Let’s talk about poop…
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer (cancer that starts in the colon or rectum) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. Colon cancer is typically seen as something to worry about when you get older; in the US, colonoscopies are recommended from the age of 50. But it can and does affect younger people too. In fact, incidents are on the rise in young people, with 11% of colon cancer diagnoses and 18% of rectal cancer diagnoses occurring in those under 50.
Embarrassment can often stop us from talking about this stuff. None of the common symptoms associated with colon cancer are pleasant to talk about (bleeding from your bottom, changes in bowel habits, etc.), and no one on earth wants to get a colonoscopy, but you can’t let embarrassment stop you from getting checked. If you have a family history of colon cancer, as I do, it is recommended that you get your first colonoscopy at 40. This is my lucky year, and I’m here to tell you all about it so you know what to expect and hopefully won’t put it off when it’s your turn.
What is a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy basically involves a doctor using a fiber optic camera to examine the inside of your large intestine while you are under anesthetic. The camera goes in through your bottom, in case that isn’t obvious. In order for them to do this effectively, your colon needs to be clean. So you have to “prep” for it. The procedure itself is no big deal. You are knocked out with an anesthetic through an IV, which creates a lovely spinny feeling before you lose consciousness. Around 30-40 minutes later you are welcomed back to the world with no lasting effects other than a bit of grogginess from the anesthetic. The prep, on the other hand, is less fun.
How do I prepare?
For the entire day before the procedure, you are on a “clear liquid diet,” which basically means broth, jello, popsicles, and hard candy. I started out the day extremely grouchy since black tea and black coffee are not my friends. By dinner time, I was not pleasant to be around since I was so hungry! My husband whipped me up some extra special chicken broth with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, aji mirin, honey, and sambol which almost tasted like real food and helped curb the grumpiness for a little while. But then I had to drink my first dose of the prep. Ugh. It’s a clear drink that smells like cherry, but once you taste it you can tell that the cherry is failing miserably to mask its utter grossness. I strongly recommend you plug your nose and chug that stuff as fast as you can. First, you have to drink 16oz of that, then you have to drink 32oz of water within the next hour. As gross as the first drink was, I had almost as much trouble with the 32oz of water in such a short time! I’m not a fan of water.
I knew that the prep was going to make me poop. That’s the point, right? I did NOT realize it was going to quickly and effectively liquify my insides! Ugh! The rest of the evening and overnight were not my idea of fun, but it wasn’t terrible and the effects calmed down after the first couple of hours. The next morning I was up at 5am for the next dose of prep and another lake full of water (top tip: drink the water hot if the extreme quantities of cold water make you shiver). Then it was complete fasting for the next few hours until it was time for the procedure. Which, as I mentioned above, was a piece of cake.
Don’t let squeamishness or embarrassment or prudishness stop you from this important test!
See? No big deal. Don’t let squeamishness or embarrassment or prudishness stop you from this important test! If you’re over 50, get your appointment booked now. If you’re under 50, be aware of the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer and if you have any family history, be sure to talk to your doctor about when you should be screened. No one wants to talk about poop (except my 4yo son, of course), but we’re talking about CANCER here and you want to catch that as early as possible. So suck it up (or poop it out) and GET CHECKED.
