Living a Healthy Life

your quality of life is determined by your health. As the old saying goes: "Health is Wealth"

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Detox Diet - The 24 Hour Detoxification Diet

All of us need some bodily detoxification from time to time, and here is a tried and tested 24 hour detoxification liquid diet.

If you have overdone eating or drinking, have smoked too much, here is a 24 hours detox solution for you.

You will need a mixer or food processor, the list of greens and vegetables below and also some filter fresh brewed coffee or tea.

Yes, it is proven that coffee (and tea) are more powerful anti-oxidants than Vitamins C and E combined.

Preparation

You will need about 1 kilo of fresh spinach, 1 kilo of ruccola, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 bunch of fresh coriander, and filtered or bottled water.

Each dose of the liquid is to be made fresh before consumption, no mixing and storing in the fridge is allowed.

Detox Method

For the 24 hour period, no solid food is allowed. Coffee or tea can be consumed in the morning upon waking, again at mid-day, and a third time at early evening.

Starting from one hour after your morning coffee or tea, mix is equal amounts the spinach, ruccola, parsley and coriander. You may not add any salt…or other seasonings. Mix the herbs with water, and drink one large glass.

Repeat this every hour till you sleep.

Results and Benefits

You will find yourself quite a bit in the bathroom, with constant urination and perhaps some more than usual defecation. This is quite normal, as your body is ridding itself of pollutants. Your kidneys will be very active, and accumulated solid particles will find their way out of your intestines quite quickly.

After the 24 hour period, you will feel very light, clean and refreshed.

It is helpful if during the period you can take a sauna or at least bath frequently in your shower, scrubbing your skin with a shower brush to aid the skin also to expel accumulated toxins.

Ask your Doctor

This diet is completely safe for use on a 24 hour period, but just in case, ask your doctor if you can do this diet before you begin. You may have some conditions that would not allow a liquid fast.

How Frequently Can One Detoxify?

Normally not more than one or two days a month should this diet be followed, but in some cases, and with a doctor’s permission, the diet can be followed one day a week.

Unexpected Benefits from the Detox Diet

Should you be on a diet, or wishing to lose weight, the detox diet is great to give you diet a needed boost. You will find that after 24 hours on a liquid fast, you will be lighter, no question about it.

Post-Diet Diet

On the day following your detox diet, do not drink any alcohol or eat any heavy food such as meat or fish. It is best on the day after the fast to have salads, some light soups, and for protein, simply cooked chicken.

Juice Detox: Understanding How It Works and the Difference from Juice Fasting

A juice detox is very similar to a juice fast with one essential difference. You continue to eat certain foods while you drink your juices. Many of you may be thinking that this therefore constitutes a normal detox diet but it doesn’t – the majority of what you ingest over the specified timeframe is simply fruit and vegetable juice but occasionally, generally towards the end of the detox, small amounts of food are also allowed.

This type of detox is great for those of you who are trying detox for the first time. A juice detox offers all the benefits of a juice fast i.e. it quickly eliminates toxins from the body and gives a great feeling of well being, but it is made that little bit easier because of the food allowance.

Basically many juice detox programmes consist of a semi-fast which is based on a fruit and vegetable juice fast with whole fruit, raw vegetables and a few nutritional supplements thrown in as well.

A good example of a juice detox is as follows:

  • Day 1 – drink freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice every four hours. If you feel thirsty in between juice drinks you can have filtered water or herbal tea as an extra drink.
  • Day 2 – as day one but you can add up to 1lb of grapes and three bananas.
  • Day 3 – as day two plus a serving of raw vegetables and another fruit choice.
  • Day 4 to 7 – as day three plus a mixture of whole grain cereals, beans, nuts and seeds. This is essentially a detox diet based around juice.

Alternatively, you may want to drink your fruit juices throughout the day and have a bowl of clear vegetable broth in the evening. The length of time you remain on the juice detox is entirely up to you however it is not advisable to continue for more than a week or two at most.

A juice detox is a great way to start off your detoxing career or for those of you who are veterans of the diets then this is a fantastic little fill in between those 30 day fasts. Either way the benefits will be felt within days of your first juice drink and they will continue to be felt for months after you finish.


Detox Diets: What Exactly it is?

The world today is full of toxins; they’re in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Toxins are harmful to the body when they are allowed to accumulate however by embarking on a detox diet you can help to eliminate many of the toxins from the body’s systems. This will inevitably leave you feeling more alert, less tired and in better over all condition.

