How you can help prevent
COLORECTAL CANCER
Your Self chec Keeping Healthy Guide
Colorectal Cancer is one of the most easily detected, preventable and curable forms of cancer when caught early. A colorectal screening can find polyps (a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon) that can be removed before they turn into cancer and cancer that when found early, has the best chance of being cured.
What to do
If you have a family history of colon cancer, please ask your doctor about starting your check-ups earlier than noted here. If you have no family history, beginning at age 50, follow these guidelines:
Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) should be done annually.
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy should be done every 5 years.
Colonoscopy should be done every 10 years. You need to talk to your doctor about this procedure to ask if you should have one earlier.
You need to clean your colon out to have a colonoscopy. Not a terrible process when you think about the meal you’ll have afterwards. Besides, it’s nothing compared to getting colon cancer. The actual test is fast and painless. Quick Tip: After your colonoscopy, take the rest of the day off and do something pleasurable.
Follow the guidelines on this page and view the video below to become more personally health proactive. It’s time.
Katie couric’s colonoscopy video
Join the conversation about Colon Cancer:
August 27th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
NEED A NAP? POOPED? GET A COLONOSCOPY
If you haven’t had one of these babies, you don’t know what you’re missing.You’ve heard what they do, with the tube, and the light, and stuff, and you’ve managed to keep putting it off, right? Well, let me tell you, don’t wait another minute, because you’re in for a treat. Yes, sir, yes, ma’am, I mean a TREAT. The night before isn’t anything to write home about (although you’re up pretty late, so you’d have time to write home). Suffice it to say, you see a lot of action. And you are, in every sense of the word, pooped.
By the next morning, you’ve lost a few pounds (a big perk), and you’re on to The Procedure. The Procedure itself is GREAT. Here’s how it goes: You take off your real clothes, and get into one of those standard issue fashion statements, the blue sheet thing. And of course, you don’t tie it, and of course, it opens in the back, which (sigh) makes sense. So you’re preparing for the worst, the embarrassment, the whole enchilada (you probably haven’t eaten an enchilada-or anything else in a day or so, so food images come readily)–when in comes the anesthesiologist, with the needle and a good story. She finds a vein (okay, that wasn’t so great, but it gets better) gives you a pillowy pillow!– says, turn over on your side. Okay. I say, can I prop the pillow up, get comfy? She props up the pillow. Better? It’s heaven. I say, You know, I could use a good nap.
Two seconds later, I wake up in another room. She claims it’s over. I’m still waiting for it to start. I’m not convinced anything happened, but the doctor says, you’re fine. See you in five (years, I think). Best rest you’ll ever have. Just don’t drink any red stuff (like what, iodine?). And afterwards, have a steak, have a beer, have champagne and chocolate cake.
Anyway, thanks to Self chec , I had a relaxed and wonderful cozy little nap. In the middle of the workday. That’s not only allowed, it’s endorsed. So, go, knock yourself out. Afterwards, you’ll probably want one every month. And ladies, if I had to choose between this and a mammogram, NO CONTEST.
August 27th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
THANKS TO SELF CHEC’S REMINDERS I NOW HAVE PEACE OF MIND.
When I (finally) arranged to have my first colonoscopy, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Of course, I knew that it was foolish for me to have waited as long as I had: until age 54. I’d also done enough homework to know that the whole thing boils down to five steps: (a) carving out a couple of days when you’re in town and able to prepare for the procedure, (b) fasting for the entire day before the procedure, while drinking lots of fluids, (c) during the evening before the procedure, swigging a solution designed to clean out your bowels, (d) going in and getting the procedure done, (e) arranging for a friend or loved one to accompany you home and then taking it a bit easy for the rest of the day (while you break your fast with a good, hearty meal).
From family, friends and colleagues who’d gone through the procedure, I’d heard that the only hard part–really, just an inconvenient part–was cleaning out your system. They were right: no big deal. In fact, the day of fasting (and hydrating) felt sort of refreshing. Staying near the john that night (and using it countless times) wasn’t the cat’s meow, but I’d found some light reading and a good ball game to watch, so the time went fast.
At the health center where I went for the procedure, my physician greeted me with the inevitable questionnaire and disclosure documents. As he outlined what would happen, I heard that I would be semiconscious (thanks to two small injections), that there would not be any pain, and that I’d be done in well under an hour–possibly as little as 20 minutes. All this turned out to be quite accurate. In fact, afterward I had (admittedly-dim) memories of actually watching the doctor’s TV monitor as he performed the procedure, which was amazing to see. Aside from feeling somewhat mellow during the rest of the day (except for intense enjoyment of that first post-fast meal), there was simply nothing of note. The whole day was almost pleasant, and certainly not problematic. And knowing where I stood–or rather, how my colon was–was a tremendous relief. Thanks to Self chec’s reminders, I have peace of mind.
October 13th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Is there an age cut off when a colonoscopy is no longer considered a valid medical cost benefit expense?
March 31st, 2012 at 1:25 am
Colonoscopies do save lives, not sure if there is a age cut-off. Please check with your doctor.