TKCCC News
Written By:
Kelli Koch
Marketing/Communications Specialist Southeastern Med
Southeastern Med Promotes Colon Health with Inflatable Super Colon
Southeastern Med’s Tina Kiser Colorectal Cancer Coalition displayed its new inflatable colon at the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce 2010 ‘Swing Into Spring’ Show the weekend of March 12-14.
The inflatable colon is an interactive educational tool that allows visitors to get a close-up look at healthy colon tissue, tissue with nonmalignant colorectal diseases, colorectal polyps and various stages of colorectal cancer. Those who walk through the colon also learn about the importance of colorectal screenings, prevention, risks of developing colorectal cancer, symptoms and treatment options.
The Colorectal Task Force at Southeastern Med renamed itself in early 2009 to the Tina Kiser Colorectal Cancer Coalition as a memorial tribute to remember one of the task force’s founding members. Tina Kiser battled colon cancer and was driven to educate others about this deadly, yet preventable, disease. She was an active coalition member who traveled to Columbus and Washington D.C. on multiple occasions to lobby for colonoscopy screening legislation that will save others from her same plight. Kiser lost her courageous fight against colon cancer in December 2008.
Throughout the next year, the Tina Kiser Colorectal Cancer Coalition will be stopping by several Ohio counties with the inflatable colon to promote colorectal screenings. Visit http://tkcoloncancercoalition.org for a complete list of stop dates. The inflatable colon also is available for rent. For more information about obtaining it for an event, please contact Becky Wheeler, Cancer Registry at Southeastern Med, at 740-439-8156
The “Kiser Color” Premieres at the Cambridge Swing into Spring Home Show This Weekend
The Tina Kiser Colorectal Coalition will be exhibiting the “Kiser Colon” at the Swing into Spring Home Show this weekend. The “Kiser Colon” is an inflatable colon you can walk through and learn more about colon cancer. I hope everyone will stop by and see us at the show. Take part in the educational quiz and you might even win the “HUGE” basket of healthy goodies!
The hours of the show are Friday 11 am – 8 pm; Saturday 11 am – 7 pm and Sunday noon – 5 pm.
Southeastern Med Promotes Colon Health with Inflatable Super Colon
| Written By: Kelli Koch Marketing/Communications Specialist Southeastern Med |
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| Click on image to see full resolution |
A twenty-foot colon big enough to walk through will be touring Guernsey County during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Southeastern Med’s Tina Kiser Colorectal Cancer Coalition will display its new inflatable colon at the following events during the months of March and April:
March 12-14 – Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce 2010 ‘Swing Into Spring’ Show at Pritchard Laughlin
March 19 – Colgate Palmolive from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
March 24 – Guernsey Safety Council at the Country Club from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 30 – Southeastern Med TBA
March 31 – Buckeye Trail Health Fair from 4 – 7 p.m.
April 10 – Guernsey Muskingum Electric Annual Meeting in New Concord
April 14 – Muskingum College Health Fair
The inflatable colon is an interactive educational tool that allows visitors to get a close-up look at healthy colon tissue, tissue with nonmalignant colorectal diseases, colorectal polyps and various stages of colorectal cancer. Those who walk through the colon also learn about the importance of colorectal screenings, prevention, risks of developing colorectal cancer, symptoms and treatment options.
“The task force wanted to bring awareness to the community that colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable,” said Becky Wheeler, Cancer Registry at Southeastern Med. “The disease is preventable through screening, and if detected early, it can be successfully treated 90 percent of the time.”
Colorectal cancer affects the colon or the rectum. The colon is the large intestine or the large bowel. The rectum is the passageway connecting the colon to the anus. Colorectal cancer occurs most often in people aged 50 or older, and the risk increases with age. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S. among cancers that affect both men and women. But if everyone aged 50 years or older had regular screening tests, at least 60 percent of deaths from this cancer could be avoided.
Some people are at greater risk for colorectal cancer and may need to be screened earlier. These include people with:
- A personal or family history of colorectal polyps, colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease
- A family history of hereditary or familial colon cancer syndromes
- People who use tobacco, are obese and/or are not physically active
In early stages of colorectal cancer, there may not be any symptoms. If there are symptoms, the following may appear:
- Rectal bleeding or blood in or on the stool
- Change in bowel habits
• Stools that are narrower than usual
- Constant stomach aches, pains or cramps
- Weight loss for no apparent reason
- Constant fatigue
- Diarrhea, constipation or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
- Black or very dark colored stools
During Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Southeastern Med encourages you to get screened for colorectal cancer. The medical center provides free stool screening kits to test for blood in the privacy in of your own home. After following the easy-to-understand instructions, mail the kit to Southeastern Med’s lab. The results will then be mailed back to you. Southeastern Med also offers free colonoscopies to those who are uninsured or underinsured.
To receive more information about colorectal cancer, a free screening kit or to find out if you qualify for a free colonoscopy, call Becky Wheeler, Cancer Registry at Southeastern Med, at 740-439-8156.
In December 2008, Mrs. Tina Kiser lost her courageous battle against colorectal cancer. However, her strength and desire to educate others about this deadly disease have inspired the Colorectal Cancer Coalition, of which Tina was a founding member, to rename the group as the Tina Kiser Colorectal Cancer Coalition as a memorial tribute.
Although Tina was diagnosed with end-stage colon cancer, she was driven to raise 
awareness about this type of cancer. She was an active coalition member who traveled to Columbus on multiple occasions to lobby for colonscopy screening legislation that will save others from her same plight.
“I thought of her all day yesterday as she certainly was with us lobbying in spirit. I miss her and her strength. She certainly made an impression on everyone. Even when we talked about her yesterday to legislators, they remembered her from last year,” shares Becky Wheeler, Certified Tumor Registrar at Southeastern Med and fellow coalition member, after returning from Lobby Day in Columbus on March 18, 2009.
In 2006, Southeastern Med and the Coalition launched an aggressive Awareness Campaign using the them “Face the ‘BEAR’ Facts…Colon Screenings Save Lives!” With cooperation from three surgeons from Southeastern Ohio Physicians, Inc., Southeastern Med provides free or reduced-cost colonoscopies to those who qualify.
