Back that Colon Up
Back That Colon Up? If you were in high school or college when Juvenile said “taking over for the 99 and 2000s”, then you need a colonoscopy. If you are the last of Generation X and the first of the Millennials, or you identify as a Xenial or Cusper you need a colonoscopy. If you were there when Stella got her groove back and when Q and Monica played for love then you need to prepare to tell everyone “Don’t nobody go in that bathroom for about 35-45 minutes” as Mr. Jones aka Craig’s daddy told you. Now you may be thinking, “Don’t I have a few more years before I need one of those.” No, no you don’t have a few more years. The time is now. It’s time to save you and your behind. So, I believe in actions and not just words, therefore in March which by the way is colon cancer awareness month, I had my first colonoscopy. It was quite an interesting experience, one that I’m happy that I don’t have to do again for ten years! But don’t let me discourage you, the goal is to get you to have yours. The preparation process is not nearly as daunting as it was years ago. I recall as a bedside nurse giving patients huge bottles of liquid to consume that seemed comparable to trying to swallow a pond. Now the options are much more suitable and you don’t necessarily have to starve yourself in the process either. In my case, I could have clear liquids the day before my procedure. Yay, broth! Who knew broth could taste so good when you’re miserable. I digress. The morning of my colonoscopy, I was sufficiently empty if you know what I mean. After checking in, getting vitals and an IV I was ready for the big ta-doo! When I was taken in the room for the procedure, I met my wonderful team, talked to my gastroenterologist and then the CRNA knocked me out like Adonis Creed did that big guy. But anyway, the next time I woke up they were done and all I had were the memories of before. See how smooth that process was. Along the way the doctor talked to my husband, the nurse let me sip Sprite and the patient care tech rolled me out to the freedom and thoughts of breakfast. After my husband helped me in the car, he took me for breakfast based on my request. I felt certain that I could stay awake for that and that sleep could wait another minute. By the next day I was back at work like it never happened. You can be too. Now, I encourage you to do a few things a little differently than I did. Pay close attention and don’t say that I didn’t warn you. If you have the option of not working on the day that you start the colonoscopy prep, then stay home. Sometimes I confuse myself with Superwoman and I do things that are unnecessary. Chicken broth and water alone while expending physical and mental energy didn’t make me the happiest person. And having to start my prep before I got home only made me anxious and more prayerful. I mean being more prayerful is always good, but the circumstances of increased prayer could have been avoided had I been home, safe and comfortable and not trying to manage work, traffic and child pickup. But anyway, I made it honey. Just know that ten years from now when I do this again. I will not be working the day before. Enough about me. Back to you. In 2021 the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered the starting age to get a colonoscopy from 50 to 45 due to the increasing incidence of early onset of colorectal cancers in younger people. Here’s a quick refresher about what the colon is and why it is important. The colon is the first and longest part of the large intestine. The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system. It breaks down food for the body to use. As you age, small clumps of cells called polyps can develop in the colon and if they are not monitored or removed, they can turn into cancer overtime. If you have a strong family history of colorectal cancer, then you may need your colonoscopy even sooner. If you have a family or personal history of certain conditions or syndromes you should have colonoscopies even sooner. Two conditions or syndromes that cause an increase in colorectal cancer are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Lynch Syndrome. FAP is a gene mutation that results in hundreds to thousands of polyps by a person’s mid-teens and if not treated you are more likely to develop colorectal cancer by age 40. Lynch Syndrome is a genetic condition that significantly increases the lifetime risk of developing colorectal and other cancers. Other risk factors for developing colorectal cancer include: –Older age (this is a risk factor for all cancers; the older we get the greater our risk.) – Black or African American people have a greater risk of colon cancer than people of other races. –Inflammatory bowel diseases. If you have conditions such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease you are at greater risk – Low fiber, high-fat diet. Some studies have found an increased risk of colon cancer in people who eat a lot of red meat and processed meat. – Reduce your risk by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains – Sedentary lifestyle. People who are not active are more likely to develop colon cancer – Exercise most days of the week for 30 minutes. – Obesity – Try to maintain a healthy weight. Talk to your health care provider to see what that may look like for you. – Smoking – Stop smoking by seeking out ways to quit. – Drinking alcohol – Drink alcohol
Fitness Journey
Nearly three years ago I joined Fit Body Bootcamp and am working toward completing my 400th session! Even though I hoped that I would have more by now, I give myself grace and recognize that what I have accomplished is still over 350 sessions than I have ever done over any period of time! I have always been active in one way or another, but I have struggled with consistency. My consistency struggles have a lot to do with the other demands of my life including career, community and family. However, consistency was always a goal and Fit Body helped me with that. The convenience of the location, the time frame of the workouts and the accountability have all made committing to my fitness goals easier. Since I started working out consistently, I have learned more about nutrition and the importance of protein to help achieve certain fitness goals. I have met friends who I look forward to seeing at workout. I have been celebrated and have gotten to celebrate others. I have carved out a bit of time dedicated to me, my health, my wellbeing and my personal goals. Working out hasn’t just been about losing weight but it is also about embracing what I have and toning up what I can. It’s not just about losing fat, but it is also about building muscle. It’s about ensuring that I can lift more easily and move around more assuredly as I age. It’s about keeping my joints lubricated, improving flexibility and cardiovascular health. Women are more likely to suffer from heart disease than any other illness. Exercise helps reduce that risk. As women age, muscle mass decreases over time. Exercise that includes strength training combats this. Due to a loss of estrogen as women age, bone loss also happens. This can lead to increased risk of fracture. Through exercise, our bone can remodel causing bone strengthening. It’s about showing my kids that mom can hang and the importance of exercise throughout life. One day, far in the future, lol, I hope to be able to chase grandkids around. If not that, I still hope to enjoy a hike or a long, long walk on the beach with my husband. Let’s break this down even more and go day by day. On the days that I exercise, I notice that I feel better overall. Not only do I feel accomplished, but I feel more energized. I also sleep better on those nights. If you have ever heard the saying that “motion is lotion”. I can totally relate. On days that I exercise, I have less stiffness and aches because movement “moisturizes” joints, bones and muscles so to speak. In a nutshell, consistent exercise is about: If you have been on the fence about exercising, lack the motivation or believe that you don’t have the time. I encourage you to make some sort of exercise a priority in your life. You don’t have to join a gym or a boot camp. Find what works for you and strive to be consistent. Start with one day a week and gradually progress to three or four days a week. This could a walk around the neighborhood or a park. It may cause you to start your day earlier or wrap up your day a little later but by making you and exercise a priority, it can happen. It’s about doing what you can to be the best that you can be. For me, exercise is a matter of life and a better life. Exercise does have an important companion that works well to meet specific fitness goals such as weight loss. That companion is nutrition but that’s a post for another day, lol! One step at a time, right?
