Monday, October 19, 2015

Quick Update


So I know you're dying to know how the colonoscopy went, although probably not in detail. Okay, so here's the scoop: much to my amazement, it was a piece of cake. The day before wasn't a whole lot of fun, but I learned something: I can fast. Well, I can fast as long as fasting includes drinking a lot of chicken broth and eating bowls of lemon jell-o. I never knew that about myself.

Here's the thing. If you've ever given birth, without or without drugs, pretty much everything else is easy peasy--root canals, gum surgery, colonoscopies, whatever. This is something I forget and then I'm reminded: I'm a soldier. I've been through the wars. 

Anyway, if you're at that age when it's time to get your first colonoscopy (that would be 50), then please do. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer, excluding skin cancers (the first two are lung and prostate, interestingly enough). Getting screened is the best way to prevent it. Colonoscopy bonus? Once you get home, you just nap and snack and watch saved episodes of "The Great British Baking Show" all day. Really, it's like getting a free vacation.

So now it's late and I'm about ready for bed, but I remembered that I wanted to get back into my blogging routine. So here I am to say hello and get a colonoscopy when it's time and I'm reading Patti Smith's new memoir, M Train, and it's really good but to enjoy it you have to be the sort of person who doesn't mind it when writers aren't particularly linear, something I don't mind in nonfiction but can't really handle in fiction.

All right then: see you Friday with more public service announcements!

P.S. Do you watch The Great British Baking Show? So much fun! You can check out episodes on PBS online--http://video.pbs.org/program/great-british-baking-show/

8 comments:

Sandy H said...

Congratulations on achieving this major life milestone! (Haven't scheduled mine yet. I know, I know, but I'm still a fairly newly minted-50. I'll get to it.)

Jo said...

Told you so:) Well done on your bravery xx

Pom Pom said...

I just watched the first episode yesterday! It's sad when bakers get their feelers hurt, though.
Yay! I thought the same thing about fasting! I was amazed at myself and appreciated broth!
Check out Beyond the Snow: The Life and Faith of Elizabeth Goudge.
(BIG HUG)

Angela said...

well done you. I had one years ago when I had IBS problems, but the 50+ thing is not as common here in the UK - [we do get all the cancer screenings automatically, and FREE, between about 55 & 70 [breast/cervical/and poop-test for bowel]

Great British Bake Off is HUGE over here, of course. But I notice that now it is finished here, the supermarket is selling off their range of Mary Berry Cakeware very cheaply.

After all those fattening cakes, we are currently getting Jamie Oliver and Nigella encouraging us to eat less sugar!!

Gumbo Lily said...

I'm new to The Great British Baking Show and am enthralled by it! It makes me want to make suet pudding and spotted dick! Glad your procedure went ok.

Nancy McCarroll said...

Glad you got through the prep and you seem to be resting easy. You will be back to steak and tpotatoes by tomorrow. Good PSA, by the way.

Leslie said...

"it's like getting a free vacation" hahaha...Not buying it, but really glad to hear it went well. You did encourage me and I will be filing what you have said away for when it is my time.
Hope all else is well. I will have to check out that book. I have a new favorite author...Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Your mentioning the linear thing made me think of Americanah. I would say it wasn 't linear but it flows flawlessly....just loved it and now am on a 2nd book by her.
Blessings on the rest of your week!
Leslie in tx

Kit said...

Glad you made it thru! And you are definitely right, if a person can make it thru birth, she can do anything. I look on them as getting a colon cleanse....LOL :) Kit