Susan Wong - The Power of Pooping : A Cheeky Diet and Lifestyle Guide to End Constipation and Transform Your Health

Nurse Wong from Butt Talks TV with John Rietcheck

The Power of Pooping

A Cheeky Diet and Lifestyle Guide to End Constipation and Transform Your Health

Text copyright 2022 Susan Wong. Design and concept copyright 2022 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published by:

ULYSSES PRESS

PO Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-64604-265-4

ISBN: 978-1-64604-284-5 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021937732

Acquisitions editor: Casie Vogel

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Renee Rutledge

Proofreader: Barbara Schultz

Front cover design: Katrina Yan

Interior design and layout: what!design @ whatweb.com

Production assistant: Yesenia Garcia-Lopez

Artwork: Julien Goavec

NOTE TO READERS: This book has been written and published for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as medical advice or to be any form of medical treatment. You should always consult with your physician before altering or changing any aspect of your medical treatment. Do not stop or change any prescription medications without the guidance and advice of your physician. Any use of the information in this book is made on the readers good judgment and is the readers sole responsibility. This book is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and is not a substitute for a physician. This book is independently authored and published, and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked brands or other products mentioned within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands mentioned in this book.

To the silent sufferers who need guidance, treatment, and good old TLC to face and hopefully conquer the nasty poop-related issues that plague them every day.

Susan Wong, aka Nurse Wong

I have known Susan Wong for ten years and in that time, I have come to appreciate the depth of knowledge and dedication she brings to her chosen area of expertise: the art and science of pooping. In the care of her patients, Susan is masterful in her analysis of complex clinical issues related to bowel function, and competent and kind in management of these problems.

In this book, she has compiled forty years of accumulated knowledge and wisdom into a volume that is practical and humorous. It incorporates concrete examples and facts. The general public will enjoy it and anyone with pooping problems will find it pragmatic and comprehensive.

For as long as I have known her, Susans goal has been to help people poop better. This book is a reflection of that and is a must read for anyone with interest in this topic.

Ankit Sarin, MD

Associate Professor

Colon and Rectal Surgery

University of CaliforniaSan Francisco

Ive come a long way from my early childhood days, when my mother, newly immigrated from Hong Kong, applied her folk medicine remedies on me whenever I was out of balance. In Cantonese, she would tell me that I was having jit hei (yeet hay), or hot heat, which translates to inflammation of the body. Whenever I was running a temperature and had a sore throat, she would cook me winter melon soup since my body needed to be corrected from its inner heat (the fever).

I didnt mind most of her ideas and folk treatments, but when it came time for my menstrual cycle, she told me that I couldnt wash my hair because that would create dark circles under my eyes. Well, I just couldnt swallow that one.

When I was fifteen years old, my maternal grandmother came to live with us. I got a greater insight into more of the old-school Chinese remedies and realized where my mothers beliefs and superstitions came from. I remember seeing a bottle of cognac and a cup of chrysanthemum tea on the nightstand by my grandmothers bed. At the time, I figured the cognac was to help her relax and get to sleep, but I had no idea what the tea was for. Later on, I discovered that chrysanthemum tea has medicinal properties for calming the gut, similar to chamomile.

When my grandmother felt like she was coming down with an illness, she would call her son-in-law, a surgeon trained in Western medicine, for advice. After getting, then promptly ignoring his recommendations, she immediately called her Chinese acupuncturist for his take, since she was more trusting of his advice. She even had a metal container of her own acupuncture needles that she took to her appointments with him. Being from the old country, she much preferred traditional Chinese medicine.

Although I was influenced by both my mothers and grandmothers use of Eastern remedies during my formative years, the connection I had with my aunts, who were nurses and educators, spurred me toward a career in nursing. To this day, theres a place for both Eastern and Western medicine in my life.

In my clinical training to become a nurse, I realized how much I enjoyed working with patients and helping them in a variety of ways. There has never been a dull moment on the journey through my forty-three-year nursing career, which has taken me from pediatrics to adult medicine, dialysis, the operating room, and finally, the colorectal surgery departments subdivision of the Center of Pelvic Physiology. This is where I spent the last twenty-two years of my career, working with patients young and old from all walks of life, who suffered from some form of pelvic floor dysfunction. Their conditions ranged from a host of issues related to surgical recovery to a plethora of nonsurgical problems, all related to defecation.

At the Center of Pelvic Physiology, I worked closely with a team of specialists that included gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, and other health-care providers. Our collaboration was invaluable to me in the treatment of my patients, many of whom had very complex conditions.

I suppose it was my voracious appetite for learning, coupled with a strong desire to do everything possible to help my patients (sometimes outside of work hours), that led my coworkers to dub me The Rear Admiral!

When my son, Julien, proposed the idea of creating a YouTube channel with me as the star, I thought he was kidding. I should have remembered; when he has an idea, he explores every angle, sets a goal, lays out the steps to achieve it, and digs in until it comes into fruition!

With the advent of Butt Talks TV and its rising popularity, a representative of Ulysses Press approached me to write this book. Honestly, once I accepted their offer and was faced with the reality of writing a book on poop health, I felt overwhelmed and a little inadequate. With the support of my family and friends, along with my wealth of experience, those feelings soon gave way to the realization that I had an incredible opportunity to reach many people who suffer in silence every day from embarrassing poop-related issues.