This past weekend, I visited my college. It was a real college visit for my youngest, and while I’ve been back to campus a handful of times since graduating nearly thirty years ago, it was the first time I was there in an official capacity: as the parent of a prospective student. As I walked the campus, I realized I wasn’t just revisiting my college years—I was imagining what I hoped my son would carry into his own, IF  he decided to come here. A mother and her son stroll acr

Ok. So it’s March. Colon Cancer Awareness Month. We’ve already talked about colonoscopies. We’ve also talked about some of the less glamorous side effects of anesthesia. Apparently, I have chosen this month to become your friendly neighborhood poop-and-propofol correspondent, so let’s move on to alternatives to the colonoscopy. Illustration of the human digestive system, highlighting the structure and arrangement of the intestines within the abdominal cavity. Image created by

Any time you undergo a medical procedure, there are risks. And it is the doctor’s job to review those risks. In my previous post, I recommended colonoscopy screening for all people at average risk starting at age 45. When you give consent for a colonoscopy, you are acknowledging that there are several risks including (but not limited to) bleeding, infection, and perforation. But in this piece, I want to talk about a more subtle “side effect” or “risk” that is rarely discussed

Ok. It’s March. It ’s Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s get into this shit…literally. The colon (also known as the large intestine) is about 5 feet long. That’s almost as long as me! You may remember from high school biology that the colon is the organ that absorbs water and some vitamins from waste as it moves through your body. And at the end of that long, noble journey? Poop. (And yes, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people say “poo” instead of “poop.”  I don’t kno