You Won't Believe the Newest Party Rage

What better way to have an unpleasant (and scary!) medical procedure than to have a party. That's the thinking behind colonoscopy parties. You read that right. Before you go running and screaming away from this story, consider this creative and potentially life-saving idea conceived by oncology nurse Audrey Thompson of Plano, Texas. As The Associated Press reports, Thompson invites her friends to a party at the Medical Center of Plano and then dares them to drop their pants and bare their bottoms. She even decorates the hospital screening room with blue and white streamers and a sign that reads:

"I'm proud to be a party pooper." Thompson describes herself as a health crusader. She's organized several of these parties during the past year for two reasons: to fight colon cancer and have fun. Yes, fun. "I hate to say this, but we have so much fun," she told AP. "We meet at the facility that morning, and we're all there for each other." As the partygoers...er, patients, are rolled to the surgery room, everyone cheers and claps. At the end, awards are given out, such as "the worst prep" and "the hardest to convince." Thompson came up with the colonoscopy party idea when she had a screening with a friend. They made a day of it, shopping and going out to dinner afterward. Which, when you think about it, is a party we could all arrange.
The sobering facts about colon cancer are not fun. It's the second leading cause of death in the United States with more than 57,000 people dying of the disease in 2001. Both men and women are equally affected, but it seems to hit blacks the hardest of any ethnic group. Regular screenings are recommended for anyone over age 50, as well as anyone between 40 and 50 with a family history of the disease. The good news is that colon cancer can be treated--and even prevented--if detected early through regular screenings. The bad news is that only one-third of eligible patients ever have one. Maybe they just need to be invited to a colonoscopy party!



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Okay I'm on to other poop