There are literally hundreds of detox diets available all of which are slightly different in terms of what you can and can’t eat and how long they last. In general a detox diet involves you temporarily giving up specific food groups that contain or are thought to contain a high number of potentially harmful toxins. In this way you purify your body, firstly by purging yourself of already present toxins and secondly by restricting the food stuffs you eat so that new toxins are not ingested.

Most detox diets involve an initial 24-48 hour liquid diet, also known as a fast. Following this you reintroduce a number of specific food groups over the course of four or five days. The food groups that are normally allowed as part of a detox diet include:

  • Fresh fruit and vegetables. These should ideally be organic as fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides are known to contain many toxins.
  • Beans such as kidney beans, mung beans, split peas and chickpeas.
  • Nuts however they should be unsalted and not peanuts.
  • Seeds including sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
  • Herbal teas. These must be naturally caffeine-free and preferably green tea although black tea is also an option.
  • Water. Water is probably one of the most important ingredients in a detox diet however ideally your water should be low-aluminium. It is recommended that at least 8-10 glasses are drunk every day to get the full benefits.

The list of food groups and other substances not allowed include wheat, meat, fish, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, salt, sugar and all processed/fast foods. It is also recommended that you never return to eating a number of the food groups even when you have successfully completed the detox diet and so embarking on a detox diet requires willpower and determination.

The end results however easily outweigh the hardship and as many detox diets only last 7-14 days, this is a small price to pay for an all over feeling of health and wellbeing.

Understand more about Detox Foods

Copyright 2006, Leroy Fong and Detox-Guide.com

Starting a Water Detox Program

Today, more people are becoming more conscious about the hazardous effects of the chemicals they directly or indirectly take into their bodies. They realize that cancer rates are growing higher and their waistlines are expanding wider. More people are finding out that fast food, alcohol and massive nutrition and diet fads have serious and often fatal consequences. Enter the promise of detoxification.

While many still see detoxification as something new age and "hippie", a lot more people have discovered how detoxification has worked wonders in their lives, from curing diseases to improving their moods.

A popular way to detox your body is to indulge in a water fast. For most people, a water fast as one of the most difficult things they have embarked on in their lives, yet also the most rewarding. To prepare for a mental fast, you must predict the kind of activities you will be entering in the next few days. Some may fast for as long as three days just to get the feel of how it is. Some people may find a water fast difficult and all they want to do is sleep all day. Other people may find that they are more energetic and vibrant on the water fast. Generally, water fasting is something not to be taken lightly - many people can attest to how profound the experience can be. Living on water makes one realize how we can function with very little and survive with only the essentials.

Before the fast, it is also a good idea to prepare your body by drinking juices (only the fresh kind) and soft, raw food. Breaking in your body gently helps you whether the aggressive surfacing of chemicals that water detoxification can bring. If you don't foresee a first see a lot of pressure and stress in the days after that, it is recommended that you continue your water fast until the end of the week.

Consult a doctor or health care practitioner before you go into a water fast. If you are hyperglycemic, diabetic, hypoglycemic, or have psychological or cardiac issues, you may need to go through another form of detoxification. However if you do get a go signal, here's what you can do: avoid using water straight from the faucet. This kind of water contains a large number of heavy metals, mineral salts, harmful trace elements and some pollutants. Rather, it is recommended that you drink distilled water. Mineral water still has inorganic materials that inadvertently intensifies and triggers the effects of losing chemicals in the body. Be prepared to accompany your water fast with your preferred method of meditation and prayer so you can focus your energies elsewhere as your body lives on impure toxins and fats released during the detoxification process. If it is your first time to fast, it is recommended that alternate jury case of drinking water and fruit juice to ease the impact.

As the fast progresses, you may notice some dizziness, but this is normal because the heart rests itself during a fast. Make sure that you stand up or sit down slowly; this will relieve much of the dizziness. During detoxification, the waste level in our blood goes up, so some people may experience fever and headaches. These will not last long and are soon gone as the water passes through our system.

