It all started as a joke but it wasn't a funny subject in 2006.
I'm a 61 year old woman experiencing many problems with my digestive system. I would find myself telling my family and friends how uncomfortable I was and the problems I had eliminating. The truth is I've been scared. You see, my grandmother died from colon cancer, my mother had a tumor in her colon so it makes sense. I've had a colonoscopy 3 times over the years. Every time, they found polyps. Oh, I just had one in February of 2006 and 3 pre-cancerous polyps were removed. I am so thankful I did. Having them removed didn't solve my digestive problems though. I've been on many medications and tried many natural alternatives. Some worked, some didn't. The one thing I could always count on was a good laugh to make me feel beter. That's when all the fun began. . .
My family's been concerned about me you know. They keep telling me "it's not healthy not to go. You know John Wayne had over 30 lbs of waste in his colon. If he would have eliminated it, he would have lived longer." Have you ever heard that?
I don't know what makes them think I want to keep the stuff inside me. . . I tried everything. . .and I mean EVERYTHING. And know I found what works for me. I told my husband, Tark, the only time I feel like I have to go is when I laugh or cough. I'm a real "belly laugher" so it must do something to stir me up. I'm also a pretty hard cougher. Makes sense anyway.
We decided the best way to go would be add a daily dose of laughter about the subject along with my other methods. I thought it would be pretty funny to have a hat that said Did You POOP Today? put on it. I had a few made for my family so we wouldn't have to keep asking the same question. All we would need would just be. . an answer. So, how funny is this? Every time we meet, the greeting is Yes, No, I'm trying or I'll let you know. How simple and easy is that?
It soon started to catch on, especially with people in the medical profession. Let's face it. They deal with the question many times a day. . .every day. It was a natural for them. Tark had to go into the hospital for bilateral knee replacement surgery. You guessed it! He wore the hat! Well, it was such a HOOT for everyone, before we knew it, all the nurses wanted one. I was busy taking pictures of our new Awareness Partners, signing them up and getting membership cards, hats etc.
Well now you know. That's how it all began.
In reality, it seems everyone wants to be part of an organization that "asks an honest personal question and gets an immediate, honest answer." Go figure? This hat with the funny saying is a door opener, a "chick magnet" (they love it) and when a pet joins (PoopPets) everyone has a reason to laugh. It's more than just wearing a hat!
You know, it's about joining together for a common cause. In this case we're using laughter go get the message across. . .break the ice or become a great conversation piece.
Now our Awareness Partners are constantly laughing so much over it we've formed luncheon clubs, we meet for just about anything. We now have a greeting card line as well. Soon all the promotional merchandise will be available. If you'd like to join email me or go to our website.
email Katie
or go to:
Did You Poop Today?.org website
