Though I have always had respect for cancer patients, their families, and the efforts made to raise awareness about the awful disease in all its forms, that respect took on a whole new meaning after my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer in October 2022.
For well over a year before her diagnosis, we knew something was wrong but couldn’t nail it down. We chalked up some of her symptoms to food intolerances and tried to make dietary adjustments, but we couldn’t explain all of her symptoms away.
One doctor suggested an issue that merely required some antibiotics and from there we hoped the issue would resolve itself.
But it wasn’t until she had her colonoscopy, which she had been putting off despite recommendations from other doctors because she was prioritizing caring for my dad, that we learned it wasn’t a minor issue that could be taken care of by taking prescription medicine for a couple of weeks.
Needless to say, both mom, my sisters and I have learned a lot more about colon cancer over the last year thanks in part to doing more research and also thanks to her amazing care team, from her surgical oncologist and his staff, her medical oncologist and his staff, and her primary care physician and his team.
And though it might be that we notice it more because of what mom went through, it seems like awareness campaigns at the national level about the importance of getting a colonoscopy have ramped up.
Celebrities like actors Terry Crews and Ryan Reynolds and sports icons such as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott have taken part in unconventional campaigns to encourage people, especially men, to get their screenings done.
As the Colorectal Cancer Alliance announced, the initiative is called “Lead from Behind,” and the approach is, as one might imagine, to use humorous and entertaining ways to get people to pay attention to a very serious issue.
“Through a series of unique and creative videos featuring celebrities in sports and entertainment highlighting the variety of colon cancer screening options that people can choose from, ‘Lead from Behind’ tackles the important topic in an entertaining and approachable way to help reduce the stigma and break down the barriers to screening,” they noted on their website.
There are video promos of Crews being wheeled in to get his colonoscopy done where he’s talking about “behind” issues and encouraging people to get their screenings done.
“Happy to put my butt on the line for @leadfrombehind if it means saving many more,” he stated in one Instagram video post. “Do the right thing and get your [behind] checked.”
Crews’ doctor found and removed several suspicious polyps during the screening, and Reynolds’ doctor found a polyp during his screening that was also removed.
Afterward, Reynolds cracked “butt” jokes but turned serious when he talked about how “We want this potentially life-saving procedure to be less mysterious and stigmatized.”
Prescott’s mom battled colon cancer but unfortunately passed away from it in 2013.
Regarding the video he did, Prescott said “If you’ve had prior health issues, something with your stomach, or any other concerns, have anxiety about getting checked, I hope somebody watches that, I hope somebody says, ‘You know, this is easier than I thought.’”
It was. I had my first one in October and the at-home prep really is the toughest part, but even that wasn’t that bad to me. And once you get to your doctor’s office and they get you ready for the procedure, you’re done before you know it.
While celebrities have a wider reach with their platforms, raising awareness starts at home. Even if your loved ones haven’t shown any symptoms, please encourage them about the importance of yearly colonoscopies. It cannot be said enough that doing so saves lives.
North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.