Black Romance Book Fest
Part 1 This post ended up being so long that I decided to break it up into two parts! To revise the iconic quote from Sidney Shaw on Brown Sugar, “When did you first fall in love with reading?” Long before I became a writer, I was a reader. My dad required me to read and great thing for me, I fell in love with it. Nothing made my reader insides tingle more with excitement and pride than getting to attend Black Romance Book Festival in Atlanta, Georgia! The festival took place May 30th– June 1st, 2026 at the Omni Hotel and it was a sight to behold and an amazing experience! Me and my girls went and had the best time, lines aside, lol! Last year was the inaugural event and there I quickly recognized that we had something monumental. I was so thankful that we were able to snag the coveted and highly sought after tickets for this year. Word on the street is that tickets sold out in 15 minutes last year. And that is even with doubling the number of attendees. So if you’re hoping to be in attendance next year, you will need all the patience, prayers and preparation of garnering a Beyonce concert ticket and nearly the fortitude of a Hunger Games participant. BRBF is what happens when an untapped need becomes recognized. Imagine being on the quest for something great and knowing it is out there but not quite sure how to find it and then one day while digging a well you realize that it’s an oil mine. Cue Biggie’s “It was all a dream.” BRBF made the dreams of many come true and with endless possibilities. The Event A beautiful festival and culture collision of black books, black authors, black narrators, black vendors, black businesses, black celebrations and us, the attendees! Ahh, greatness at its finest. Being there was reminiscent of my HBCU experience on “The Hill” of Alabama A & M University. Not since graduating from undergrad have I been immersed in such a space that gave elevated HBCU vibes. I was surrounded by books I WANT to read not have to read, lol and by the authors of those very same books plus some of the voices who brought them to life! Amazing! The Authors Never have I attended (until this festival last year) a book event where I was literally surrounded by my favorite authors. I felt like a kid at Disney World seeing Mickey or Minnie for the first time. It is a surreal experience to finally meet some of the authors whose books I love, whose work I admire, whose stories resonate and transcend beyond the pages and beyond my imagination. Then there are the authors who I wasn’t familiar with prior to the festival or who I had only heard about from others. By the time I left the festival, I had them added to my TBR (to be read) list. It was empowering and enriching. There were a lot of authors represented and I mean A LOT. So before going, I made myself a priority list of who I wanted to meet for sure if given the opportunity. I also knew that I wanted to see some of the authors who I feel like I’ve known personally for years, lol or that I have met previously. So I know you are asking who did you meet sis? Get to it! Well, how about a roll call? I wish I could name them all but that is impossible. I caught up with my OG favorites like Rhonda McKnight and Vanessa Miller and am patiently waiting on Writer in Residence and The Ladies Hall. I swung by to check in on Sheryl Lister to express my anticipation about the release of All My Sisters And Me. Saw my girl and Busy Bee Taj McCoy who is not only a great author but a literary agent too! Caught T’Lyn again this year! Got to chat with Jasmine Guillory who I met very briefly last year at Kennedy Ryan’s event. Grabbed a picture with Kristina Forest who I didn’t get to meet last year and discussed her new release Summer Girlfriend! Back to that priority list of authors who I had never met but have now thanks to BRBF: Alexandria House– the fairy godmother of black romance. She is the reason that I made sure to get a Keynote add on because I knew that she would be a part of the panel even before the BRBF team announced it officially. How did I know? Because it is impossible to say black romance and not say Alexandria House. PERIOD. Brenda Jackson– who I affectionately call the Auntie and OG of black romance. She’s the author who has been writing black romance so long that you, your mom and your grandmother have both read her books. Along with Rhonda McKnight and Vanessa Miller noted above, this next group of authors renewed my reading passion and helped me maintain my faith. Unbeknownst to them, they were instrumental as I was going through my mom’s cancer journey, the loss of my first son and my mom’s death. Their work allowed me to still be fed with God’s word even when I didn’t want to talk to him because of hurt and anger. To meet them in person further healed a piece of my heart. Jacquelin Thomas– She is one of the authors whose messages of inspiration and faith in her resonate so much. With over 100 books in her catalog, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Reshonda Tate– I’m pretty sure that I have read every book in her catalog from her Christian fiction to her recent historical fiction. Kimberla Lawson Roby– two words, Curtis Black. But aside from that landmark series she has also written women’s fiction and most recently a faith-based nonfiction that I’m excited to dive into. Tiffany Warren– I’ve been rocking with her