MY HANDI-CAPABLE REPORTER
Changing Pessimism to Optimism VOL. 8 ISS. 6
JUNE 2003
To Have a COLONOSCOPY or not, that is the question.
There’s only one answer if you’re over 50 years old and you
want to live life to the fullest.
My name is Ron Boehm, and I’m the publisher of MY HANDI-CAPABLE REPORTER. While in the hospital for an UTI (URINARY TRACT INFECTION), I had a COLONOSCOPY. Below you’ll find the highlighted facts to make the proper decision. DON’T WAIT, IF YOU CHERISH YOUR LIFE.
Colonoscopy (koh-luh-NAH-skuh-pee) lets the physician look inside your entire large intestine, from the lowest part, the rectum, all the way up through the colon to the lower end of the small intestine. The procedure is used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum. It is also used to diagnose the causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits.
Colonoscopy enables the physician to see inflamed tissue, abnormal growths, ulcers, and bleeding.
For the procedure, you will lie on your left side on the examining table. You will probably be given pain medication and a mild sedative to keep you comfortable and to help you relax during the exam.
The physician will insert a long, flexible, lighted tube into your rectum and slowly guide it into your colon. The tube is called a colonoscope (koh-LON-oh-skope). The scope transmits an image of the inside of the colon, so the physician can carefully examine the lining of the colon. The scope bends, so the physician can move it around the curves of your colon. You may be asked to change position occasionally to help the physician move the scope. The scope also blows air into your colon, which inflates the colon and helps the physician see better.
If anything abnormal is seen in your colon, like a polyp or inflamed tissue, the physician can remove all or part of it using tiny instruments passed through the scope. That tissue (biopsy) is then sent to a lab for testing. If there is bleeding in the colon, the physician can pass a laser, heater probe, or electrical probe, or inject special medicines through the scope and use it to stop the bleeding.
Bleeding and puncture of the colon are possible complications of colonoscopy. However, such complications are uncommon.
Colonoscopy takes 30 to 60 minutes. The sedative and pain medicine should keep you from feeling much discomfort during the exam. You will need to remain at the endoscopy facility for 1 to 2 hours until the sedative wears off.
Preparation
Your colon must be completely empty for the colonoscopy to be thorough and safe. To prepare for the procedure you may have to follow a liquid diet for 1 to 3 days beforehand. A liquid diet means fat-free bouillon or broth, strained fruit juice, water, plain coffee, plain tea, or diet soda. Gelatin or popsicles in any color but red may also be eaten. You will also take one of several types of laxatives the night before the procedure. Also, you must arrange for someone to take you home afterward--you will not be allowed to drive because of the sedatives. Your physician may give you other special instructions. Inform your physician of any medical conditions or medications that you take.
Recently, I came across an article that might give you
impetitus.
Edward A. Joseph
Reprint Rights
A BIG CHICKEN TAKES A LOOK INSIDE HIS COLON
(This article first appeared in the August 2001 issue of The Saturday Evening Post)
by Edward A. Joseph
After 57 years on this planet, I am sure of one thing: I am a big chicken when it comes to anything medical. Stalking wild animals with a slingshot is preferable to any health procedure that invades my body. For example, a colonoscopy.
A colonoscopy is a test where a long flexible narrow tube, a little more than a quarter of an inch wide, is inserted into the rectum. This tube, called an endoscope, contains a light and a video camera. The camera captures images of inside the colon, or large intestine, and sends them to a video screen, allowing a physician to detect a number of medical problems, including colon or rectal cancer.
My doctor encouraged me to have a colonoscopy when I turned 50, although many doctors recommend having it done earlier if there is a family history of certain diseases, such as colon cancer. But there were always good reasons why I couldn't find the time to have the procedure done: I needed to clean the yard, go to the dentist, play with the cat, clean the basement, scrub the aluminum siding, polish my golf balls, etc..
However, one day I noticed blood in my stool. Coincidentally, I had just read an article in Time magazine, "Katie's Crusade," about Today Show co-host Katie Couric's fight against colon cancer. Her husband had died from the disease at 42, even though he had no family history of colon cancer nor did he smoke. As part of Couric's educational effort to have people overcome their fear of having a colonoscopy, she underwent this procedure and had footage of her own intestine shown on television.
