Colonoscopies – A Necessary Evil

Health

When I was in my late 30s, I experienced 2 weeks of intense abdominal cramping and diarrhea. I lost nearly 20 pounds during that time. At first, my doctor thought it was a parasitic infection and put me on some medicine to treat it, but the medicine only made things worse. That’s when the doctor ordered a colonoscopy.

Back then, you had to drink a full gallon of a substance to clean out your intestines. The drink made me sicker than a dog and I was vomiting as much as I was eliminating any fecal material. The next morning, I was weak and shaky after my 2-week ordeal and the cleansing, when I showed up at the office for the proctologist who was going to perform the colonoscopy. I still recall that he looked at me, said I was a big guy and didn’t need anything and had me lay on my side on this table. He then began pumping my rectum full of air and running the scope up inside me.

It was one of the most excruciating experiences in my life. The proctologist told my doctor that the only thing he could tell was that I overused laxatives. I informed my doctor that I had never used a laxative in my life until I had to drink that gallon of prep. Turned out I had suddenly developed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and my doctor told me that I wouldn’t need another colonoscopy until I was 60. I was relieved to hear that as that was a long time in the future.

When I turned 50, my doctor insisted that I have a colonoscopy as a preventative measure to test for any signs of colorectal cancer. I was very reluctant because of my prior experience, but the doctor assured me that I wouldn’t feel a thing, so I eventually agreed. This time, it went much better.

I was awake and watching the TV monitor, but didn’t feel the excruciating pain I had the first time. Fortunately, this time, they found no evidence of anything wrong and was told that I should have another colonoscopy when I turned 60. Again, I felt some relief as that was 10 years away.

Doctors have pushing everyone to have a colonoscopy by age of 50, especially if there is any family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, but they are changing again to make the age 40.

Dr. Joshua Meyer, a radiation oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, commented:

It has been known for approximately 15 years that rates of colon and rectal cancers are rising among young patients. This appears to be true both under age 40 and between ages 40 and 50.

Consequently, some doctors are now recommending that everyone get their first colonoscopy around age 40 and then at regular intervals. If discovered early enough, colorectal cancers are easily cured and the survival rate is relatively high. With the age of instances of these cancers getting lower and lower, it warrants the lowering of the age for the first colonoscopy.

If you’re 40 and thinking you still have another 10 years before you have to undergo a colonoscopy, think again!

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