When I turned 40, I started to dread seeing my doctor because I knew it was time for my colon cancer screening. So, I put it off for a little over a year because the preparation and pain I thought I would feel during the colonoscopy made me feel anxious. Now that I have had a colonoscopy, I can tell you that my worries were far worse than the actual preparation and procedure.
I decided to do a little extra prep work before I took the bowel prep that would clear my colon before the screening. I knew that if I gorged myself the few days before, then on the day that I could only drink liquids, I would be starving!
So, the two days before I ate very light food and ate less food. I ate food that was light and easy on my stomach. I also increased my fluid intake to start hydrating myself.
For the fasting day, I got some of my favorite clear liquids (teas, Pho broth, sparkling flavored water, hot apple cider, and a few other things). I am also blessed in that my husband actually did the same fast with me! So that made it much easier, as he was not cooking delicious meals that I would be drooling over while I could only drink clear liquids.
It’s important to remember not to eat or drink after midnight the night before your colonoscopy. It’s also important to stick to a clear liquid diet, which means no solid foods whatsoever. Eating or drinking liquids that you can’t see through, could result in inaccurate test results which means you will have to re-schedule your procedure.
The colon needs to be squeaky clean for the colonoscopy so that there is a clear view of the colon. The day I took the medications to prepare for my colonoscopy, I braced myself for the worst. But since I had been preparing for a few days, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I didn’t get all the cramping and uncomfortableness that I was expecting, so that was a nice surprise!
The day of the procedure went smoothly. I checked into the hospital with my husband, and bless his heart, he waited to get coffee till I was in the back. I was surprised the IV was inserted on the first try, and when I got into the colonoscopy suite, it was goodnight! I was given anesthesia, so I didn’t feel any pain during the procedure.
I did wake up toward the end of my colonoscopy. I got to watch multiple polyps being removed from my colon.
Apparently, I am a “polyp farm,” as more than 20 polyps were removed from my colon.
A colonoscopy could save your life. When caught early enough, colon cancer is a curable disease. Since 2013, Tanana Chiefs Conference has been following the recommendation from the Alaska Native Medical Center for Alaska Native people to undergo health screenings for colon cancer at age 40. Alaska Native people currently have the highest recorded incidence of colorectal cancer in the world.
I am so thankful that I had a colonoscopy and my “polyp farm” was removed. The medical care team prevented any one of those polyps or pre-cancerous lesions to turn into a much bigger problem called cancer.