If you feel that detoxification is too much of a commitment, just make sure that you drink at least 2 liters of clean water every day. Drinking this much (and not a lot of people do) will greatly aid our body in moving nutrients around, cooling us off and removing stored waste and bacteria.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Detoxification

Water - The Drink Of Life

Where there is water there is life. Without water there is no existence. Light, Air and Water are basic to the creation and sustenance of life. Indeed one can live much longer without food than without water. Most humans may not survive for more than a few days without water. The production of food itself is dependent on water. If sometimes we focus more attention on food than water, it is because nature has been so enormously graceful in providing us with near unlimited supplies of this elixir of life. But it is not so everywhere on earth, and need not remain so unless we learn how to use this precious resource with care and responsibility. Even when water is available in abundance, its improper consumption or improper use leads to several health problems. It is because of the importance of water that it plays such a central role in the ancient religions of the world. Descriptions of hell and heaven are rarely complete without a description of the quality of water that is available for drinking.

A major index of the quality of life of different parts of our planet is directly linked to the quality and quantity of available water. The greatest reservoirs of water are the oceans. Although ocean water is not directly suitable to drink because of its high salt content, it is the source from where all our water emanates. The earth’s oceans cover three fourths of its surface. Clouds are created from the water that evaporates from this ocean surface. This returns to land in the form of rain or snow. Each year about 80 billion-acre feet, in the form of rain and snow fall on the continents. Of this water rivers, glaciers and ground water seepage return about a third to the sea. The remaining returns to the atmosphere to replenish the existing ground and surface water supplies. Of this abundance of water, however, less than 3% is fit for human use . Seawater contains so much dissolved solid that it is unsuitable for drinking even for a severely dehydrated persons. Persons marooned at sea for prolonged periods have learnt to their peril that even though sea water may appear to quench thirst somewhat, it eventually leads to a greater dehydration of the body than prevailed before drinking it.

Three percent is not much, but it is all we have and all we had probably since the birth of our planet or soon after it. It simply recycles over and over again. Of around three hundred and quarter million cubic miles of water on earth, only about 3% is fresh water. Three fourths of it is frozen. Only 1/2 of 1% of all water is underground. About 1/50th of 1% of all water is found in lakes and streams. The average human is about 70% water. Next to air, water is the most important element to the subsistence of human life. What do we know about it? Most of us are so accustomed to drawing water from our taps that we quickly forget that our faucets are connected by long miles of pipe to a supply somewhere. An everlasting if not continuous flow of water is assumed to be an inalienable right. When we do think about water we usually visualize a clean clear gushing river flowing through a lush green landscape. Such a picture is rapidly becoming a historical or imaginary one. The sacred river Jamuna flowing through the capital city of India is a mass of seething, filthy froth at the time of writing this. Some scientists asked to measure its contamination level have reported that it is not possible to do so because it is more or less fully sewage, not water. The sad fact is that millions in this city drink daily from this very source after incomplete treatment.

Scientifically no water in nature is completely pure. Pure water exists only in a laboratory. It is difficult to produce and even harder to maintain. Water is a "universal solvent", no matter what it touches, it starts to dissolve that substance, thereby contaminating or enriching itself. Nonetheless, the purest water is not the tastiest or healthiest one to drink. Water containing beneficial minerals nourishes life. If we mix a spoonful of salt in water we can quickly see the dissolving nature of water. If we place a piece of metal such as silver or copper in water, we cannot see this dissolving action. Nevertheless, a microscopic part of these materials also dissolves in water. This is just as well, because if larger quantities of metals such as copper dissolve, then the water will become poisonous. Different materials have different degrees of solubility in water. Nature has been immensely wise in this respect. Materials generally found in nature that could be poisonous to living creatures often display a low degree of solubility in water. However, in modern times the use of man made chemicals has become more and more common. Many of these dissolve quickly in water, even reaching underground sources. Most have adverse consequences on plant, animal and human life. The problem is when the minerals or other contaminants are of a harmful nature. If the degree of contamination is not of a critical kind, it may not lead to a fatal or serious consequence, but it will probably lead to lower levels of health and vitality.

Water may be classified broadly as of two types. The first is described as "surface water". This includes oceans, lakes, rivers, snow and ice. The second is "ground water". This is water from under the surface of the earth in different geological formations. The water enters the formation via percolation of water from precipitation and direct seepage from surface water sources. Large ground water holdings are called "aquifers". At places water that has entered the earth’s surface at one location may emerge as an underground spring at another location.

Surface water is just what the name implies; it is water found in a river, lake or other surface impoundment. This water is usually not very high in mineral content, and many times is called "soft water" even though it usually is not. Surface water is exposed to many different contaminants, such as animal wastes, pesticides, insecticides, industrial wastes, algae and other organic materials. Even surface water found in a pristine mountain stream possibly contains Giardia or Coliform resulting from the feces of wild animals, and should be boiled or disinfected by some means prior to drinking. In the populated Himalayan regions of India, epidemics of Cholera have been common and there have been occasions when health regulations have required outside visitors to get inoculated prior to a visit.

