A ^Retired Plastic Surgeon's Notebook

Fear not the big black snake.

Are you over 50?  Have you had your colonoscopy?  If you answer “yes” to the first question but “no” to the second, you need a good spanking.

Today I saw a patient in my office for a cosmetic procedure.  I couldn’t help but notice in his health history that he had had colon surgery.  I asked him about the details and here’s his story.

He knew he should get a screening colonoscopy at age 50 but he kept putting it off – and off – and off.  Finally at age 54 he succumbed to his wife’s “nagging” and finally went in.  Guess what the doctor found?  A couple dozen polyps and a rectal cancer.  He had been totally without symptoms despite having a half dollar sized cancer just beyond the reach of a finger during his yearly rectal exam. 

He had part of his rectum removed but did not need a colostomy and now 5 years later is disease free.  Had he procrastinated another year or two, his outcome could have been much, much worse. 

I’m here to tell you, it’s not that bad.  The preparation is a little unpleasant and I was famished by the time they were starting my IV to knock me out but really, it was just one day off of work and a full ten years of peace of mind.  I also had several weeks of basking in my handsome doctor’s praise of my  “absolutely pristine”  colon.

Read more here about early dectection of colorectal cancer and fear not the big black snake (my term of endearment for the colonoscope).  There are things you should fear a whole lot more – colorectal cancer come to my mind.

Thanks for reading!   Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder

 

Category: Aging Issues, General Health | Tags: , ,

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