Deondre said his father never talked about that kind of thing, and his family didn't generally have conversations about their health.
At age 35, he was diagnosed with Stage 2 colorectal cancer (CRC). With two of his five children in their early twenties, Deondre - now 42 and cancer free for six years - said he's not going to avoid discussing his health given the links between his family and CRC.
'I'm going to make sure I have those conversations with my kids,' he said.
As part of its commitment to CRC awareness,
Deondre was part of a panel discussion hosted by Olympus and the CCA that featured patients and a family caregiver sharing their stories about CRC along with a patient navigator who discussed helping patients and their families figure out what happens after a diagnosis. The event, held at
Doctors diagnosed
While initially not concerned about her symptoms that were also dismissed by healthcare providers, Bixby - herself a nurse - said doubt started to creep in and she eventually began pushing harder for a diagnosis. She encouraged others to advocate for themselves.
'In retrospect, I would never advise myself as a nurse to sit on symptoms that could have been concerning, let alone life threatening,' said Bixby, who continues treatment. 'But it's the furthest thing from your mind.'
Ongoing CRC Awareness Efforts
Olympus is partnering with the CCA on a four-part webinar series focusing on heath equity. Discussions will center on issues impacting the CRC community and address healthcare-wide issues facing the most vulnerable populations. The series begins in April and topics will include: Did We Miss the Window Is Health Equity Dead
Leading Effective and Culturally Relevant Awareness Campaigns.
Lived Experiences: Where Patient Believability and Data Intersect.
Disaggregating the Data: Why Intersectionality is Essential to the Racial Health Equity Conversation.
Olympus understands the importance of colon cancer awareness and as such supports major national colorectal cancer organizations and initiatives as part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and beyond, including:
'Bum Run Toronto' - Seat of the Matter sponsor.
Supporting a 2021 recommendation by the
Supporting the decision by the
About Olympus
At Olympus, we are committed to Our Purpose of making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. As a global medical technology company, we partner with healthcare professionals to provide best-in-class solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states.
For more than 100 years, Olympus has pursued a goal of contributing to society by producing products designed with the purpose of delivering optimal outcomes for its customers around the world.
Contact:
Tel: 484-896-5000
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