Ground Water is that which is trapped beneath the ground. Rains that soak into the ground, rivers that disappear beneath the earth, melting snow are but a few of the sources that recharge the supply of underground water. Because of the many sources of recharge, ground water may contain any or all of the contaminants found in surface water as well as the dissolved minerals it picks up during it's long stay underground. Waters that contain dissolved minerals; such as calcium and magnesium above certain levels are considered "hard water". Water is considered a "solvent", i.e., over time it can break down the ionic bonds that hold most substances together. It tends to dissolve and 'gather up' small amounts of whatever it comes in contact with. For instance, in areas of the world where rock such as limestone, gypsum, fluorspar, magnetite, pyrite and magnesite are common, well water is usually very high in calcium content, and therefore considered "hard". At other places ground water may develop the qualities to stain clothes or an unpleasant taste due to the presence of excessive dissolved iron. Groundwater from some sources in Western India has been found to contain excessive fluorine leading to diseases of the bone and tragic health consequences.

Normally, surface water is soft and underground water is hard. This means that the underground water has more minerals or solids dissolved in it. Distilled water is the purest form of water with no minerals whatsoever in it. Incase one has the choice and is unsure; soft water is the better one to choose. A mixture of both is better provided that hard water has only beneficial minerals dissolved in it. Distilled water is much too bland for regular consumption. Incase, that is the only safe water available for drinking in a specific situation, then adding a pinch of salt and sugar to it can easily enrich it.

Water supply is one of mankind's most basic problems. It is becoming more serious every year with increase of population and industrialization. There is an urgent and ever growing need for water that is pure enough for human consumption and good health. Added to this is the increasing contamination of our fresh water resources due to rapid industrialization. Even in developed countries such as USA, the quality of water has become a significant problem. The most widespread problem is the supply of clean, safe, healthy drinking water. In several parts of the world water supplies are being used up at faster rates than they can be replenished. Major rivers, by the time they find their way to the sea are nothing more than a polluted solution. In several areas water is rationed as the demands for water steadily increase. Large urban communities have their water supplies metered and commercial, industrial and residential customers pay high fees for excessive usage. Excessive use of chemicals in agriculture and industry pollutes both surface and ground water. Thus on the one hand whereas industrialization is helping to improve the quality of life, on the other, it has worsened it as far as the quality of water s concerned.

Only a small part of fresh water is consumed for drinking. In developed countries, total community water use is around 175 gallons per capita per day. Less than one gallon of this being used for human consumption that is cooking or drinking water purposes. Less than 1 percent of all freshwater usage is for drinking water purposes. Domestic functions, irrigation, etc consume the other 99 percent. The majority goes to commercial and industrial applications. Production of electricity requires the use of copious amounts of fresh water. The water used in the boilers of thermal power plants has to be much purer than water required for drinking even to prevent serious problems in the production of steam. Therefore such plants are located in the vicinity of rivers or lakes.

Whenever the question of conservation of water is raised, it must be remembered that except through rare chemical processes water cannot be destroyed. It merely moves from one place to another and water is constantly in motion through nature. Therefore, we need not be concerned if we use copious amounts of water for any of our needs. The water we use does not leave our planet. It remains with us forever, for further use in future. Water conservation is not about reducing the use of water but about its proper use and about maintaining its quality. Seawater is of little direct use for humans as well as plant and animal life. Nations facing a shortage of fresh water should first pay attention to the fresh water that returns to the sea through both surface and underground rivers. If the same water is collected in ponds, lakes and dams it remains either as fresh water on land or serves to enhance ground water reservoirs and streams. Countries such as India that loose a large fraction of its fresh water to the sea, especially during the monsoon season should consider the creation of more inland reservoirs whenever the opportunity arises. These reservoirs if combined with fresh water fish farming can rapidly pay for the cost of their creation.

