What would you put on your colonoscopy mix tape?
Retired cantor Janice Woltag Cohen just turned 50. We Boomers all know what that means. Itâs Colonoscopy Time!
Colonoscopy! That fabulous 50th birthday present you give to yourself. Yes, itâs yucky. But itâs absolutely necessary. (It could save your life.)
As kids growing up in the 50s, we joined the Micky Mouse Club. Now that weâve hit the half century mark, itâs time for the Colonoscopy Club.
Looking at a day filled with poop-inducing âcocktails,” lots of clear fluids, maybe a little jello, and a million trips to the bathroom, Cohen decided to have a little fun. She needed some distraction. Not to mention something that would get her in the right mood for that very special procedure.
So she logged onto Facebook and posted a question: âWhat songs should I put on my colonoscopy mix tape?â
Cohen has 1,412 Facebook friends. Most of them are Boomers. And, apparently, all of them are smart-asses. They were on it in a flash:
The first suggestion?
âRing of Fire by Johnny Cash. Duh.â
Following which, her pals quickly came up with:
The Long and Winding Road.
Baby Got Back.
Looking out my Back Door.
Back in the Saddle Again
Fixing a Hole. (The Beatles)
My Humps.
âHilarious!!â Cohen responded. But her Facebook friends were just warming up. If Cohen needed some tunes to help her through this Boomer rite of passage, then thatâs what sheâd get. How about:
Like a Virgin
Little Brown Jug
Brown Sugar
Turn, Turn, Turn
Bad Moon Rising
Coal Minerâs Daughter.
Dirty Work (Steely Dan)
Then they really started to get into it:
âTush by ZZ Top!â
âHow about my fav Springsteen tune — Thunder Road?â
âJames Taylorâs Thereâs Something In The Way She Moves.â
âJohn Cougar Mellencampâs Hurts So Good.â
“Paul McCartneyâs Let Em In.â
âThe End by the Doors.â
âAnything by the Butt Hole Surfers!â
âAnything by Hole!â
Even a classical music fan got into the act, with: âBeethovenâs Last Movement!â
One friend posted: âAnother man might suggest Donât Touch Me There by the Tubes. But I have too much class to even suggest that.â
Several folks suggested the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers classic âCheek to Cheek.â One even linked to the video.
Another linked to a music video called âColonoscopy: Itâs Not That Badâ from the Stop Colon Cancer website. (The song is a hoot. Listen and laugh.)
And the titles continued:
I Wanna Be Sedated.
That Ainât No Way to Go
Black Muddy River.
Highway to Hell
Friends in Low Places
Foggy Bottom Breakdown
The final suggestion? âClassical Gas.â (Mason Williams.)
Janice ended up receiving 125 comments in just two hours. (One pal pointed out that playing through all the songs would last much longer than the procedure itself, which usually runs around 30 minutes.)
Janice, laughing, posted: âThanks for making Babyâs First Colonoscopy fun!â
With any luck, sheâll drift off under anesthesia with âMoon Riverâ echoing in her ears, and emerge, after a quick and painless procedure, with a clean bill of health.
Happy 50th birthday, Janice. And welcome to the Colonoscopy Club!
(This essay first appeared on www.womensvoicesforchange.org)
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