How about 365 days of my Belly Blog?

My belly is back! My challenge is to take a picture of my belly every day for the next year. Why? Because I liked how it made me feel when I was blogging about my belly. Even though I was brave enough to follow through the 30 days, I still have some hang-ups about my belly and I still suffer from ulcerative colitis.

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So here is my belly after a visit to the Gastroenterologist, "A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the gastrointestial tract, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, pancreas, liver, gallbadder and biliary system."

 I go in on April 2nd for a colonoscopy. "A colonoscopy is a procedure used to see inside the colon and rectum. It can detect inflamed tissue, ulcers, and abnormal growths. The procedure is used to look for early signs of colorectal cancer and can help doctors diagnose unexplained changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, bleeding from the anus, and weight loss." Of course this description left a few minor details out. Basically, you spend a day and night drinking nothing but clear liquids, taking serious doses of laxatives, and shitting all night until you are shitting clear liquid. Being at home with a lot of magazines or a good book necessary. The next day, you have air pumped into your intestines so they can stick a camera on a tube up your butt and through your entire large colon. Since I have had a colonoscopy so many times, I have had this procedure fully awake, and completely knocked out. I even watched the procedure as it was happening on television once.

Most people don't have this procedure until they are 50 when the doctors start checking for colorectal cancer. I have had them since I was 19 when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. "Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, or long-lasting, disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the inner lining of the large intestine, which includes the colon and the rectum."

I consider myself very fortunate because I have been able to keep the symptoms at bay for most of my adult life through diet, exercise and a stress-free lifestyle. Unfortunately, with the hormonal changes of menopause, I have been having symptoms on and off for the last 2 years. Whenever I am in remission, I think I have been "cured" and when symptoms occur, I get really depressed and frustrated. I am staying positive and feeling better and better everyday.

I always welcome other people's belly photos and stories that I will post on the other blog, 30/30 Belly Blog Continued.

Belly Love!


http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis/