Maria Kang never liked to remain silent. The Sacramento fitness celebrity and mother of three has gone viral several times – first a little over a decade ago when she posted a photo of herself in super fit gym gear surrounded by her three kids and captioned it, “What is it?” your excuse?
The post quickly racked up 16 million views and sparked endless ire from women who took offense at what they saw as body shaming. Kang was called obnoxious, a bully, an idiot. But that only fueled her fire, catapulting her into years of crazy entrepreneurship in the health and wellness space—she has collection of nursing homesleads organizations Fitness without borders And No excuses mom (with additional income, including calendars And book) and recently became breathing work Instructor. And the media moments continued as she spoke candidly about everything from breast implant removal to the dissolution of her marriage.
Now she’s raising her voice about a major life event: she’s been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
“I thought I would never, ever talk about this,” Kang, 43, told Fortune (though she shared the news on social media And her blog). “But I want to convey to you that this can happen to anyone… I was a symbol of health and well-being.”
She says she spent a year believing her digestive problems, anemia and abdominal pain were symptoms of something benign, such as hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and doesn’t want others to make the same mistake. When her doctor discovered she had low iron levels, he ordered a CT scan, which showed the mass. A colonoscopy and biopsy confirmed it was cancer that had already spread to a lymph node, which is stage four.
“You go through a whole range of emotions, and there was this part of, ‘Why me? I did everything. I’m meditating. I have no anger towards anyone. You start to get angry… but then you realize that you are not alone.”
In fact, this is more true than ever as incidence rates of colorectal cancer are rising rapidly among people under 50, even as incidence rates are declining among people over 65, according to a report that states that The American Cancer Society published in January. (The rate is even rising among children and teenagers, according to just-released data.)
“We don’t know exactly what’s causing this surge in colorectal cancer cases in young people,” Dr. James McCormick, chief of colorectal surgery at the Pittsburgh Allegheny Health Network, tells Fortune. “Although there are people who have a genetic predisposition to developing colorectal cancer, this does not explain the current situation. “It must be caused by some environmental, nutritional or lifestyle factors – or most likely a combination of all three.” This includes the air we breathe and the water we drink, he says, adding that known risk factors include “all the hallmarks of a Western diet” such as high consumption of animal fats and processed meats and low fiber intake, as well as obesity and obesity. sedentary lifestyle.
What about Kahn and her ilk?
“However, it is important to note that I have seen many young patients who come into my office reporting a healthy diet, a very active lifestyle and a healthy weight, yet still develop colorectal cancer in their 20s and 30s despite for these focused efforts. ” says McCormick.
In other words, it might be bullshit.
Understanding the Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer
According to McCormick, the list of symptoms commonly attributed to colorectal cancer are “changes in bowel habits, bleeding, fatigue, abdominal pain, bloating, or unintentional weight loss.” The bleeding and anemia that Kang experienced, as well as unintentional weight loss, he adds, “always need to be assessed.”
As for other symptoms, he says, it’s true that many people experience abdominal pain, bloating and fatigue and attribute it to IBS or other benign causes. But while 20 years ago doctors were comfortable diagnosing IBS and hemorrhoids in healthy young people with no family history of colon cancer, “not anymore,” he says, as the incidence in this group has doubled since then.
“Be careful,” McCormick advises. “You can’t diagnose hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome at home based on descriptions you find online. The truth is that irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning we can’t make a diagnosis without ruling out more sinister diagnoses—and we rule out things like colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.”
So, when is it important to get tested? Aside from bleeding, anemia and unintentional weight loss, he advises: “I think the most important difference is change—change in bowel habits, change in pain, change in bloating and lingering fatigue. Pay attention to what is “normal” for you and notice if that changes.” If it persists for more than a few weeks, get checked, he suggests, and insist on a colonoscopy.
Understanding prevention
Preventive colonoscopy, currently recommended to begin at age 45 in the absence of serious risk factors or symptoms, is the “gold standard,” McCormick says, because it can remove precancerous lesions and nip cancer in the bud. But alternatives, including stool testing in the form FIT test or Cologard, are an excellent option—as long as you get a colonoscopy if the results are positive. “But the most important thing is that people do something to check,” he says.
Another doctor’s tip: Focus on what you can control: Eat a diet high in fiber, plenty of fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables; Minimize consumption of red and processed meats, as well as alcohol; Stick to nuts, seeds, legumes, fish and chicken for protein sources; exercise for 30 minutes at least 4-5 times a week; maintain a healthy weight; Know your body and be aware. “Don’t ignore symptoms and insist on getting a colonoscopy,” he emphasizes, “no matter your age.”
Kang supports this and adds some of his wisdom.
“One out of every two women gets cancer, and we keep thinking, ‘If I do this, if I do that, I won’t get cancer.’ But sometimes it doesn’t matter how young and healthy you are,” she says. “I don’t want to create fear, I want to create awareness that it is possible. So, I want everyone to live their best life, to be joyful, happy. Live the life you want to live today.”
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