Good Colonoscopy Report!
Just wanted to make a quick post and happily report that my colonoscopy yesterday went awesome! Yep, the words colonoscopy and awesome were just used in the same sentence – twice now.
There have been several hurdles that come from having a semicolon, but having a colonoscopy is not one of them. This time, the prep and clean out were pretty easy, especially since I’ve not got much to clean out these days! The day of fasting went well, I found several new updates for my Colonoscopy Survival Kit, and I had a decent evening.
The morning of the test was a little nerve-wracking, as I tried to calm my fears that Dr. T would find some sort of polyp or sign that cancer is trying to crawl back – but he found none! I even had an upper scope performed to give me a baseline scan since I’m a highly suspicious to have Lynch Syndrome, and even that was clear. Everything looked great. And to top it off, Midwest GI has switched their sedation medications to make it a better experience for patients, so I remember talking to the doctor, going to Starbucks afterwards, and even watching a movie once I got home. No more zombie fogginess embarrassment stories.
So yes, that’s my small update about my personal health. Praise the Lord I am IN THE CLEAR.
Colonoscopy Survival Kit – Updated
Today I had the privilege of enduring yet another colonoscopy! Privileged not because of the procedure, but because I actually still have *some* remaining colon to check out. As I prepped yesterday, my Colonoscopy Survival Kit came to mind. And while I followed some of my own recommendations, I stumbled upon a few extra tips. Here are few additions to my previously mentioned Colonoscopy Survival Kit:
- Coffee. I know – some people probably think I am crazy, but I’ve never had coffee the day before my test. I’m not a HUGE coffee drinker, but yesterday I started sucking down the joe and it was fantastic. Helped curve my hunger almost all of the day.
- White Grape Juice Slushies – another fantastic clear drink. I’m a big grape juice fan, so this white version made my day. My husband finely chopped some ice in a large cup, and I poured grape juice over it. Just like a Sonic slushy, except less sugary, definitely colonoscopy-prep safe, and (besides for buying the juice) FREE.
- DVR (or Tivo) – Nothing like having a long TV show, or movie, to help entertain you the night you clean out. But what’s even better than good entertainment is the ability to pause live TV throughout the evening. Life. Saver.
Blog Sabbatacal
Sorry to my faithful blog readers. I’ve been on blog-sabbatacal. Taking some time to soak in life and all things summer. But don’t you worry, I’ve got many blog posts planned for the future. I mean I can’t not talk about things like…
- This new “butt station” desk toy that my hubby bought me
- Mooning fish in one of my first experiences at the lake
- My experience with a blocked small bowel at a family reunion last weekend
- Introducing a new co-worker to our IBS/constipation talk during lunch
- My garden… and then my pile of dirt
- New recipes with fresh foods
- And my …. colonoscopy …. THIS FRIDAY!
Yep, much to divulge so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy this picture.
Now THAT'S what you call good friends
I ran across this lovely toilet setting at a cute little cafe in Carbondale, IL. This was what the womens’ bathroom was like. And guys always wonder why girls go to the bathroom together. It’s so you don’t miss out on the opportunity to pee right next to your pal.
The Joy of Cooking. Fried Chicken.
Last week, I came home to a big surprise. Laying on the bathroom counter was a thick, crisp cookbook. I didn’t give it much thought at first, thinking my husband had borrowed it from his mom, who’s a FACS teacher, and left it on the bathroom counter after some “leisurely reading.” Looking back, I realize this makes no sense, however, in the moment that’s what I thought.
But, after a few minutes I realized that this brand new book positioned in a spot that I would quickly visit once I got home was a surprise gift for me. Cooking is something that I enjoy but do not do enough. I also happen to LOVE reading through cookbooks. So, to help bring some “joy” back into my life, he went out and bought me “The Joy of Cooking.” He’s clever, I know. I was honored that he went out of his way to bring me a creative gift to help bring some pep back into my step.
I immediately started thumbing through the book and a recipe for extra crispy fried chicken caught my semicolon eye. Now normally, I avoid fried foods at all costs, and especially fried chicken. But something sounded particularly delicious about this meal on that evening, and so I decided to go for it. I didn’t have anywhere to be later that night, we nor the following morning – so I was in the clear to let it all … clear. Plus, we were looking for a really fun date night idea.
