On Farrah, Waymon, Dad and Cancer

By Allen Bacon, Editor, The Daily Bosco

I was never a big fan of Farrah Fawcett. I was probably the only teenage male in America that didn't have that sexy poster of her above my bed in the 70's. This is probably due in part to my life-long phobia and mistrust of anybody and anything blonde.

My brother is blonde...when his head isn't shaven. My first crush when I was five years old was blonde and then she broke my heart. My first girlfriend was blonde and she broke my heart. Recently I think I have made a breakthrough on this...I got a blonde dog and he hasn't broken my heart...yet. But I digress.

I became a fan of Farrah Fawcett last night when I saw her television documentary Farrah's Story on her courageous battle with cancer. I wanted to dismiss the show as somebody that was trying to soak up one last second of fame before they left us...but I came away with a totally different perspective.

I applaud Fawcett's courage and strength in her battle with cancer but if you want to boil the two hour show down to the basics...you have to go back to the fact that her cancer maybe could have been prevented with a routine colonoscopy. I wonder how many people got the message and are being inspired or at least having conversations to get to the Doctor's and Health care facility soon to get themselves checked out? That was the power of the show I saw last night.

The documentary showed also the effects on the family and friends. If that isn't power enough to get yourself checked to try to avoid the heartache to your loved ones...nothing will.

Then I read this morning about Waymon Tisdale who passed away from cancer. Tisdale was an outstanding College and NBA basketball player who I admired. But I really became a fan of Tisdale when he started his second life as a wonderful jazz musician.

The only way Tisdale found out he had cancer was when he broke his leg a couple years ago. That's when the Doctors discovered a cyst. Maybe...just maybe...if they caught it earlier Waymon Tisdale would still be with us.

Last year, my dad became a cancer survivor. He went in for a long overdue colonoscopy when he wasn't feeling quite right and they found a malignent tumor the Doctor called the biggest he had ever seen. Fortunately, the ensuing surgery got the tumor out. He and our family got lucky. But sometimes when you go in for a colonoscopy when you're not feeling good...then it's usually too late.

I guess the whole point of these stories is...get yourself checked and checked regularly.

I may be a little selfish. I want you around as long as possible.