The Rocca Sisters Blog

World Cancer Day 2014.

This year in recognition of World Cancer Day (click on the title of this post to learn more about World Cancer Day) we hosted an online essay contest to help raise awareness of preventing and conquering cancer through early detection. 

Sadly we lost our mother to ovarian cancer, we carry her each day in our thoughts and in our hearts and we know she is with us always. Unfortunately our mother lost her battle with cancer, we continue to fight to raise awareness so others can win the war. 

One of the best ways to both avoid and overcome cancer is to be proactive and take part in the early detection methods available. Our hope this year with our contest was to spread this important message. This year’s contest winner is our very own Digital Marketing Co’Ordinator, Jessica Little! A donation will be made in Jessica’s name to the Canadian Cancer Society. Congrats Jessica!!

Here is Jessica’s winning entry:

“Last year I had to go for my inaugural visit to the colonoscopy clinic. Which is not fun for several millions of reasons. Yet, as I have recently admitted to myself – I am an adult and due to the fact I recently become an adult I should be responsible and do adult type things. One of which is apparently going for early cancer screening.

I won’t bore you with the details of the traumatic evening prior to the visit. Which kicked off with me drinking a magic potion the doctor gave me and quickly led to me screaming at my boyfriend to leave the house and not dare come back any time soon.  The next morning I made my way to the clinic, unable to eat a yummy breakfast – however at that point I wanted nothing to do with the effects of food. I was given a gown made of paper, laid down on a bumpy rickety gurney and wheeled into a room, put to sleep by a doctor holding a terrifying long hose. Then, what seemed mere moments later, woken up to be told the show was over and I was ready to go home.

When walking out of the waiting room, I saw a couple was sitting huddled together looking worried, the man looked white as a sheet. The doctor that had just seen me, came out to speak to them and, as I was leaving, said “we are calling the hospital right now to let them know you are coming. You will have to be admitted, this is an emergency, we will need a biopsy immediately.” I wasn’t supposed to over hear that very private conversation and my heart just broke for the couple. Just like that, this man was going from cancer screening to testing a lump or a bump. The whole reason I had gone for this test was because my grandfather died from aggressive cancer and my doctor said it was most likely unnecessary but she would arrange for me to go if I wanted to err on the side of caution. She told me that generally most people my age don’t have to think about this screening, but due to my family history, I should consider it. I told her, “you know what, why not. I might as well go.”

The reality is these tests and scans may find something and I think that is the number 1 fear anyone has in going, it was 100% my biggest fear. The reality is, how can you cure a problem you don’t know you have”