Gavin Furlong was diagnosed with colon cancer at 38
“I’m 40 now, at 38 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I got really lucky. In my particular case, I had blood in my stool, which is not normal…At first, I made excuses. ‘oh well, I changed my diet, it could be this, it could be that.’ And then it would pop back up. My wife is a medical professional, so she doesn’t let me get away with stuff like that. So we told my doctor, which led to a lab test to confirm blood in the stool, and then meeting with a gastroenterologist and then a colonoscopy…My particular polyp had been growing for a while, and it had grown into the wall of my colon.” he told the Rehoboth Social Podcast before his charity Run-A-Thon, The Blue Ribbon Run-A-Thon.
Thankfully, Gavin caught his symptoms early, and was able to have his tumor removed before it spread. Since then, Gavin has been a strong advocate in his community for colorectal cancer awareness. Here’s what he told the Cape Gazette in March, just before he embarked on his 100 mile Blue Ribbon Run-A- Thon:
“Many are not so lucky. Colorectal cancer is currently the third-leading cause of cancer deaths for young adults, and the leading cause for men under 50, but with early detection, colorectal cancer is very treatable. Early detection made a dramatic difference in my life, and I want to do what I can to educate others on this disease.”
Now, Gavin has taken up the Tour de Tush after the success of the Blue Ribbon Run-A-Thon to continue raising awareness and encouraging others to get screened.
“I came across the Colon Cancer Coalition and Tour de Tush in 2021, shortly after my colorectal cancer surgery in March of 2021. Since I was fortunate to have an early detection and positive outcome I look to promote colorectal cancer awareness and the importance of screening whenever I can.”
Join Gavin and donate to the Tour de Tush to support early onset colorectal cancer research!
DONATE TO TOUR DE TUSH TOUR DE TUSH ON STRAVA GET SCREENED
Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring people to take care of themselves and the people around them.