I had one at 11:20 this morning, and I’m sitting here typing this, and thinking about Wide Finder 2 and the data that’s coming in, and that I’d better donate to Aquamacs because release 1.4 is looking seriously cool, and I just went out and photographed a couple of flowers. If you’re over fifty, you should get in line for one, because it’s just not that bad and it can save your life.
The bad part is not the procedure itself, it’s the day before. Doctors like a clean workspace and so you have to drink four liters of this horrid concoction which leaves your innards clean; don’t go far from the bathroom. After the purging process, the next-worst is the 24 hours’ fast. The procedure itself, with me at least the anaesthetic was very deftly administered, I became alert about halfway through, long enough to enjoy (really) watching the video screen as they explored the landscape. In fact, they gave me a screen-grab picture and by running it here I could have out-goatse’d goatse but there are bounds of good taste even for a blogger.
Oh, they inflate your intestine so they can look around, which causes a few minutes of cramps, but nature provides a way to solve that problem.
Seriously; colon cancer kills a lot of people and the best way not to die from it is to catch it early. Go get a colonoscopy if you’re in the demographic, and pester your loved ones to do the same.
Contributions
Comment feed for ongoing:
From: Gord Fynes (Jun 19 2008, at 17:08)
Wow, so delicately and tastefully put! I can never remember if it's the colonoscopy or the prostate exam that one is supposed to have done yearly, starting at age 40. I still have two years to go.
At first, I thought using a neti pot was a weird experience. I can only imagine how your morning went.
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From: BurnOut (Jun 19 2008, at 17:33)
Old age is over rated.
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From: robert (Jun 19 2008, at 17:38)
In the lower 48 (although I hear the protocol is changing) one gets full knockout. But, as my doctor said, no one should die of colon cancer. Ms. Couric's husband is a corner case: he was many years younger than screening normally sees. Do it anyway, if you're past 40.
They clip out the polyps, which is the real point of it. For those lucky enough to be clean, all the better. It's getting the polyps that matters.
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From: John Cowan (Jun 19 2008, at 18:43)
Gale and I agreed that the short-acting general anaesthesia they used on both of us (we were out for 15-20 minutes) left us more rested than we'd felt in decades.
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From: W^L+ (Jun 19 2008, at 20:08)
In the US, many people have no medical coverage. This means that one's best defense against colon or any other cancer is to hope one dies of something else first.
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From: David Smith (Jun 19 2008, at 20:14)
Getting old may be overrated, but it beats the alternative!
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From: Brett (Jun 19 2008, at 21:28)
"In the lower 48 (although I hear the protocol is changing) one gets full knockout. "
Not quite (or at least not my gastroenterologist). He uses Versed and fentanyl. Believe me, that is a goood combination. You are very relaxed and aware of everything, but you are feeling no pain.
My materal grandfather died of colon cancer and my father is a colon cancer survivor, so I am VERY motivated to get my colonoscopy. Just had my second one at age 43; found a benign polyp with that one.
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From: John S. Hansen (Jun 20 2008, at 00:28)
Hey, You're right! Go get a colonoscopy! After my coloncancer surgery a year ago, I am doing great. Enjoying lif as another commented "Old age is lot better than the alternative".
Being caught in time coloncancer is one of the best threated types of cancer, and it could be You!
And please support the colonclub (www.colonclub.com).
Thanks
John
Denmark
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From: Dave Pawson (Jun 20 2008, at 03:52)
Far more fun watching TV John. It's when they turn the top corner to get to the horizontal section, blow you up just a little bit more (ooooh), then round the corner and apart from a few snips the guy says, well, nothing there then! That's worth it, as well as seeing where the sun don't shine!
Anyway, if they knock you out, you can't drive home (so they said).
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From: Ric (Jun 20 2008, at 07:24)
Booked for the 13th August ...
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From: piers hollott (Jun 20 2008, at 13:53)
re: Where Sun Don't Shine...
...and you didn't twitter the whole thing?
Having been there and done that, I feel your suffering, and appreciation for good anaesthetics!
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From: len (Jun 20 2008, at 14:24)
I had the full knock out. Not bad. The drink that followed was the best orange juice I've had in my life. The lymph node removal was worse surgery but actually an easier recovery even with the noticeable needlework.
You are right about the purge. Ick.
Getting old doesn't suck. Being old in a young society sucks. So as needed we thin out the herd here. It's a fantastic morning. They ride Segways and we ride Harleys. We have parking lots full of slightly dented Segs for sale if you're interested.
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From: Shelley (Jun 21 2008, at 11:12)
Timely notice and good reminder to people. Thank you for not posting pictures.
My mother had colon cancer and I'm at high risk. Unfortunately, I also don't have insurance. What can I say, American Roulette.
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From: Derek K. Miller (Jun 23 2008, at 19:02)
I'm also an edge case: without family history, I still got colon cancer at 37, long before anyone would think to screen for it. It's been a nasty year and a half, but we're still working on it, and I'm still here.
Believe me, with the active sedation (that's what they used on me, and is the same as what I had for my wisdom teeth removal back in 1990, and basically constitutes a knockout, or at least something I don't remember at all), my colonoscopy was by far the least unpleasant procedure I've been through recently.
Having a scope is far better than developing stage 4 metastatic cancer, I can assure you!
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From: Andy K (Jun 25 2008, at 03:10)
No pics, but wait, what's that new banner image...
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From: SusanJ (Jun 27 2008, at 16:03)
I want to reiterate what robert said.
Colonoscopies can PREVENT colon cancer when done soon enough and frequently enough.
The real goal is not to catch it early (although that is of course better than catching it late) but to prevent it.
Did I mention that regular colonoscopies can prevent colon cancer?
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