EDITORIAL – The medical procedure nobody wants to talk about
(Image: CFJC Today)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
WENT IN FOR my colonoscopy this week. Too much information?
The reason I mention it is that I hear so many people who have never had one, quake at the very thought. So, without getting too detailed, let me tell you a little bit about the experience and why you shouldn’t worry when it’s your turn.
This wasn’t my first one but it was the first in quite a few years, and it’s not nearly as scary as you probably think it is.
Some say the preparation is worse than the procedure and maybe they’re right. Before you go in, you have to be squeaky clean, if you get my drift, and that involves a few days of inconvenience.
At the hospital, the nurses and doctors are terrific. The care is first rate — all very professional but friendly — and you can choose sedation or not.
Let’s face it, there’s no dignity to this invasive procedure but there’s no point in being embarrassed about it. It’s nothing the healthcare providers haven’t seen before, pretty much every day.
Nevertheless, many folks find it impossible not to be squeamish. And that’s a problem.
A colonoscopy is the surest way of knowing what’s going on in there. Last year, 9,400 Canadians died from colorectal cancer. Twenty-six every day.
But with early diagnosis, the survival rate is 91 per cent. If detected late, mortality is high.
The day I went in, it looked to me that the demographic tilted toward mid-40s and up and the ratio of men to women was about 50-50.
Colonoscopies used to be recommended every five years for people over 50 but I’m told it’s now generally 10 years for people in good health.
The point is, stop being afraid of it and don’t be afraid to talk about it. It’s a bummer but it’s more fun than the dentist. If your doctor recommends it, do it. It could save your life.
I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.
Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
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Finding out early is the best way to have a cancer diagnosis.
My twin brother succumbed to cancer in late October 2020 and my oldest brother in December, just 8 weeks later. Neither type displayed signs in Stage 1
My body has hosted Crohn’s since the spring of 2000 (likely had Crohn’s all my life according to my specialist but the ragged ugliness was almost dormant until then). Colonoscopies have become a regular thing for me as I’m at increased risk of colorectal cancer. Mel & Sheila hit the nail on the head in that the prep stuff is the unpleasant part. Unless one desires to be awake for the procedure, a couple of seconds of drowsiness is followed by sleep for the procedure and then having the wake up time in recovery.
In comparison, having a fighting chance at dealing with colon cancer in the early stages beats facing a painful death once the cells have spread to other parts of one’s body. A colonoscopy is a great tool that has likely saved a lot of pain and grief for patients and loved ones alike.
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Mel you talk of a life sustaining experience. My life stood on end May 4 when I had my first Colonostomy. The doctor came to the bed side when finished and said I had colon cancer and that a surgeon would contact me in a few days . The surgeon did and said he’d have me in for a CT scan shortly. When that was done he said we need to hurry and book an OR. Now my life was turmoil as we laid out changes that needed to be prepared for. I resigned myself to that was what was going happen would happen and my family would make the best of it. I had laid watching the Colonostomy take place on the screen. The Doctor said he got stopped a short distance in. I saw the thing. Well I got to thinking as an old friend had given me Rudolf Breuss’s book Cancer Cure at Christmas past. I had glanced at it and shelved it. I dug it out and read every line and proceeded to with its method which in essence was starving the cancer to death. It had a number of teas involved but I had been talking to another holistic friend who had a capsule with the effective ingredients of the teasxand also the answer the Vietnamese had for killing malaria that they also discovered was curing their cancer suffering malaria soldiers. My surgeon phoned back in a week later with a surgery date of June 23/23. By now my scale showed 15 lbs less weight . I asked the doctor if he’d do another Colonostomy in a couple weeks. He agreed. June 8th he himself ran the rig . I watched the screen again as we did his thing. He ran to the end of the colon this time and i viewed the image from the center of the colon with the tumor around the inside of colon. Ugly looking thing but different than mass I saw in the first Colonostomy. The long story short was he removed about 20cm of colon and stapled it back together without touching it with a hand. 48 hours after walking into RIH his partner asked if I was ready to go home. The poor fellow beside me said he’d been in his bed for 11 weeks. I waited about three weeks for the pathologist report report which said the 2.5cm tumor had been removed and the margins are around it showed no cancer and the 19 lymph nodes they examined showed no signs of cancer. My surgeon had been afraid it had spread to the bladder that it laid on ,he said it had not spread. The follow up call came on July 18 and he says we’ll set up for blood work every 3 months an another Colonostomy in a year. I’m one happy camper for some time to come . I have thank my family,the health professionals and services and my prayer warriors and holistic opportunities. And thank you for bringing the opportunity to discuss this matter noone wants to talk about. I took off 40 pounds on the juice diet. My blood sugar is back were it should be. The sleep apnea machines I have used for 30 years I don’t need now , I can see my toes and wear clothes that have hung in the closet for 30 years. Feel free to use this Mel or talk to me about it.
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Well said Mel. Prep is easier now than in the early days. They used to give you a little bottle of oil.
First time I did it I actually called emerge at 3:00 am and said to the nurse who answered. “My lungs are next”. Trying not to laugh she said I would be okay but if I needed to do it again I should ask the Dr for a smaller dose. I lived to do it again.
Colonoscopies are life savers.
There is also the quick and easy test that you can pick up at the lab do at home in minutes and get back to the lab. So get a script for one from a Dr. Use this in between colonoscopies.
Get the tests – stay healthy out there.
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