Cancer Its an old persons disease.....is it?

Today is Cancer awareness day.

As I am sure anyone watching the news or listening to the radio has heard Caner UK now claim it will effect one in two of us. A very scary statistic  Whilst I am all for awareness, fund raising and any general activities regrading Caner awareness I did have a concern over something that followed this statement.

Whilst you cant argue with their research the 'reasons' they gave for this change was based around people living longer and Cancer being an 'old persons' disease.

I'm not sure why hearing this statistic has bothered me?  Why it prompted putting virtual pen to paper?

I was 28 when I was diagnosed.  Far from being classified as 'old'  Over the years I have also spoken and met with many many people who have also fought and beat cancer, again many of them far from 'old'.  I have also had the misfortune of hearing about many people that had lost their personal battles with Cancer.  One person very close to home.  A family friend who was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer only a few short months after myself.  Darren battled valiantly for many years but was finally taken from us an his young family

Cancer was the reason I started this blog but I also started to help raise awareness for people in my demographic.  Mid 20-30 active people.  Labeling Cancer in this way as an old persons disease (whilst potentially accurate) concerns me.

I had always thought of Cancer as an old persons disease and something that would never happen to me...until it did.  Don't misunderstand this post I am not try to scare everyone into being afraid of the scary Cancer Bogey man.  My intention is to only ensure that people have a healthy respect for it

So WHY hearing this statistic has bothered me?  WHY has it prompted putting virtual pen to paper?
Perhaps it is because my own diagnosis is only a few short days away?

2015 marks my 8th year of beating bowel cancer.  My 3rd since the 'all clear'  Perhaps it subconsciously reminded me of how young I was and how lucky I am that I am still here?

I'm having trouble trying to explain how I feel?  Perhaps this analogy will make it clearer
I don't have a fear of heights, I have a fear of falling!

So anyway back to my original point.  Yes, Cancer statistics cannot be ignored. The increase of diagnosis in the older generation is increasing. (however this could also be becuase the tools we have for earlier diagnosis have also improved? But that's a bit too deep for even my blogs!  lol )

I guess what I am saying is don't be complacent, don't assume it will not happen to me.  If you have any suspicions, any lumps or bumps that were not there before, get them checked out.  Dont assume its an old persons disease and that it will never happen to me!


http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/spotcancerearly/