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Reason #7
Contrary to some myths, you do still have to watch your weight after you’ve had colon surgery.
Some people have told me that I probably won’t ever put on extra weight again since I have an “itty bitty” colon now. Although I’d love this side effect, it’s not true. The small intestine is the area that absorbs many of the nutrients (and not so nutrients) from food and sends them on their way to the rest of the body. The large intestine is basically a glorified clothes dryer that eliminates the water and bulks up the stool.
March 8, 2010 at 9:52 am
Reason #6
You’ll start checking for bathrooms as if they were exits in a movie theater.
…or aisle seats on an airplane. Any entrance into a new place begins with scanning the room for nearest toilet. You need to know where to go in case of emergency. And all of my buds with IBS say “amen!”
March 7, 2010 at 10:51 am
Reason #5
You’ll be trying to convince everyone you know to get a colonoscopy for the rest of your life.
And let me tell you, this is NOT easy. Oh the excuses you’ll hear when you try to encourage those who divulge their personal health “issues” to you to go ahead and get scoped, much less those who are over age 50 and need it anyway. It’s almost easier to sell vacuums door to door. But the burden of knowing it’s importance on a personal level will be so heavy, you’ll do it anyway.
Side Note:
I’ll be doing this later today as I speak at a “National Dress in Blue Day” open house! Feel free to stop by if you’re in the area and say hello!
What: Open House for “National Dress in Blue Day”
Where: Midwest Gastroenterology, 3601 NE Ralph Powell Rd., Lees Summit, MO 64064
Time: 5-7pm (I’ll be speaking a little after 6pm)
March 5, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Reason #4
Chemo Brain
Yep, it’s true. If you’ve had chemo, there’s a chance you’ve experienced chemo brain somewhere along the way. ACS explains it well here.
March 4, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Reason #3
You will inevitably fart during ab workouts. Every. Time.
If you’re colon’s been shortened or nearly removed, it gets harder and harder to hold in the flatulence as you’re crunching, twisting and turning all of the core muscles. When I go to the boxing gym, I try to stand around all guys so everyone assumes it was one of them.
March 4, 2010 at 12:50 am
Reason #2
You’ll have to get used to going #1 and #2 every morning when you wake up.
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
March 2, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Happy Colon Cancer Awareness Month! As a way to help bring even more awareness to the disease and why getting checked is so incredibly important, I’ve decided to dedicate every post in March to colon cancer awareness. But instead of telling you to get your colonoscopy, check your poop and know your family history, I thought I’d give you real, practical reasons about why you want to stay on top of your colon health. Take it from me, prevent it while you can.
Reason #1
You’ll never save money on cheap toilet paper ever again.
Most colon cancer patients are sent into surgery to remove the section of colon containing the cancer. Once you’ve had part of your colon removed, your bathroom trips double, triple or more. After awhile, you get tired of the raw bum because the sandpaper stuff just isn’t cutting it. You’ll switch to the good stuff and never return again, saving your bum in the process but kissing your economical spending goodbye.
March 2, 2010 at 4:25 am
Dear Colon,
Well, it’s been a rough week. We were doing so well, and off to a great start. You’d actually impressed me and many of my doctors. You’d been keeping up to speed with me and my busyness, and actually surpassed my expectations. You usually … hold … more than I expect, and have found a way to fade into the background most of the time. I know you still have the typical gas, bloating and “blah” moments pretty frequently, but I’ve found a way to look past those. My props genuinely go out to you. You’ve been doing so well.
But, as we both know, I’m writing you based on the past week or so. We’ve not been getting along, and these fits you’ve thrown now two times in one week cannot go on. Tonight’s little episode right before the birthday party was not cool, and I got your message loud and clear. You were unhappy, and you did something about it. And it’s gotten my full attention.
I realize that I’ve not been doing my part. I haven’t been resting well, eating great, nor managing my stress the past few weeks. But hey, we’re still trying to live as normal life as possible and that stuff happens. Plus, a girl’s gotta have a late night and a sprinkled donut with coffee in the morning once and awhile. I’m not asking for big things here, just a day or two where I can feel like the average 26-year-old who’s enjoying the life, friends and family God’s given her. Not the gal who’s life is defined by her colon … or lack thereof. I know it might be unreasonable to ask for all of that, but it’s where I’m at after a rough night.
I’m writing to propose a deal. I’ll do a better job of watching what I eat so that you don’t have to work so hard. You have gotten so good at keeping up with me, that I’ve forgotten how my diet really does impact you. I’ll rest up and work better at cutting down some stress, with one being exercise. But in return, I need you to cool it for a little while. Lay off the back pains and cramps, and start … holding … stuff again. Give me a little break and let me feel normal again, at least as much as possible.We have to work together, you and me.
Please don’t take this as disingenuous, and an attempt at getting what I want out of you. I am SO thankful you’re still here, even if you are itty bitty. You’ve been through a lot, and I will start taking care of you as well as I can. I hope you will do the same for me.
Love,
Danielle
February 28, 2010 at 4:44 am
A third recommendation for eating safer, healthier foods is to get your meat from a local butcher. I recommend the Fantasma family’s Paradise Locker Meats for those in the Kansas City area.
Meat is one of the hardest items to buy when you start to eat healthier. It’s difficult to know what to look for, what’s good and what’s not, why it’s worth spending a few extra bucks, and where exactly the meat has come from that’s sold at the grocery store. One idea to make this process easier is to stock up on meat from a company like Paradise.
Family-owned and operatred, this business is the real deal. They provide quality meats that have not been treated with hormones and raised the right way. They get their meats from small family farms and do all of the processing and cutting on-site in their USDA inspected plant. They’ve won several national awards, and even been featured in the New York Times and other national media as an outstanding meat supplier.
Some of their selections include beef, pork, lamb, homemade sausages and more. You can make a trip to their store in Trimble, MO, or call to learn about other options for ordering and delivery. I’ve even recieved a few items from Paradise via my Fresh Connect delivery.
After watching Food, Inc. I’ve understood the importance of healthy, safe protein. Often I hear people say that they are “never” eating meat again after watching the documentary and hearing about the practices of large meat manufacturers. Paradise offers an alternative solution for continuing your meat consumption with a safe product that’s raised, cut and processed the right way. This is a great resource for those of us in the Midwest, and specifically the Kansas City area. For those of you out-of-towners, I believe they will ship to you you too! I encourage everyone to take advantage!
Paradise Locker Meats
05 W. Birch Street
Trimble, MO 64492
Phone 1-816-370-MEAT
Visit their website!
February 22, 2010 at 3:19 am
For some of my fellow Fresh Connecter’s still wondering what to do with the mango and bananas you received a few weeks ago, here’s what I did this morning:
Mango-Banana Smoothie
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used Cultural Revolution)
1 mango
1 banana
3/4 c. orange juice
1 c. ice cubes
Blend. Add/take away ice cubes depending on the thickness of smoothie you prefer.
Makes 4 servings (in tall glasses)
100 calories/serving
February 20, 2010 at 5:17 pm
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A third recommendation for eating safer, healthier foods is to get your meat from a local butcher. I recommend the Fantasma family’s Paradise Locker Meats for those in the Kansas City area.
Semicolon Stories 