It's the topic of many a joke--and believe me, I will have a tough time refraining from puns throughout this diary--but colonoscopies are really no laughing matter. Colonoscopies, and the associated removal of any suspicious polyps, can save lives. Will the lives saved include yours?
Let me supply a link right here to the infographic from the CDC about screening for colon cancer. Did you know already that colon cancer is #2 on the list of cancers that affect both men and women? I didn't. I did know, however, that colon cancer is very treatable if it is caught early--and that there are several kinds of diagnostic tests, the colonoscopy being the most thorough. The infographic explains what a colonoscopy is and why it's helpful, along with describing the other screening tests.
I'm feeling rather zealous about this topic because I finally had my first colonoscopy almost two weeks ago, a mere seven years after the age of 50. Even after having a diagnosis of cancer in 2011, a development that unfortunately puts me at increased risk of other primary cancers, I kept putting it off.
I didn't really have a good reason to delay. I'd had barium enemas before, and while the preparation isn't pleasant, it's not the worst possible experience. I've had far worse, including several months of arduous cancer treatment. So I finally made arrangements for my first one, at a time when my husband could be my driver and escort.
The prep really isn't all that great. Please join me after the orange viscera for a few relatively discreet details.
I almost botched the whole thing, however, because I didn't keep track of the dietary preparations I needed to make even before I started the bowel cleanse.
Some of those restrictions (but not all; I don't want to pretend to be a resource here) included the avoidance of celery, berries, and tomatoes for four days before the procedure. As luck would have it, I attended a party on that -4 day and had a few bites of all of those things. I called the office in a panic on Monday to ascertain that it wouldn't be a problem. Fortunately, it was deemed acceptable for me to have had a small quantity several days in advance.
The next difficult thing was fasting. I don't know about you, but I have a very stubborn streak. When I hear "can't" then I get very defiant. Oh, I was compliant with the instructions to avoid solid food for 24 hours, but I whined a lot.
The bowel cleanse was unpleasant but not intolerable. Thanks to paradise50, who clued me in that I could stop as soon as the ... hmm ... discharge became clear (a yellow tinge being acceptable, even expected). That saved me a fair amount of discomfort and gained me some extra sleep.
The procedure itself was uncomplicated. The nurse did a good job of starting the IV, which isn't an easy task on me. I seem to recall being semi-conscious during the procedure, but not for long enough to be painful or troublesome. Some people apparently find it very uncomfortable; perhaps it's a matter of the experience of the practitioners. I didn't find it problematic.
My recovery wasn't rapid and smooth, however. It took me an excessively long time to wake up, and my stomach was also upset. Those seem to be idiosyncratic, or perhaps familial, sensitivities to the anesthetic. Next time I think I'll make a point of asking for a slightly smaller dose, or one that's more easily tolerated.
After sleeping for several hours, I woke up well enough to toss together a Motor City Kossacks Open Thread, so I guess I didn't lose a lot of time to the procedure.
I got my results the very next day.
Three pedunculated and sessile polyps were found in the
rectum, in the descending colon and in the cecum. The
polyps were 4 to 10 mm in size. These polyps were removed
with a cold snare. Resection and retrieval were complete.
The pathology report followed soon afterwards. The rectal polyp was an
adenoma, which means it has characteristics on the cellular level that could, if left in place, develop into cancer. As a result, I'll need to repeat this test in three years rather than in five.
I'm not too worried about it. My acupuncturist and Ayurvedist aren't thrilled, though, and so they will both be on me to improve my diet and level of activity. I'm all for that anyway, so I suppose it's OK to have more incentive.
I'm seriously relieved, however, that it did not show any cancer. Dealing with a new primary would be more than a little overwhelming, though obviously people do manage to cope.
In the poll below, I hope I've covered the various options, but I'm sure to have omitted something important. Please feel free to add or amplify in the comments.
As always, this is also an Open Thread.
Monday Night Cancer Club is a Daily Kos group focused on dealing with cancer, primarily for cancer survivors and caregivers, though clinicians, researchers, and others with a special interest are also welcome. Volunteer diarists post Monday evenings between 7:30-8:30 PM ET on topics related to living with cancer, which is very broadly defined to include physical, spiritual, emotional and cognitive aspects. Mindful of the controversies endemic to cancer prevention and treatment, we ask that both diarists and commenters keep an open mind regarding strategies for surviving cancer, whether based in traditional, Eastern, Western, allopathic or other medical practices. This is a club no one wants to join, in truth, and compassion will help us make it through the challenge together.
(Yes, we do need to edit this statement based on recent feedback. Watch for a new version within the next couple of weeks.)