I started a small series on making small steps towards health but was sidetracked. There are some things that have to be addressed before taking a few small steps towards health (I had to butt in with this colon post).

Very recently after undergoing a colonoscopy, someone very dear to me was diagnosed with colon cancer. I think addressing a diagnosis of colon cancer takes front stage when it comes to taking small steps towards health.

A Little History

For many years I’ve watched as this person’s steps towards health got smaller and smaller until they became non-existent. As a matter of fact, this person took an about face and started taking more and more steps towards unhealthy living (dis ease).

This person’s dietary habits were less than stellar, but so is most of America’s. The meat-based, processed food diet is a killer. Fortunately, the body is very forgiving and youth is often a first line of defense for many ailments. Being young and active helped to stave off some of the effects of an unbalanced diet.

As youth began to fade and exercise became minimal, evidence of poor eating habits began to crop up. The midsection is one of the first noticeable places for fast food and carbohydrates to deposit themselves. The declining energy level and increasing weight opened the door to annoying things like an increase in blood sugar, increase in blood pressure and a decrease in iron count.

This person’s diet was not void of fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, it’s just the portions were way too small to counteract the large amounts of processed foods, sweet drinks, meat consumption and rich desserts. Over an extended period of time, the body began to show more and more signs of dis ease.

The Catch-Up Years

If you’re fortunate to live long enough, the body plays the catch-up game. All of the things that we do in our youth catch up to us sooner or later. No longer invincible, the sins of our youth begin to come out to play.

If you are anywhere near the age of 50, you know what I’m talking about. Now is when you really see who did what when they were in their teens, 20’s, 30’s and so forth. That’s why the medical profession gets to have a piece of you. The ophthalmologist gets to play with your eyes, the podiatrist tickles the toes, proctologists get to see just what you’re made of, gynecologists are no longer looking to help you bring a new life into the world, they’re trying to prevent you from developing life sucking diseases.

The doctors aren’t the only ones that get a piece of you; there are the ever so sweet radiologists. I still wonder what to do in the event of a fire during a mammography. Gravity has played a few mean tricks on me but elastic woman I’m not.

Oh, almost forgot about the colonoscopy. There is a reason why colonoscopies are strongly recommended at the age of 50. If there is a history of colon cancer in the family, you shouldn’t wait until 50. Have yourself checked beforehand?

Next, we’ll discuss colon cancer symptoms (first let me say this, in the early stages of colon cancer there are no symptoms, so if you have a symptom, don’t wait for my next post, go to your doctor now).