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Friday, August 08, 2008

Let's Talk About Your Colon, Baby

I'll give you a minute to get the Salt N Pepa song into your head. It may help you to buffer yourself from some of the...colon-related subject matter in this post.

Today is the start of the Olympics! Hurray! I am currently camped on the couch watching the opening ceremony. I love the opening ceremony for the Olympics. I told the Big Giraffe that I love the opening ceremony, and he replied that he knows that I love the opening ceremony, apparently because I had told him that I love the opening ceremony earlier in the day, at which time he told me that he knew that, apparently because I had told him that I love the opening ceremony earlier in the day, at which time...The same thing happened in 2006, 2004, and 2002. While I may not be even close to an Olympian myself, the Olympics offer the perfect backdrop for me to share my exciting news: I have officially become a runner.

Unfortunately, and unbelievably, in the past 6 years, I have lost two friends who were my age to colon cancer. In addition to being a very sad experience, it has made my hypersensitive to certain health issues. After two entirely separate heavy workouts in the summer heat this month, I have had to make a mad dash for the bathroom within 10 minutes of the workouts' conclusion. My insides felt like they were turning inside out, and there was bleeding. While it was not a hemorrhage by any means, there was quite a bit of blood. The first time it disturbed me, and the second time it flat out freaked the Big Giraffe and me out. Since we were in the Catskills without cell phone reception and the bleeding did stop, I made a mental note to call my doctor first thing Monday morning upon my return. I was feeling a little panicky all week, and the Big Giraffe and I have had several discussions in which I wondered out loud whether it was cancer.

After I mustered up the courage to explain the situation to the doctor, she examined me and gave me her diagnosis. I had something called Runner's Gut. Basically bouts of Runner's Guts occur when you get so dehydrated that your electrolytes get thrown off balance causing a wide range of symptoms from gas to bad diarrhea. Alright, why is this not listed in my triathlon books? To me this should be one of the first entries in the section describing common injuries! In hindsight I realized that I didn't have enough water during both of my episodes. Thanks to my hydration pack, I've never run out of water during my triathlons even though the exercise has been more vigorous and the temperature has been hotter and thus been spared this experience.

Basically my doctor told me that runners are very prone to hemorrhoids as are people who ride bikes. This seems tough for triathletes to avoid, particularly since triathletes in training typically lift weights, and weightlifters are also prone to hemorrhoids. She summarized by saying that any sport where "you have to grunt or where there's friction" between a seat or your legs and an area where the sun doesn't shine. While I had never heard of this before, once I started discussing this with others, I have had a couple of friends confess to having some...familiarity with it.

So, what is the connecting between hemorrhoids and Runner's Gut? Well, if you have hemorrhoids and then get diarrhea, which can be triggered by things ranging from dehydration to food poisoning from things like bad mayo, those hemorrhoids may rupture from the pressure. You will then see a lot of bright red blood. Perhaps you should take this time to let the song play through your mind again. Doing okay? I know this can be an uncomfortable subject.

My doctor made clear that this does not offer me an excuse to stop running. She prescribed a heinous breakfast for me for the next week or two (and whenever else problems arise, because she said they would) consisting of oatmeal with raw bran and 2 dried prunes in it. My stomach is churning just thinking about it. I am also supposed to really make sure I'm drinking enough during the day and when I workout. As she left, she reassured me that this is very common among runners*. It was then it hit me: I am officially a runner! I have the Runner's Gut to prove it! The Big Giraffe did not appreciate my humor when I suggested he say to me, "Congratulations, You're a Runner Now!" All kidding aside, I am incredibly relieved that nothing is really wrong. Needless to say, I would eat 100 bowls of heinous cereal every day rather than have it be cancer.

Apparently standard protocol for any bleeding is a colonoscopy if you can't find the cause for the bleeding, and sometimes even if you think you know the cause for it. You definitely should see your doctor if you have any. Runner's Gut should not be self-diagnosed.

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Drink plenty of water when working out and see your doctor if you have any irregular bowel symptoms.

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posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:34 PM   9 comments
9 Comments:

  • At 8/08/2008 11:23 PM, Blogger Kami said…

    This has happened to me too! I thought it was the diet coke, but maybe not, though I am sure it didn't help. I had no bleeding but the rest happened while I was running. Yes that was fantastic.

    So glad that's all it was for you, how very frightening!

     

  • At 8/09/2008 6:48 AM, Anonymous Amy said…

    Now you need to sign up for the Indy Mini Marathon - it's the biggest half marathon in the country and really well organized! It fills up by November.

     

  • At 8/09/2008 8:05 AM, Blogger Jen of A2eatwrite said…

    Glad it was "only" runner's gut. That breakfast will give you lots of energy. If you cut the prunes up and cook them together with the oatmeal, they'll taste better (and so will the oatmeal).

    Feel better! And you're so right... get those gut things checked!

     

  • At 8/09/2008 9:16 AM, Blogger Tracey said…

    So glad it's not something else...

    TAke care of your colon, girl!! :)

     

  • At 8/09/2008 4:56 PM, Blogger JulietteMerry said…

    If Chicago wins the 2016 Olympic bid, Alex and all the Giraffes can be at the opening.

     

  • At 8/09/2008 9:02 PM, Blogger Fairly Odd Mother said…

    Amen to that! A colonoscopy is SO not a big deal, but cancer IS! Glad you are ok!

     

  • At 8/10/2008 4:43 PM, Blogger Heather said…

    Glad you're okay.

    Um. Sorry about your butt.

     

  • At 8/11/2008 11:16 AM, Blogger Suzanne Reisman said…

    Very interesting. Just an extra word of caution about bloody doody: if there is a lot of black stuff in poo, it could be blood from higher in the digestive tract, so be as aware of that as other nasty shit.

     

  • At 8/11/2008 11:37 AM, Blogger Alex Elliot said…

    Thanks for all your well wishes! Everything seems to be going well in that department so to speak and is back on track. Suzanne, my doctor did tell me that. Apparently also with colon cancer you can get oozing.

     
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Name:Alex Elliot
Home:MA, United States
About Me:Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
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For those of us who didn't get an instruction manual with our babies and for whom parenting hasn't always gone as planned. On a more serious note this blog is about supporting a woman's ability to make her own choices about parenting including the choice, for whatever reason, to bottle feed her babies formula.

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