Michelle Julien, M.D., is everything you’d want a surgeon to be – smart, articulate, caring and passionate about her work.

She’s also friendly, warm, approachable and casual.

“My philosophy is to try to talk to the patients as if they’re my friends or family members,” Dr. Julien said. “I try not to use the big doctor words. I will use the word, ‘poop’ and I’ll say ‘fart’.”

Dr. Julien has a fitting office theme as a colon and rectal surgeon with Norton Surgical Specialists. Her office is filled with poop emojis.

“When they come in here and see the office, hopefully they’ll be able to relax and talk about their problems,” Dr. Julien said.

She wants the poop-themed decorations to inspire conversations. Kentucky needs to get comfortable when it comes to colon health. Dr. Julien said colon cancer is on the rise. Kentucky is one of the states in the colorectal cancer belt.

“A lot of the anal and rectal issues are very intimate things and no one wants to talk about it,” Dr. Julien said. “It’s not something you want to talk about at dinnertime.”

Tawnya Davis is one of Dr. Julien’s patients. She loved Dr. Julien’s office, but loves the person behind those funny faces even more.

“It’s who she is as a person that is really calming and really professional,” Davis said.

If you do not have a family history of colon and rectal cancer or other high-risk factors like your parents or siblings having polyps, it is recommended you schedule your colonoscopy when you turn 45.