COLORECTAL SCREENING ~ GET THE FACTS.  GET SCREENED.

According to the Maine CDC, Screen ME program, “Getting screened for colon cancer could save your life. Nearly 300 Mainers die from colon cancer each year, but as many as 90% of these deaths can be prevented by screening.”

Colorectal cancer affects both women and men of all racial and ethnic groups and is most often found in people aged 50 or older.  Early detection of cancer is the most effective way to improve chances of positive outcomes.   Many deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented if everyone aged 50 or older had regular screening tests.  Colorectal cancer screening saves lives.

Cancers are caused by modifiable risk factors, genes and influenced by environmental factors.  Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum.  The colon is the large intestine or large bowel.  The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.

Risk Factors

There are some risk factors for colorectal cancer that you may not be able to control such a:

• Age over 50
• A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps.  Knowing your family’s history is important.
• Inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
• Certain hereditary syndromes

The risk factors for colorectal cancer that you can change:

• Physical inactivity
• High-fat, low fiber diets
• Obesity
• Tobacco use
• Excessive alcohol use

Signs & Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

• SOMETIMES NONE – early colorectal cancer often may have any symptoms.
• Blood in or on stool
• Frequent abdominal discomfort
• Pencil thin stools
• Unexplained weight loss

If you should have any of these symptoms, discuss them with your doctor.  Even if you don’t have any symptoms but you are over the age of 50 and you have never been screened, start now.

What are things you can do to prevent colorectal cancer?

Exercise regularly!  Exercise help to maintain a healthy weight.  Make sure to check with your doctor if you have not been physically active and plan to start exercising.

Maintain a healthy weight!  Increase the fiber and reduce the fat in your diet.  Healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight may have protective effects.  A diet rich in vegetables and fruits may prevent cancer and other disease.  Whole grains from breads, cereals, nuts and beans may also provide protective effects.   Folic acid has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease and colon, cervical and breast cancers.

Join RFGH for our weight management program.  

Weigh to Go starts at Redington-Fairview General Hospital on Monday, April 15th.  Weigh to Go is an 8-week weight loss series, taught by RFGH dietitians, emphasizes permanent weight loss through healthy choices.  Weight loss can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes risk, risk for heart disease, cancer and more.  For more information & to reserve space, please call 858-2318.

Road to Wellness is another program RFGH offers that is for individuals who want to loss 100 pounds or more.  It is being offered Mondays, April 15-June 10 from 2:30-3:00 p.m.  Please call 858-2318 for more information.

Stop Smoking!  Need help with tobacco cessation?  Call it Quits!  Call the Maine Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-207-1230 or contact Somerset Heart Health at 474-7473 and ask about the resources.  Joint the FREE Tobacco Cessation Support Group on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month from 5:30-6:30 pm at RFGH, Conference Room 2.  Call 858-2318 to reserve space.

GET SCREENED FOR COLORECTAL CANCER:  Colorectal cancer screeing saves lives!  Talk to your doctor and screen for life.  If you are over 50, get screened for colorectal cancer.  Screening tests an find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer and can also find colorectal cancer early, when treatment is most effective.

RESOURCES:
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/screenforlife
http://www.preventcancer.org
http://www.eatright.org/
http://www.colonscreenme.org

APRIL IS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

Preventing Child Abuse

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Child Maltreatment 2010, the most recent report of data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data Systems (NCANDS), 3.3 million reports of child abuse are made in the US each year.  Five children die each day due to abuse-related deaths in the US.

Of the reported, many of the children are found to be neglected which means that a caretaker did not provide for the child's basic needs.  Physical abuse and sexual abuse may be the basis of the report.   Physical abuse is the intentional injury inflicted on the child.  Severe shaking, beating, trusts.burning are all forms of physical abuse.  The child may have broken bones, unexplained bruises, burns or welts.  The child may be unusually frightened of the parent or caretaker and may not want to go home.  Emotional abuse can also occur with children including refusing to nurture a child, rejecting the child and criticizing a child.  Child abuse affects children from many backgrounds and of all ages.  The abuser is often a person the child knows and trusts./br>

Parenting and/or caring for a child or children is hard.  If you think stress may be affecting the way you treat your child or you want support, try talking to someone, find some time for yourself, call a helpline (1-800-4-A-CHILD), seek counseling, take a parenting class and accept help from trusted others.