In recent years there has been much talk of harvesting rainwater, that is collecting water and directing it to underground reservoirs. In areas where such water flows into rivers that flow to the sea, this makes good sense. However, in areas where such rivers do not exist, the effort of harvesting water may at times be futile. Nature is already doing it for free. Even the water that is lost by surface evaporation is not really lost. It returns as rain or dew. Another area where futile efforts are often made is in the conservation of ground water. From time to time, government agencies consider limiting and licensing the use of ground water. In many cases this is completely unnecessary. Drawing water from the ground in some cases even prevents the loss of the same water to the oceans. It may even help to improve the water quality by reducing salinity of the water (except in coastal areas), which develops due to long storage inside the ground. Water that is pumped out is once again not destroyed. Much of it returns to the ground. All that happens is that its location is changed. When it is pumped out in excess the water table falls and exercises an automatic control that does not require bureaucratic expense.

Ashok Malhotra is an International Educator. More about him and his activities can be learnt from his website at steamcenter.com

Friday, September 22, 2006

The Best Colon Cancer Treatment Options

Among the most spread cancers, colon cancer usually occurs in men and women over the age of 50. The main causes of colon cancer are related to the patient’s diet: very low in fiber and high in fat and calories. By keeping a healthy life style and good eating habits, you can prevent developing cancer of the colon even before this becomes a problem. You might also want to try and check your family history for cases of colon cancer and adopt a healthier diet in order to make sure you will avoid this problem in the future.

Colon cancer treatments are varied and you can choose from a series of traditional and alternative methods of dealing with this condition. Surgery is often the number one choice – the surgeon removes the tumors on the colon, even if the cancer cells are spread beyond the colon itself. This ensures less problems in the future of the patient’s life, reducing chances of bowel problems or internal bleeding. Colon cancer surgery is usually categorized in four main areas: rectum resection, radio frequency ablation, colostomy and colon resection. The surgeon will determine which method is best suited for each individual patient. Detecting cancer at a very early stage is important, as the problem can be corrected in a decisive and final manner. By using a polypectomy, the surgeon will remove suspicious polyps in order to minimize chances of the disease. Local excision may also be used in early stages, in order to remove the cancer cells. After surgery, your hospital should provide you with ongoing support in order to ensure a fast and efficient recovery.

Intra arterial chemotherapy is another treatment worth consideration. This treatment targets tumors by delivering a powerful dose of chemotherapy. Primary systemic chemotherapy is often used before a surgical procedure in order to destroy a large majority of cancer cells. Systemic therapy is usually used with metastatic cancer, while the third method, adjuvant chemotherapy, targets any cancer cells that might have been left over after surgery. All three chemotherapy procedures are delivered through the hepatic artery and are an option if the cancer has spread to the liver.

Another choice comes from chemoembolization treatment. In addition to being delivered intra arterially, this type of treatment blocks the blood flow to the areas affected by cancer. It traps the chemotherapy drugs in the area of the tumor, thus ensuring that they work efficiently and on target.

George Anderson is very interested in colon cancer and the variety of colon cancer treatments available

How to Massage Your Colon for Constipation Relief

Massage of the abdominal area is a great way to tone the muscles in your colon area. If done regularly, this massage will strengthen your colon walls and help to loosen stagnant chime that is causing constipation. If you are trying to relieve constipation, then you can massage for a week or two until you get past your constipation. Regular massaging can be of great benefit to your colon and to your surrounding organs.

You can do this colon massage with oil as you lie in your bed or, as I do, in the shower where I use a soap solution to slide my hand over my abdomen with relative easy.

Start on the right side down near your appendix. Start with small circular or short movements, in one direction, and move upward toward your rib cage. This is the direction your fecal matter travels in your colon. If you have long fingernails, you may have a problem doing this massage.

You can apply pressure in your massages. You may want to start gently and increase your pressure in subsequent days.

When you start your circular massage near your appendix, you are also strengthening your ileocecal valve. In the shower, everyday, I massage this spot to strengthen and tone my ileocecal valve. This one way valve is the gateway between your small intestine and your colon. You want a strong ileocecal valve so fecal matter moves into your colon it does not move backward into the small intestine.

Massaging near the appendix also helps to move any stagnant fecal matter that is stuck there. Stagnant fecal matter in the appendix can lead to bacteria build up and inflammation.

So, massage your ileocecal value every day in the shower or with oil just before getting out of bed for 1-minute or so.

Now, once you’ve reached the rib cage, move to the left to the outer point of the left rib cage. Now move downward a good length toward your groin.

Take 2-3 minutes to do this massage and you will get constipation relief and you will start to improve your overall feeling of well being.

As you massage your colon area, notice if you find areas that have a slight pain or a lot of pain. With areas that have a slight pain, you can work these areas and probably reduce the pain with daily massages.

