Feisty, Fastidious Family!

(Pic: Christmas Eve 2015, Gold Canyon, Arizona)
Picky, persnickety people run in my circles.  The place we cause the biggest ruckus? Restaurants.
From the first order: Me: “Water, no ice, no lemon please.”
Then, the first course, which I tweak for optimum nutrition.  “Green salad.  No cheese,  croutons or nuts but add spinach, kale, cucumbers and carrots.  Vinaigrette on the side. And that dressing, it doesn’t contain MSG, does it?  If so—I’ll have vinegar & oil.”
Whew—and that’s just for starters-- I’ll spare you the rest!​

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picture from 1993, Columbus, Ohio)
Grandma, Mom & Me!
There’s a reason I’m so finicky. You see, I have to caress my colon. Hello, stomach discombobulation!
My grandma—Minerva Sweet—(yes, that was her name!) had non-stop digestive issues.
These days, mom and I discuss diarrhea details daily. Mom: “I’m feeling spunky.” Me: “Ug. I’m out of toilet paper!”
Hey, I know it’s not the most pleasant of conversations but bowel talk is paramount to our overall health!
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Colonoscopy
And you may be wondering where I’m going with this.
Well, straight to the Gastroenterologist.
I’m having my “spa day”—also known as a colonoscopy.  And this is nothing new for me. Next week will be my seventh colonoscopy---yes, my 7th!!
While not one has uncovered anything serious—I still have to be checked.
Food fussiness is a fact of life for me. It’s draining living with digestion problems, tough to function normally. Diarrhea leaves me weak feeling like I have the flu.
Thankfully, the tests have never revealed anything serious in my family. The diarrhea is typically caused by food intolerances, allergies or even nerves.

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(pic: this week, my kitchen)
Lifesaver
But when symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it’s critical we all get checked in order to rule out something serious, like cancer.
The stigma associated with diarrhea symptoms makes some peeps reluctant to get checked out, let alone have a colonoscopy.
But we need answers and this screening is the only way to get them.
I remember the first one I had, a friend stated: That’s so awful, so embarrassing. How can you do that? Um, because it could save my life. And a colonoscopy could save yours, too.
The Process
It’s much easier to go through than people think. The worst part is the prep the day before. This is where we fast for 24 hours—and drink a clear liquid to clean out the colon. This way the doc can see up there with the tiny camera.
If there is any trouble--polyps found or a biopsy needed—he can do it right then and there.
Listen, if you’re having digestive issues—get checked out—now!  It can mean the difference between life and death.
Let me know if you’ve ever had a colonoscopy or if this blog helped you understand why maybe you should have one!
My big day is set for Tuesday. I’ll be posting more next week!  If you this topic is important to you, let me know. If you know someone who needs to get checked, please share this blog. It could be a real lifesaver.

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