get a colonoscopy

the prep was awful, but i was ‘asleep’ for the exam. now i’ve got another one coming up in & every year for the rest of my life (i’m only 21!) :(

everyone needs to get regular checkups and if you have a family histoy of colon cancer, like me and my SO, you need to have a colonoscopy around 35-40 years old. My SO was too late, he has now gone through emergency cancer surgery, something that could have been prevented if we had caught it early enough.

at age 53 – of colon cancer. His mother died of colon cancer when he was 17.

Yesterday I brought my mom for her first colonoscopy. She doesn’t have any family history. She’s fine and dandy. The doc said she has gorgeous entrails. Among the loveliest he’s seen in a woman in her 60s.

I, however, do have family history. My father died at 66 after several years of colon cancer battles. And his mother died, also in her mid-60s, also of colon cancer. Given this, my mom has always believed that there is a ticking time-bomb in my guts. I have contended that lifestyle was a big component of my dad and grandmother’s deaths. So, to settle things, my mom asked the doc yesterday whether it was probably the smoking and drinking that took my dad and grandmother down. He said no.

“As a matter of fact, contrary to popular opinion,” says the doctor, “it’s almost completely genetic. There are triggers, but genetics is the biggest component.”

My very first instinct was to think, yeah, well, that’s B.S. This doctor is overstating the case for genetics, for some reason, or more likely my mother is overstating her own by warping what he said in the translation. She loves scare tactics. She thinks my father was a crazy alcoholic, and therefore I am a crazy alcoholic. My father got colon cancer and therefore I will get colon cancer. I know she wants me to get screened every single year starting yesterday and that’s fine, but for me it undermines her credibility.

This is not something I am really worried about. You don’t just get colon cancer from genetics. You have to eat White Castle and drink beer and scotch and smoke and have Entenman’s coffee cake every day, I silently replied.

Still, I did take in that maybe my siblings and I are at some risk with our particular lineage.

Then I picked up body + soul magazine and read about ANOTHER guy touting the benefits of early screening. He also lost his father to colon cancer (his dad died at only 33!) and had been getting colonoscopies since age 20 himself.

And then I read about Tony Snow in this morning’s New York Times. I suppose that one cannot ignore this many messages from the universe. Colon cancer is among the most treatable of cancers when caught early. So, as soon as I get myself some health insurance (hopefully by this coming January when I, hopefully, head back to grad school) I’m going to go ahead and get my first colonoscopy.

I had my colonoscopy yesterday and slept through everything. I’m so glad that it’s over. It was definitely worth it because now I know there is nothing wrong other than my IBS. I can stop worrying about Colon Cancer and Diverticulosis. The worst part for me was feeling so weak and exhausted from not eating for 33 hours before the test. (my test was scheduled for late in the afternoon)If I ever have to do this again I will request it be done first thing in the morning!

Ugggh…I’m drinking the stuff now. This day sucks.

Went to my consultation. The big day is set for the 11th. Or maybe I should say the 10th since that is when the fun part begins!

I made an appointment. Praying nothing is seriously wrong with me. I’m so stressed…and scared. I have had one before so I know the prep is worse than the actual test. I’m just anxious to find out what is wrong with me.

well, i had it done. not as bad as i thought.

I did it! And it was NO BIG DEAL at all. I don’t need to go back for 5 years.
Nothing to be afraid of. Never knew a thing was happening.

Its not so bad as you are out cold, sedated…but that always puts me to sleep. Its a weird feeling like you are dreaming so im guessing i was not quite properly asleep. Anyways its was the 46 hours of not eating before hand and the medicine they give you (im pretty sure makes your innards so clean they shine lol.) that is not particulary nice.

The worse bit is when the doctor says… hi! i know your mum :)
My mum has crohns disease, i might have ulcerative colitis, both are not nice. Results due in about 6 weeks.