With areas of deep pain, in the colon area, do not continue the massage. Consider consulting with a doctor, if the pain persists.

Remember to move your hands in one direction in short strokes, upward, then to the left, then downward. Massage your ileocecal valve everyday and this will stimulate you appendix area.

These massages will help to loosen and move fecal matter that is stagnant in your colon. Combine this massage with other constipation remedies and this should help you get constipation relief.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. For more excellent tips and information on constipation go to: www.stop-constipation.com or at www.constipationcured.info

Aspirin May Prevent Colon Cancer in Women

A recent study showed that taking aspirin could in fact reduce your risk of getting colon cancer. Although the study only involved data taking from a sampling of women, it appears that aspirin may possibly prevent colon cancer, or so they say? Aspirin is over 100-years old and appears to cure lots of things, yet many were shocked to learn of this latest finding, still other completely doubt the study. The study showed that people who already had polyps maybe able to prevent the onset of colon cancer thru regular use of aspirin. The researchers went on to extrapolate that it could help those without polyps from getting one in the first place.

Now several articles in major Medical Journals are showing that if you took aspirin for a decade 1-2 per week, it would reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by a large margin over those who did not take aspirin regularly. Some of the researchers in near by fields were not surprised while other totally doubted the findings as hogwash. They are saying that any anti-inflammatory drug may have done the same and would certainly help to keep removed polyps from returning, thus reduce the risk of cancer. The study indicated that 14 aspirins per week or 2 every day would reduce the chances of colon cancer by nearly one-third. Those who took even more are said to reduce colon cancer by over 50 percentiles. Of course taking that many aspirins is not good for you, over use of aspirin can cause bleeding. So although the study appears to be a wash for many belief systems of cancer researchers, the evidence is notable and very telling. All this research is helping us fight some of the more serious forms of cancer killers. Think on this and live strong.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Colon Cancer Information

Colon cancer is more commonly known as bowel cancer, this is where there is a malignant growth in the colon. Early symptoms of colon cancer can include a change in bowel movements either constipation or diahoerria , pain in the lower abdomen, blood mixed in with the faeces. These symptoms are fairly mundane, so often go un-noticed causing the tumor to grow undetected, inperticulally as people still find it hard to discuss there bowel movements with anybody especially there Doctor. Occasionally there are no symptoms until the tumor has got so large that it causes a blockage in the intestine or Could possibly even perforate the intestine. Some forms of colon cancer can be genetic/hereditary however in some cases of colon cancer the precise reason people Contract the disease is unknown. Diet may be cause of colon cancer, eating a lot of meat, too much fatty foods and not enough fiber, fruit and vegetables all add up to a un-healthy diet so increasing the risk of colon cancer.

The tests carried out to diagnose colon cancer include a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy. A sigmoidoscopy is when a camera is inserted into the anus to examine the rectum and the sigmoid colon. A colonoscopy is when a flexible fibre-optic camera Called a colonscope is put into the body via the anus and fed along the colon. Instruments may be fed down the colonscope So this is how a biopsy would be performed. Colon cancer can often occur with other diseases of the colon, for example ulcerative colitis.

The chance of a cure for colon cancer depends on whether you get a early enough diagnosis. Surgery is the best chance of Survival and sometimes radiotherapy and chemotherapy may also be offered, but there would be no guarenties of a very long term future. The surgical procedure involves a general anesthetic and the diseased part of the colon is removed plus a bit extra on both sides to make sure they have it all. The amount of colon that has to be removed varies from person to person but the Majority of people will end up with a colostomy. This is where a small inscision is made in the stomach and the healthy colon Is pulled through it and secured this is called a stoma. The stoma makes it possible for the person to still have there bowels opened by means of a colostomy bag which is attached to the stoma usually by a adhesive. These bags are disposable and Keep all smells etc in [until you change them when the bowel has worked]. The colostomy is sometimes only temporary depending on how much bowel was removed. If it is to be only temporary it could be there for up to six months just to allow the colon to heal without faeces being past through it. If the colostomy is to be permanent than the anus may be sewn up whilst the person is in theatre having there diseased colon removed and the stoma made.

Colon cancer is still a large killer but mostly because people do not get it diagnosed early enough. The survival rate is much better when diagnoses are made early as treatment can begin and may not end up being so evasive. It is a shame to die from embarrassment is it not.

For more information on colon cancer click here