The following pictures show the cooking extravaganza that followed. We didn’t stop at the chicken, we added homemade biscuits, mashed cauliflower and zucchini gratin to the mix as well. And I do have to say, it was an absolute blast.
A note and disclaimer: I still stand by my decision to prepare and make this meal at home. In the future, I intend to stick with my plan of eating a meal that resembles anything like this at home for, er, obvious reasons.
Another quick note: I know fried foods are bad for you. But it was really fun to let loose for just one night. I tried to make up points with the (organic) mashed cauliflower, though. Just ignore the half-and-half that made them fluffy.
Counseling for Cancer (among other things)
Until I recently started tossing around the idea of seeing a counselor, I had no idea about the “stigma” that went with it. Sort of like when I got the tattoo on the left side of my belly and people told me AFTERWARDS how tender that spot is – that’s what this venture into counseling has felt like. I didn’t realize some of the perceptions that went along with it until I entered the world.
For the past several months I’d tossed around the idea of seeing a professional counselor. Life has it’s way of throwing curve balls, and they had just been adding up in my case. When they come one at a time, I can handle them. But when it feels like I’m at the batting cages and the machine that’s throwing pitch after pitch is broken, and they just keep coming one after the other, faster and faster — I knew it was time to get some help.
So, a great friend gave me a resource and I started meeting with a lady last week to help me work through some of life’s big issues that have come my way. And lucky for my readers and anyone else on the internet who googles counseling, cancer, or “do Twizzlers make your poop red?” — my most popular google search listing, I have decided to blog about it. Too many of us out there need help, but so many of us won’t go get it. It makes sense to go to the oncologist, radiologist and every other “ologist” we need for our bodies, but when it comes to our minds, we feel we can handle it. At least that was me until a few weeks ago when I finally broke down and signed up for some help.
Someone mentioned to me that when you go to counseling, something must be “really wrong,” and that’s why many people don’t want to go. I thought about that for a little bit and found it interesting. First, because just about everyone will say seeing a counselor is something good for you to do; and second, if trying to work through issues related to two bouts of cancer, infertility, family, jobs, relationships and an array of other things isn’t “really wrong” – I don’t know what is.
So, I started meeting with a counselor. And I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m one week in and have already learned a lot. I wouldn’t say anything is fixed, solved or that I’ve figured out my life, but at least I feel like I’m on the path to feeling more “me” again. I’m glad to have reached the point where I’m ready to conquer the emotional and mental side of this disease as well and stop running and hiding from all that scares or frightens me, even if it does come with the perception that something must be really wrong with me. Because let’s face it, sometimes living through colon cancer isn’t that much fun. But there are people out there to help us get hope again, and that’s exactly what I am set out to do.
Toilet Golf
I realize that many of my posts have been pretty heavy lately. The one thing Semicolon Stories can provide is a guaranteed, honest look at what life is like through colon cancer. Sometimes it’s awesome and other times it’s really hard.
But, I also realize that this is a blog dedicated to all things colon, and that we haven’t talked about poop in a long time.
So, to help lighten the mood today I leave you with this: Toilet Golf! We saw this bad boy in a cute store when walking around Downtown Lawrence for our anniversary.
The “Potty Putter Toilet Time Golf Game” looks like a great way to improve your holes-in-one while you’re going number two! Check it out…
Watch out, Tiger! With the amount of time us semicolons have to practice, we’ll be giving you a run for your money!
Shadow of the Sword
“Across the broad continent of a woman’s life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths are straight, the trees regular, the sun shaded; escorted by gentlemen, protected by policemen, wedded and buried by clergymen, she has only to walk demurely from cradle to grave and no one will touch a hair of her head. But on the other side all is confusion. Nothing follows a regular course. The paths wind between bogs and precipices; the trees roar and rock and fall in ruin.”