"Katie's Crusade" was an informative and persuasive article. After reading it, I decided to clean the basement again and repolish my golf balls. But as I worked on these vital projects, pieces of information from the article began to invade my brain:
Colorectal cancer strikes 130,000 men and women each year…55,000 Americans will die from this disease over the next twelve months…young people think only old people get it…women think only men get it…African-Americans think only whites get it…warning signs…especially bleeding from the rectum, unusual constipation, abdominal cramping, or narrowing of feces…it's important not to let fear or embarrassment stand in the way of your health.
After repolishing the last golf ball, I called my doctor and made an appointment for an examination. As I drove to his office, chicken feathers flew all around me: "Should I mention the blood in my stool incident? Perhaps I ought to turn back. I don't think I really need an examination now. Maybe in a few months I'll have things checked out."
Ms. Couric then started to shout inside my head, "You owe it to yourself and your family to get this checked out! Act like you're brave. Tell the doctor about the blood. Even if there is a serious problem, which there probably isn't, colorectal cancer is curable more than 90 percent of the time when caught early." I kept driving.
When I arrived at the doctor's office, I was anxious. I kept debating in my head if I should tell him about the blood in my stool. A rooster who is a big chicken often doesn't think clearly. My name was called during my mental debate, and the nurse led me to the examination room. After she took my blood pressure and drew some blood, the doctor asked me into his office. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" he asked as he went to get himself a cup.
"Ah, doc, I had some blood in my stool," I blurted out. Obviously used to nervous patients, he replied without missing a beat, "It's probably hemorrhoids, but I recommend you have a colonoscopy, just to check it out".
As soon as I heard that it might be hemorrhoids that caused the blood and not something worse, I felt 50 pounds lighter. He gave me the name of a gastroenterologist, and after a preliminary meeting with the doctor, a date was set for my colonoscopy.
By the day of the test I was pretty nervous. I had heard that the hardest part of the experience was cleaning out the colon the night before the procedure. While taking the two saline laxative solutions and living with the results wasn't exactly party time, it wasn't all that bad. It was a comforting thought that the procedure might be easier than the preparation.
At seven a.m. I reported to the hospital ambulatory surgery registration desk with my spouse, Susan someone has to accompany you to the test, since the mild sedative they give you before the procedure prohibits driving afterwards).
At eight a.m., the aide wheeled me into the procedure room and I immediately noticed the small video screen. I had mentioned to my doctor that I would like to ask him questions during the colonoscopy, so he ordered the nurse to give me less sedative. After inserting the endoscope inside my rectum - I barely felt it go in-a picture appeared on the screen.
"There are the hemorrhoids," he pointed out. They looked like pimples that had been treated with Miracle-Gro. As the endoscope moved into my large intestine-again there was very little discomfort- I was fascinated with what I saw on the screen. It reminded me of a science fiction picture. You know, like, "Journey to the End of Your Colon."
My colon looked like a salmon colored tunnel with a few flecks of light green clinging to the walls. As the doctor moved the endoscope he mentioned that I was going to feel a little pressure soon, and sure enough I did-it felt like a gas pain.
"Doc, how do you know when I am going to feel pressure?" I asked.
"Because I know where the endoscope is and where it will cause a little discomfort."
"How far have you gone so far?" I asked.
"About three feet" he answered.
"How do you know when you reach the end?"
"You reach the cecum, which is a blind pouch or cul-de-sac," he answered. "In fact, there it is now. Do you want a picture of your cecum to take home?"
"Sure, why not," I answered. How many chances does one get to have a picture of one's cecum?
I hardly felt the doctor withdraw
the endoscope. When he reached my internal hemorrhoids he took another picture for me. It certainly was my lucky day.
The whole procedure took about twenty-five minutes and I was amazed how little discomfort I felt. Most importantly, there were no signs of any serious problems. Another piece of good news was that I did not have to have another colonoscopy for ten years. Of course, I would still have to go for my annual physical and have a stool test done, which looks for the presence of hidden blood. Overall, I decided having a colonoscopy was worth ten years peace of mind.
After leaving the hospital-I had been there less than four hours-Susan drove to a diner so we could get something to eat. As we were riding along, I thought about something I had seen recently on the Internet about a new, noninvasive procedure to view the colon that the medical profession is now perfecting. It is called a 3D Virtual Colonoscopy. This method uses advanced visualization techniques to achieve virtual imaging and exploration of the colon. Even though the present colonoscopy procedure is no big deal, I hope that when my next colonoscopy is due that the 3D Virtual Colonoscopy is widely available so that this rooster, who is still a big chicken……………
A SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO :
TORRANCE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER
UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA
GOLDENBRGER MEMORIAL
BERLEX CORPORATION
TENET HOSPITAL FOUNDATION