It’s amazing how certain medical procedures become a common thread that unites people. When I told folks I was having a colonoscopy, the stories and advice poured out (see what I did there?). Somewhat like a rite of passage, this cleaning out event brought us together. I was invited into secret spaces with people I barely knew prior, as they shared the nitty gritty, often disgusting, details of their experience. I couldn’t be more grateful.
New things are scary, and this colonoscopy intimidated me. Having had digestive tract issues most of my life, the idea of being tied to the toilet, possibly exploding from both ends sounded miserable. With each new story, all the great advice and lessons learned, I felt better prepared. Now, on the other side, there are definitely parts of the preparation process I would do differently, but the advice supplied before I began helped immensely.