If you have a family history of colon cancer, please talk to your doctor about when you should begin routine screening. Please do as I say and not as I did: Don’t put it off. I don’t have to have another screening for 10 years. And because most colon cancers start as precancerous growths called polyps, you can even prevent it by having a colonoscopy by finding and removing those polyps before cancer develops. Caught early, when the tumor is confined to the colon, it is very curable. The good news is that colon cancer tends to develop slowly and in a very predictable way. The best thing about getting a colonoscopy is that you just might save your life.Ĭolon cancer is the third most common cancer – affecting men and women equally – and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Of course, I’m making light of something very serious. A bonus: The first meal after more than 24 hours on a liquid diet or no food/drink at all was delicious! I don’t think I’ve had a more satisfying a nap before or since. After I got home that morning, I slept all afternoon. So I no longer tease her about the silly things she said and did when I was driving her home after getting her wisdom teeth removed. I remember very little about waking up in recovery, the drive home and getting settled on the sofa - but my daughter does and I know it. Because of the sedation required during the procedure, you must have someone with you to drive you home. It was a bonding moment for my adult daughter and me.When I explained to my niece, then 12, that I was going to spend my Sunday afternoon taking laxatives to clean out my colon so the doctor could see any polyps or tumors the next day, she had one wise piece of advice: “Better make sure your devices are charged.” I took my laptop into the bathroom and binge-watched old episodes of “Mad Men.” The hours I was restricted to the bathroom (about three, I think) flew by. If you want to jump-start that weight-loss plan, what better way than a liquid diet and complete colon cleanse? My belly was flat and my skinny jeans fit better than ever … for a few days anyway.It was no big deal.Įver the optimist, I would dare say there are some surprising, unexpected benefits of a colonoscopy: Guess what? The worst part was the prep (and even that wasn’t that bad). They all reported that the worst part was the “prep” to clean out the colon ahead of time, and that it really was no big deal. A dear colleague died of colon cancer that wasn’t caught until it was advanced, and another’s life was likely saved when his first screening at age 51 detected an early tumor.Īnd I had heard firsthand from a few slightly older friends who had already done it.

A colonoscopy can identify signs of colon cancer, the second-largest cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

5 digestive jump starters