Dave shares insights from his colon cancer journey
Dave Dubin is an outspoken member of the colon cancer community. Though his advocacy group AliveandKickn, Dave uses soccer to reach young people and educate them on the importance of colon cancer screening.
He has gone two bouts with colon cancer and speaks across the country about his experience and the importance of early screening and prevention.
In this video, Dave shares his perspective on colon cancer advice, and what he tells people who have just been diagnosed.
Video Transcript
Dave Dubin: Quite frequently, I am asked my advice for someone who is newly diagnosed or even who has been diagnosed a period before.
I don’t like to give advice. First of all, I hate people who give me advice unsolicited, but I guess if you want to talk about, you know I am going to live by examples I swear in terms of advice. I understand that people want to help and they are going to tell you things that you may want to hear. They can tell you things that you may not want to hear.
I understand that they have the best of intentions, but sometimes the delivery isn’t very good and kind of shift toward and find the parts that you can tolerate and/or absorb because you don’t want to make yourself crazy. Everybody has got the best doctor. Everybody has got the best everything otherwise they wouldn’t be telling you their advice, but I find the people that I am comfortable with and that are knowledgeable and I listen to them to an extent, so that’s my advice is really sift through the multitude of other advice you are going to get and make your own decision, but ultimately go with what’s comfortable.
I mean this is a brutal process and you don’t always have to be the squeaky wheel, but sometimes you do have to standup yourself. You do have to be your own advocate, you do have to ask questions, and you do have to be comfortable with the answers and if you don’t understand the answers, make them repeated.
Make them repeated more than once. Make repeat them several times. I have walked out of exam rooms if I have been uncomfortable with the doctors. I also set a standard with my doctors that I expect them to respond to my e-mails and expect their cellphones. No, I don’t cry wolf, so when I do reach out to them, they understand the reason and they understand that they need to respond to it, but I also make it very clear that to a doctor that if they don’t approve of that methodology, if they don’t interact with their patients that way; they don’t have to be my doctor and it’s fair. Both parties understand it and it works out pretty well, so be demanding in what you want. Make your expectations realistic, but ask a lot and ask for repetition, if you don’t understand it because this is body, this is your life, and you need to be prepared.
David Dubin
Latest posts by David Dubin (see all)
- How AliveandKickn Spreads a Unique Blend of Colon Cancer Advocacy - January 1, 1970
- Dave Dubin of AliveandKickn Shares Advice for Newly Diagnosed Colon Cancer Patients - January 1, 1970
- Discussing Lynch Syndrome With Your Kids - January 1, 1970
