Chadwick Boseman is hitting me so hard. I lost my mom earlier this year to a rare colorectal cancer (appendix...it’s what Stuart Scott had). He was such a talent and wonderful person behind it all. Knowing what I know about treatment, he’s a damn miracle doing all he did in the last 4 years of his life.

Yes! Good call. When started early, doctors can establish a good baseline for you.

My grandmother died of colon cancer and my mother has been getting colonoscopies since her 50s. I just emailed my doctor to see if I can start getting them earlier.

Thank you for saying that last part! I’ve seen some horrible posts on social media trying to turn his decision to keep working over the past four years into some kind of bizzarro productivity fodder.

I’m so sorry about your husband and happy for your son that he is being so vigilant. I’ve been getting colonoscopies for a little while. So far it seems that I have inherited my father’s colon. Grateful to have insurance that covers these preventative measures.

My husband didn’t know until after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer that his grandfather and uncle both died of it.  He unfortunately let the symptoms go for too long before seeking medical attention.  My son, however, has been vigilant about colonoscopies.  He had 7 benign polyps removed after the first…

Colon Cancer PSA: If anyone in your family history has ever had polyps in their colon (even if they were benign), please ask them when they were diagnosed and start pressing your primary care provider or gastroenterologist around a decade before those polyps (benign or malignant) were found in your family member.…

Toni... same. And it’s not that I’m too scared to do the crazy stuff in my 40s, it’s that no one else my age wants to do it with me. Everyone else I know has kids or just wants to chill at home with a glass of wine. I want to make up for lost time when I was younger and too timid. 

Omg not having to do my hair (lol which consists of simply blow drying it) for the office has given me the longest, softest, thickest hair I’ve had since high school. It’s a glorious cape of hair and I love it.

*raises hand(s)*
Glad to see I’m not the only one here...happier than a pig...
I never really thought of myself as an introvert. I like a good party, once in awhile, and I consider myself friendly.

I wish I had discovered masks earlier because they've been a godsend for my seasonal allergies.

Couldn’t agree more. I had to have a conversation I didn’t really want to yesterday. ‘Face to 6 feet away face.” As he pontificated about the SAME OLD SHIT I nodded and whispered quietly into my my mask “I can’t stand you I can’t stand you I can’t stand you....” By bf is losing his hearing so he needs to see my lips…

I’ve been a member of this community and two other for at least ten years. I’ve been an active commenter, lost my login info, and bounced between the two over the years.

I am very much in the pro mask camp, for a huge variety of reasons:

I feel this. I’m also very introverted, and while I miss going to movies and eating in restaurants, I haven’t grown tired of essentially being stuck in the house with my husband every weekend. It’s a good thing we really like each other. 

I think it’s often hard to realize how much “nobody will care,” but it’s very true.

While I enjoy being a social extrovert and going to events, I’m happy that there’s some events I haven’t had to worry about. I like my extended family, but I’m a black sheep, and I don’t really fit in with them. I tend to avoid most family events because of this, and not needing to come up with a bullshit excuse has…

My issue is that as a middle aged woman who moved back to my hometown a bit later in life, an am divorced, a lot of my friendships are tertiary, or activity-based. Like I have a friend that I’d see movies with. Another friend who was always willing to try a new restaurant with me. A third friend who loved live theatre…

Making the perhaps generous assumption that Covid will end, and there will be a future of gatherings that seem more normal, have you thought about whether you will carry this new found freedom forward?