I have been truly humbled and honored to serve as president of the American Society of Colorectal surgeons for the past year. By tradition one of the duties of the president is to give the presidential address at the annual meeting. As noted by past president John Remington in 1974 this could be good or bad.

Good for me since as president I get to choose the topic, I don’t have to get approval from the program committee, and out of respect for the office of the president I’m guaranteed a full house with a somewhat polite audience.

Bad for everyone else here, since you’re stuck listening to me, hoping that I won’t drone on and on about nothing.

I promise, I will do my best not bore you with a never-ending PowerPoint presentation and try to make this talk relevant or at least thought provoking.

My year as president of the ASCRS has given me the chance to talk to colorectal surgeons around the globe. Across the United States. In Europe. In the Dominican Republic. In Ecuador. From the Philippines to Bolivia. What I found is that universally, surgeons are looking for ways to take better care of their patients. They’re looking for new technology to treat diseases more efficiently, data to optimize patient care, and educational opportunities that provide the best outcomes possible.

The opportunity to meet and talk with other surgeons has been the highlight of my presidency. It reminds me what’s great about the ASCRS.

However, today I want to talk about something on a more personal level. I want to talk about dealing with personal adversity..