If you suspect a child of being harmed contact:

State of Maine Department of Human Services at 1-800-451-1999

You will be asked for information such as the child's name and location, the suspected abuser, description of what you have seen or heard.  Your name will not be given out to the family reported for child abuse or neglect.  You may request to make your report anonymously.

For more information:
American Academy of Pediatrics (847) 434-4000  www.aap.org
Childhelp USA  1-800-4-A-CHILD   http://www.childhelp.org 
US Department of Health and Human Services

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a syndrome that interferes with the way the colon (large intestine) works  It is not a disease, but rather a combintation of signs and symptoms such as crampy abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.  It can cause a great deal of discomfort, but does not lead to serious disease or harm the intestines.  Most people can control their symptoms with diet, stress management and medications.  The first step to take if you think you have IBS is to see your doctor!

Your doctor will take a medical history and may order tests to rule out other problems or diseases.  Your doctor will ask about abdominal pain or discomfort, when your pain starts and stops in relation to bowel functions, and how your bowel frequency and stool consistency are altered.  If other diseases are ruled out, your doctor may diagnose IBS based on your symptoms.

In people with IBS, stress, emotional upset and conflicts can affect the colon quite strongly as the colon has many nerves that connect it to the brain.  The colon responds to stress, contracting either too much or too little.  It may absorb too little water or too much water.  Stress reduction may consist of relaxation training, counseling and support, regular exercise, adequate sleep and changes to the stressful situations in your life.

In addition to stress, the following may worsen the symptoms of iBS:  large meals, bloating from gas in the colon, medicines, beverages with caffeine (coffee, tea, colas) mild products, alcohol and foods with wheat, rye, barley and even chocolate.

Your doctor will encourage you to make changes in your diet, control or manage your stress and give you the best treatments available for your particular symptoms, such as medications.  The doctor may suggest additional fiber or occasional laxatives for constipation, as well as medication to decrease diarrhea or drugs that control colon muscle spasms.

DONATE LIFE ~ Make Organ & Tissue Donation Your Way of Life

According to the http://organdonor.gov/ website, "Each organ and tissue donor says or improves the lives of as many as 50 people.  Giving the "Gift of Life" may lighten the grief of the donor's own family.  Many donor families say that knowing other lives have been saved helps them cope with their tragic loss."

• 117,729 people are waiting for an organ
• 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ
• 1 organ donor can save up to 8 lives

People die each day waiting for transplants that can't take place because of the shortage of donated organs.

Additional information on the website provides you with a model donor card, provides information about myths, facts, ordering free materials, frequently asked questions and stories from recipients.

HOW TO BECOME A DONOR

The most important thing to do is to sign up as an organ and tissue donor in your state's donor registry.

To cover all bases, it's also helpful to:

• Designate your decision on your driver's license.
• Tell your family about your donation decision.
• Tell your physician, faith leader and friends.
• Include donation in your advance directives, will and living will.

Common questions:

What can I donate?  Organs such as the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines can be donated.  Tissues such as cornea, skin, bone marrow, heart valves and connective tissue can all be donated.  Bone marrow may also be donated.  The skin can help heal may burn victims or used for cancer patients in need of reconstructive surgery.  Heart valves and hearts are used to correct congenital defects and viral infections.  Your heart could beat for someone else!  Your bone, cartilage and ligaments could repair other people's damaged joints.  Your corneas could give sight to two people.

If I sign a donor card, will it affect the quality of medical care I receive at the hospital?  Every effort is made to save your life before donation is considered.  The medical team treating people is separate from transplant teams.

Are there any costs to my family for donation?  The donor's family does not pay for the cost of the organ donation.

Does my religion support donation?  All organized religions support donation, typically considering it is a generous act that is the individual's choice.

RESOURCES:

http://www.organdonor.gov/