Saratoga News
News
The Colossal Colon is big, and the message it delivers is even bigger
By Michele Leung
It's no fun having to fast for 24 hours, much less being poked and prodded by a doctor. But while a colonoscopy may be distasteful, colon cancer awareness advocates say it's well worth the discomfort.
Unlike other cancers, colon cancer is preventable if detected early. To bring attention to how easy it is to stave off this cancer, advocates have brought the Colossal Colon to San Jose and invited the community to see it. This 40-foot long, 4-foot tall exhibit is a replica of the human colon, in which the curious can crawl through and see and touch polyps. If doctors discover a polyp during a colonoscopy, they remove it and deny a potential cancer the chance to take hold there.
The Colossal Colon, which was featured on the NBC Today show, will be at the Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave. in San Jose. The free exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 27 and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 28. The Colossal Colon is open to all ages and free food and beverages and educational brochures will be available. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
"Our hope is that it will open up an opportunity to talk about a cancer that has devastated thousands of families in our community," said Gay Crawford, a Saratoga resident and volunteer advocate.
Crawford, who has been a longtime volunteer with the American Cancer Society, was among those who introduced the concept of colon cancer-free zones in Saratoga and around the country. She wastes no opportunity to tell others to get screened for colon cancer. Whether on the plane home from Budapest or in her church in Saratoga, Crawford is passionate about spreading the word.
"When people walk through [the Colossal Colon], they see a polyp and say, 'that's gross.' That's our window of opportunity," she said.
Sid Faulkner, 53, calls himself a lucky guy. After procrastinating for years about scheduling a colonoscopy, he finally had his insides checked out in February. He thought he was going to reward himself with a few burgers from In-N-Out after the screening, but he never got that far. Instead, he returned straight to the hospital the next day, put on another hospital gown and had a cancerous tumor surgically removed.
"The lymph nodes were clear, and the cancer hadn't spread anywhere. How unfortunate it could have been if I had waited," said Faulkner, who serves as the treasurer for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Saratoga.
He recuperated at home for a month in March, coincidentally National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Faulkner, of Campbell, now calls himself the poster boy for colon cancer screening and "badgers" others to get checked as well.
"My message is to get the colonoscopy," he said. "Abdominal surgery is an operation you'd prefer to avoid."
The recommended age for a screening is 50.
"But 48 is OK, too," he said.
Faulkner is cancer-free and said he will gladly get another check-up next year. The scar at his navel reminds him of his screening's timeliness this year.
"Don't wait for symptoms," Faulkner said.
For directions to the Camden Community Center, call 408.559.8553 or visit www.sanjoseca.gov/prns.
