All of my jewelry is hand made in Iowa, the heart of the Midwest. Because I use recycled guitar strings, vintage beads and buttons no two pieces are ever the same. Each pair of earrings is made with love and can be custom made with birth month gemstones and color of guitar string.
I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 40. Every two weeks, for six months, I had treatment and that morning I would dress up, put on lipstick, my finely created baubles and my black “don’t mess with me boots.” I would walk in feeling pretty and ready to kick ass knowing once the chemo started I would feel the opposite. Wearing the jewelry I designed made me feel marvelous at a time in my life that was very difficult. Which is why I love making someones day with something as simple as handmade earrings made just for them!!!
“Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and woman, the third leading cause of cancer death in men and woman and second overall when men and woman are combined”- American Cancer Society.
“Rates for people under 55 increase 2% each year. Colorectal Cancer incidence and mortality rates are increasing in the young-onset population while decreasing in those over 50. Young-onset rectal cancer incidence has increased at nearly twice the rate of young-onset colon cancer. Young-onset colon cancer has a preference for the distal colon (the segment of your colon right before the rectum begins) or rectum and often presents at a later stage.” Colorectal Cancer Alliance
“Physician-related delays (e.g., missed symptoms, initial misdiagnosis) have been estimated to occur in 15-50% of young onset colorectal cancer cases.” National Cancer Institute State Cancer Profile
Early detection is key in young-onset colorectal cancer. I am very grateful for my gastroenterologist for listening to my issues and deciding I wasn’t too young for a colonoscopy (they just lowered the age to 45, but that does not help 20-39 year olds.) Some of my symptoms were fatigue, blood in stool that doesn’t really look like blood in stool, abdominal pain, very skinny stool and change in bowel habits.