Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Sweet Primitive


I love music. I probably have my parents to thank for a lot for of that. Growing up there was lots of time spent in the car (and I mean lots! I would love to know how many hours we clocked just driving around, not even counting the road trips from Florida to Philadelphia).  And whenever we were in the car there was  always music playing.  I was 12 or so till I realized that yes indeed a car did run with out the stereo in fact being on.    

My Dad also fed my love for overanalyzing the lyrics. Repetitively I would ask what a certain artist was singing about. I can remember being perplexed as a young kid about why would so many adults chose to sing about love, when there were so many other things to sing about! Then, one day I had the unfortunate accident to ask about Jimmy Buffet’s "Why Don’t We Get Drunk". Dad put and a straight face looked directly at his pre-teen daughter and honestly answered her question. But, I must say it was a long time before I had the gull to ask what another song was about after that (just out of plain fear of the answer!)

To help nurture this bond between us, Dad took me to my first concert. I was about 10 years old. Poor Dad, this would not have been his first choice for a concert. However, I wanted to go, who was he to discourage me? So, we went to an evening of New Kids on the Block. Honestly, I can remember being a bit disappointed. I can remember asking Dad many questions as we drove home. Like “What’s lip-syncing?” My love of NYKOB only lasted a year, then I was I was on to discovering much more in the world of music. (Ah, I was on a year or two away from the years of Grunge)

Well, Dad we have come a long way. It had been 20 years since that first concert together. And tonight we go see my all time favorite band. Again, you and Mom are going with me to see MY favorite group. Well at least this time, they have been my favorite for 14 years, instead of a few months.

Even though they are predicting a 50% of thunderstorms, that doesn’t take anything away from this concert. (Yeah we are on the grass too!) This will be Scott, Mom and Dad’s first Dave Matthew’s Band Concert. I am excited to share this with them.  

Above all things 
If kindness is your king 
Then heaven will be yours before you reach your end
~Squirm, DMB

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

365 days



One year ago today was the big day, the surgery, the proctocolectomy. The day I kissed that diseased, poor excuse for a lower GI tract, good-bye. That stupid colon, it couldn’t even call itself a colon! More like a forest, a forest of giant mushrooms. Or so I have been told. I never got to see it.

In some aspects, I can’t believe it has already been an entire year! It seems like it was not that long ago I was staring intently at the ceiling of my hospital room, just wishing it all to be over with already.

Then on the other hand, it seems like that surgery must have happened in another lifetime. I look at how far I have come. I went from barely being able to walk 200 feet to doing 5.5 mi hikes in the woods with no problem.

A lot of you ask, “How are you?” Well, the short answer . . . “Good!” I’m sure you are looking for more then a one-syllable answer though. I am just living my life. I am trying hard to be as normal as I can. And I’m trying very hard not to pay too much attention to all the statistics out there about life with FAP (which is easier said then done). In the end, I just remind myself to take it one day at a time.

Also I know some of are curious to what is on deck for me. Well besides enjoying the remaining last half of summer (Where the hell did the first half go, by the way?! It was only in the 60s last week!) I have two medical appointments coming up.

1. In Mid September I have an appointment with my colorectal surgeon. Just the 1-year anniversary scoping of the j-pouch. He’ll give the j-pouch a little look-see, make sure all looks good and check for the start of any polyp growths. Technically, we shouldn’t see the start of any polyp growth in the pouch for another 4 years. However, the 2 cm area connecting the pouch to the anus is still made up of colon tissue, and that area could grow polyps anytime and needs regular monitoring.

2. I also have another upcoming visit to The Mayo Clinic. This visit will be much like the past visits, except during the Mayo visit we had removed all the polyps and we’re hoping when he looks in there this time it will still be as clean as a whistle. If it is still clean (meaning no new polyp growth) then I will not have to come back to Mayo for a few YEARS! YES YEARS! But if he does see some baby fuckers, oops I mean polyps, starting to grow he will obliterate them with his laser gun (sounds like I’m joking, right? But I’m not. Really.) That would just mean that this is a bit more aggressive then we had originally thought (um, hoped?) and we will be visiting Minnesota more often then we had planned.


Again, I invite anyone, even (gasp!) anonymous readers, to ask questions. I plan to put them aside and when I have compiled a few of them doing a FAQ post again. You can send in the question via comments or via email (new feature, see the thing below that looks like an envelope? Send your FAQ directly to me!) Try me, ask anything.  I dare you.  No wait, I double-dog-dare you.