or . . . a man (of a certain age) has his tail-pipe inspected
3:54pm Tuesday — the day before the exam
It’s a good thing I checked my calendar a second time yesterday. The appointment I have with the gastroenterologist isn’t until 6:30 am tomorrow; I’d originally thought it was today. So — I slept in — it’s going to be a late night tonight and an early start tomorrow.
I’m not worried about having my first colonoscopy since I have seen all of this before . . . as a spectator. I accompanied my friend Eddie H. earlier this year when he had his first one done. Since he was sedated, he didn’t feel a thing. The nurse in the waiting room was a prude; she didn’t appreciate my ribald sense of humor.
What I imagine will be the most annoying part has already begun. The two slices of cheese toast I had for breakfast, along with the accompanying coffee and Nestle Quik, are to be my last non-clear food until tomorrow. I ate a handful of Cheese Puffs a couple of hours ago anyway. My logic was this: even though they’re not technically transparent, these are mostly air and ought to be considered clear. Now I’m beginning to get the munchies so the next 14½ hours are going to be interesting.
4:30pm
Did you know that colon cancer is the second leading cause of death (after lung cancer) from cancers affecting both men and women? According to the folks at UNC Health Talk, Colonoscopies are now recommended for anybody over the age of 45 (formerly 50) and for folks over 40 who also have a family history of colon cancer.
Sometimes the procedure is also ordered for patients who are experiencing weakness or fatigue or who have levels of anemia (like me) that can’t be attributed to other causes.
This relatively simple and routine procedure is done to prevent colon cancer. Death from colon cancer is almost completely avoidable if the cancer is caught in the early stages — taking a peek inside at one’s colon is the easiest way to do that. Looking around is done by a trained doctor who sticks a flexible tube tipped with a high-definition camera up and inside, using the same opening through which things usually exit.
