Are You Sh*tting Me?!
How to Survive, Thrive and
Transform Through Colorectal Cancer
Are You Sh*tting Me?! is an irreverent, yet informational play-by-play of how to navigate, understand and plan for surviving, thriving and transforming through illness. Personal experiences of colorectal cancer are few and far between, and the subject itself seems more taboo than talking about sex. This book aims to break down those barriers to healthy conversation.
In the United States, colorectal cancer cases are on the rise, and the larges demographic for this recent uptick are millennials.
According to the American Cancer Society:
- Millennials born around 1990 are two times more likely to develop colon cancer and four times more likely to develop rectal cancer compared to young adults in the 1950s.
- The rate of colorectal cancer has been steadily increasing among adults younger than 50 since the mid-1980s. Conversely, incidences of colorectal cancers have dropped for those over age 50.
- Young adults are more likely to be diagnosed with a late stage of colorectal cancer due to the perception by both young adults and doctors that they are not likely to develop the disease.
- Deaths from colorectal cancer for people younger than age 55 have increased 2 percent every year from 2007 to 2016.
- Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women.
- Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women combined.
- The lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women.
- The number of new colorectal cancer cases estimated for 2020 is 147,950
Are You Sh*tting Me?! is an irreverent, yet informational play-by-play of how to navigate, understand, and come up with a plan of action for surviving, thriving, and transforming through illness. Regardless of the “type” of cancer you might have, this book promotes:
- Awareness of the rise of colorectal cancer and what you can do for prevention
- The importance of early screening
- How to advocate for your own health before, during, and after cancer
- Unique organizational tools to help you through your journey
- Reframing your brain and other coping techniques
- Thriving after cancer, including living with an ostomy and paying it forward
- A shitload of funny anecdotes (hey, humor helps, right?)
Meet Kim Harris Mullins
As a former reporter and journalist, I find comfort in asking who, what, where, when, why, and how. With the answers to these questions, a news or feature story practically writes itself. But when I got cancer, at least half of the standard questions had no definitive answers—the when, why, and how. My story would not easily write itself. I would have to dig deep to piece it all together.
The problem solver and planner in me saw all sorts of gaps during my cancer journey that needed to be filled, like not having a clue about my health. Like not insisting on getting a colonoscopy or getting a second opinion when something was clearly wrong. Like a way to keep up with all that stuff—doctor appointments, treatments, what to do, not to do, etc. (Heads up to the journal/planner for cancer patients you’ll see in the Marketing section.) Like insurance denying a scan my doctor ordered to see if the cancer had spread. Like finding out insurance would only pay for 20 colostomy bags a month (you do the math). Like realizing the financial strain of all the medical (even with insurance) and nonmedical stuff, like gas cards and food for those who traveled to treatment. Like finding out the closest ostomy support group was at least 40 miles away. I knew where the gaps were not only from personal experience, but also from working for or consulting to health insurance companies the past 10 years.
During my journey, the advocate in me wanted so many things: to encourage prevention. To push lowering the age at which insurance will pay for colonoscopies as preventive screenings. To help those on the same or similar journey. To establish a local fund to help with some of the gaps, like providing gas cards, ostomy supplies, financial help for what insurance won’t pay, etc. To expand the local fund outward as far as others are willing to take it. To start an ostomy support group. (I’m beyond excited to share movement on the latter.) I’m employing some of the same PR tactics I taught my students at my alma mater for over 10 years in my advocacy efforts.