Now, 2 1/2 years later, we're making a slight change. After discussion among her family and close friends, it was decided that if Christine's blog was to continue, it should carry on her legacy of advocating for colorectal cancer patients. In addition to posting stories and memories of Christine, we will post information about relevant colorectal cancer studies, articles, and related topics.

We hope this blog will continue to be a useful resource for patients, survivors and those who care about them. We also hope that you will continue to read through the archives of Christine's posts - her writing voice is so strong and her sense of humor so witty that you can't help but laugh out loud (often), commiserate (sometimes) and be inspired (always).

~Kristen