~ Virginia Woolf, ‘Harriette Wilson’, Collected Essay
#colondarreunion
If you would have told me that in my lifetime I would join a group of people that come from all over the country, of varying ages, with different family backgrounds, opposing political views, contrasting views on religion, and even very different ethnicity, life experiences and definitions of “fun,” – and then told me that after spending a weekend with this group I’d be mildly-depressed after heading home and separating from these people, I might have not believed you.
But that indeed is what’s happened.
Modeling for the 2009 Colondar was an experience that changed my life. At the risk of sounding too cliche and cheesy, it really, really did. But the amazing thing is that I didn’t even realize it at the time. I walked into the home of the McMaster’s in May 0f 2008 as a 7-year cancer survivor. Sure, I’d been diagnosed when I was 17 and had a crazy story to tell, but I was kind of “over it.” I was excited at the opportunity to participate in the calendar, but strived all week to relate to the other 11 people who were sharing their stories of surgeries, treatments, post-treatment, emotional issues, family issues and the other myriad of problems that come with colon cancer. I could relate, but only to a point. I had been diagnosed so young and was so far removed from it. I took it all in that weekend and went home a little shell-shocked. It’s like a door that had been closed was suddenly reopened, and I was faced with thinking about my cancer once again.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing until in Dec. of 08 when a routine colonoscopy found those little annoying polyps growing once again. You know the story… surgery, second diagnosis, genetic testing…. the past year of my life. While it’s been no cake walk to walk through cancer once again, this experience has been different this time thanks to my experience with the Colondar, and my several little “colon angels” who’ve helped me through this process.
Jon, Mr. February, was there from the start and has been my coach through it all. He also has had the same procedure I had and lives with an “itty bitty” colon. He helped me before, during and after surgery, and still keeps tabs on me to this day, encouraging me that what I still face a year later is normal. Trish, Miss March and Karen, Miss December, have been two pillars of inspiration as they too faced another diagnosis of cancer since we met in 2008, both of breast cancer. To see them gracefully battle and make it through another cancer (and still find times to laugh!) has also given me the strength to keep going. Libby, Miss January, has been my best buddy through this all and such a dear friend. She’s my roommate and my girlfriend who’s in my same age range, and been such a blessing to have as we figure out how to live as 20-something colon cancer survivors. And Erika, the yearly cover girl, means so much to me I can’t even explain. We were diagnosed only a few months from each other, her at age 22 and me at age 17, in 2001. We’re two people who really “know” what it was, and is, like for one another and strangely enough continue to be in sync with the different seasons and issues of cancer we face. And these are only a few of them. I’m daily inspired by my other ’09 buds: new-mom Allison, Doug, Jaimie (the guy lives with a J-pouch!) Greg & Todd (stage 4 survivors!), Shaye and Terri – they are all so near and dear to me.
The Colondar network has been a life-saver and a game-changer for me. That’s why this past weekend when the first-ever Colondar Models Reunion was planned, I knew I had to go no matter the time, location nor sacrifice. And I am so thankful I did. I met up with several old friends, and made many new ones as I was introduced to Karen from ’06, Dean from ’07, Becca from’08 and Evelyn from ’10. I spent time in Vermont all week with the former models, and then traveled to Lake George in upstate New York once again to meet up with the Colon Club crew that was working the shoot, as well as the new host of 2011 models.
I had an absolutely amazing and incredible time. Taking in the beauty of Vermont while spending time among people who really “get it” when it comes to life as a colon cancer survivor was exactly what I’ve needed to help heal my heart and fight the emotional battle with cancer. It helped me realize how much of my day-to-day still revolves around the fact that I had colon cancer, and that while I might feel alone at home, I’m not alone completely in it in the world. It helped me take a much-needed step toward addressing the repressed feelings I’ve had about this second diagnosis and begin to work through them. It made me want to keep fighting off some of the negative pressures cancer puts on me, and gave me a support network of people who can relate and work through this with me. It brought out sadness and sorrow at our situation, yet hope and joy that we’d made it and that we’re together. It motivated me to keep going.
I’ve used many words to explain the significance of our group and the impact this past weekend had on my life. And while I could keep going on and on, I’ll let the pictures explain the rest. Thank you to all of my Colondar family for an unforgettable experience, and I cannot wait to see you all again…
Semicolon Stories 