We are great parents. Our kids are smart – making As and Bs in magnet schools. Our kids are talented – cheerleader, youth choir and drama club. Our kids are beautiful – Chris has to have the shotgun ready for the dating years. Our kids know God – youth ministry since they could walk. But if you asked me, are my children are physically fit and colon healthy, I suppose I would say “yes.” … I guess? Healthy lifestyles in adults can prevent many kinds of illnesses. So is there a way to apply these same lifestyle habits to children? Absolutely!

Before you call the DCS, let me explain my thoughts. Our children are well taken care of. They receive three meals and two snacks every day. My husband, Chris, or I cook most nights. We take them to the doctor and dentist whenever the need arises. But let’s be honest, our fitness level isn’t the best. We spend so much time concentrating on keeping the roof over their heads and making sure they get the right education and extracurricular activities that quite often the family fitness goes on the back burner. Unfortunately, that has to change. (more…)

When I received the email with this month’s topic, I literally laughed out loud. I thought, “Well, God, aren’t You funny today?” The topic is stress and stomach issues. This is a subject that I know all too well. Actually, I was well versed in this area before Chris was even diagnosed with colon cancer. Many of us may not consider that stress can lead to severe stomach issues and possibly forge a path to colon cancer.

So why am I a self-proclaimed expert in stress? Well, let’s start with the fact that I work in a newsroom and my husband, Chris, is in law enforcement. That equals job stress. Then there is the factor of raising kids. That equals family stress. And finally – in an effort to be totally transparent – we had serious marital issues. That equals marriage stress. Add on outside community commitments, financial pressures and an attempt to try and start a new business on the side. When it’s all said and done, we had stress. Wait, I take that back. We have STRESS! (more…)

Someone recently asked me, if we knew then what we know now, all of the facts that prevent colon cancer, what would we change? Could you follow that sentence? I hope so, because it almost lost me. But before I answer it let me back up a bit. My husband, Chris, is currently undergoing chemo for stage 3B colon cancer. This has been a world wind summer – diagnosis in May, surgery in June and starting chemo in July. So in all of the activity, I really hadn’t processed that question. Until now… (more…)

Butt Seriously wants to welcome Chris and Neysa Taylor, our newest bloggers on the mission to help prevent colon cancer. We’ve asked Chris and Neysa to join the Butt Seriously team in hopes that people will be inspired to get their colon cancer screening as they hear how colon cancer has affected, and is affecting, the Taylors’ lives. Feel free to welcome them below in the comments!

What a difference a few short months can make. In April, we were doing what most families do – planning the kids’ summer camps, thinking about vacations and looking forward to time at the pool. But all of that came to a halt in May. In May, we learned that Chris had colon cancer. How do you plan for that? He was pretty fit, under 40, and had an active profession. Sure he had been a bit tired, but he has a demanding job. That demanding job probably saved his life. (more…)

It’s happened to all of us, at one time or another: Embarrassment. Your face gets flushed, your heart races, you might even cry when it happens. It’s something we hope will never happen. We take great care in making sure it doesn’t. Well, most of us. I tend to be that person who will do or say just about anything to make someone laugh. That is, if it’s on my own terms. Making a joke is fine; being the joke is a different ballgame. In addition, while I may make light of colonoscopy and its prep, colon cancer is no laughing matter. Discussing colon screenings with your doctor should never bring embarrassment.

As a youth director at my church, I have done some crazy things. I put on a giant chicken suit and attempted to ice skate, died my hair green and even dressed up like Grandma Snooki for Halloween, making myself the “butt of the joke,” so to speak. But walking out of the bathroom with my skirt tucked in my pantyhose would turn me four shades of red like anyone else. (more…)