Share your thoughts

If you had colon cancer/colonoscopy, planning to have colonoscopy or just eager to learn about better health, share your thoughts/experiences or fears below. Remember prevention and early detection is your best cure for colon cancer.

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What to expect during and after colonoscopy

What to expect during and after the colonoscopy procedure:

1. The nurse will review your health history, your current health status and your blood pressure and cardiac rhythm
2. An intravenous needle will be placed in your arm to give you medication during the procedure to make you sleepy and relaxed
3. You will be asked to lie on your left side during the procedure
4. The doctor inserts the scope through your rectum. You may experience some cramping or bloating during the procedure due to the air the doctor is putting into your colon
5. A biopsy (tiny bit of tissue) can be taken during the procedure for microscopic exam
6. If you have a polyp, it can be removed during the colonoscopy for microscopic exam
7. If a biopsy is taken or a polyp removed, the results of the microscopic exam can be reviewed with your physician. He usually has those results in 3 to 5 days.
8. Many people do not recall any of the procedure because of the effect of the medication. You will probably feel drowsy or sleepy for several hours. You will stay at the hospital until most of the effect of the medication has worn off. You will then be released to go home. You must have a driver. You will not be permitted to drive.
9. You may have some cramping or bloating because of the air introduced into the colon during the examination. This should feel better as you pass "gas".
10. The doctor will review his findings with you and your family or friend before you leave the hospital and you will be given written instructions.

Reference - http://www.waynehospital.com/colonoscopy.shtml

What to do before a colonoscopy?

Here are some helpful tips that I found at http://www.waynehospital.com/colonoscopy.shtml


Pre-procedure preparation for a colonoscopy

1. The colon must be completely clean for the procedure to be accurate and complete
2. Follow your doctor’s detailed instructions for dietary restrictions and bowel cleansing routine prior to your procedure
3. You may drink small amounts of clear liquids up to two hours before your scheduled procedure
4. Do not drink any alcoholic beverages for 24 hours before or after the procedure
5. Do not use tobacco products for 24 hours before or after the procedure
6. Arrive one hour before your scheduled procedure time. Bring your Medicare/Insurance cards with you
7. Register at the registration desk outside the Emergency Department
8. Bring someone to drive you home and stay with you for 24 hours after the procedure. If you so not have a driver, your procedure may have to be cancelled.
9. A nurse from Ambulatory Care will call you prior to the procedure to review your health history, to review your current medications and advise you on what medication to take on the morning of the procedure and to answer any questions you may have.

A new way to prep your self for colonoscopy

It has been known that before you take a colonoscopy you have to drink a laxative to cleanse your colon for better viewing purposes. Now there is a pill called OSMOPREP made by Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Here is an excerpt from their website : http://www.tabletprep.com/

"OsmoPrep
The colonoscopy prep that's a pill. Not a liquid.

OsmoPrep Tablets change the way you experience a colonoscopy preparation. A colonoscopy prep previously meant drinking a lot of bad-tasting liquid. OsmoPrep makes your prep easier by allowing you to take virtually tasteless tablets with your choice of clear liquids.

Discovering a colonoscopy prep with a difference.

Most people dread getting a colonoscopy and taking the prep—in fact, the bowel prep process is the top reason people avoid getting colonoscopies.1

However, an effective prep is necessary to get accurate results. When the colon is prepared adequately, a colonoscopy may detect the early signs of colon cancer. Research reports that more than 50% of colon cancer deaths can be prevented with regular screening combined with a healthy lifestyle.2

What makes OsmoPrep different from liquid bowel preps, is the fact that it is a pill prep. This gives you the choice of what clear liquid you take it with—many people seem to enjoy this freedom of choice. In clinical trials, 95% of people who took OsmoPrep said they would choose it again.3"

References

1. Harewood GC, Wiersema MJ, Melton LJ III. A prospective, controlled assessment of factors influencing acceptance of screening colonoscopy. Am J Gastroenterol. 2002;97:3186-3194.
2. Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. Colon Cancer. Available at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cancer/cancers/colon/riskfactors/prevent_crc.htm. Accessed May 11, 2007.
3. Rex DK, Schwartz H, Goldstein M, et al. Safety and colon-cleansing efficacy of a new residue-free formulation of sodium phosphate tablets. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101:2594-2604.

4. Osmoprep website, http://www.tabletprep.com/

What happens during colonoscopy?

Here is another video from youtube, wherein Bill Hayes from Q107 tells the importance of being screened early.







Reference = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvLuUQXo_gQ

KATIE COURIC ON COLONOSCOPY

WHO ARE AT RISK FOR COLON CANCER?

People who had relatives with colon cancer

According to research, people with relatives of the first degree who had colon cancer are in high risk of having the disease since it is hereditary.

People 40 years old and above

The age 40 – 70 years old is chosen to be the primary target, because they are the people who are more susceptible to illnesses because most people at this age have their immune systems weakened. The rate of colon cancer detection increases after age 40 and most people diagnosed with colon cancer are people 60 years old and above.



People with improper diet

People who eat too much fat and less fiber are prone to having colon cancer. Lack of fiber also increases risk of having colon cancer, since fiber is known to help with the bowel system, therefore lack of fiber means not taking care of the colon. Lack of exercise can also contribute since, without exercise excessive fat stays in your body longer.

People who drink alcohol

Another reason why colon cancer likes the Filipinos because Filipinos like to drink alcohol. May it be in celebrations, gatherings, or just because there is nothing else to do some people turn to alcohol. Distilled spirits like gin, vodka and bourbon increases risk of colon cancer. People who have two or more drinks are likely to have colon cancer. Nevertheless, a study showed that drinking wine has shown a protective effect against colon cancer.

People who are diabetic

A study has been reported during the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Honolulu that 40% of diabetics are more likely to have colon cancer because of insulin dependency.1

People who smoke

Smoking doesn’t just give you lung cancer; it can also give you colon cancer. Long term cigarette smoking can cause colon cancer, it happens when you inhale or swallowed tobacco smoke it transports carcinogens to the colon, which makes the cells mutate into cancer cells, and it also increases polyp size.

In connection to smoking, people who do not smoke can be also affected by means of 2nd hand smoking, wherein a person is exposed to smoking people and inhale the smoke emitted by the smokers.

People who are overweight

Being obese has a lot of negative impacts in life. People whose BMI (body mass index) are greater than 30 has high risk. People who are obese in the waist area are at high risk of colon cancer than people with extra fat in their thighs or hips.

People with rectal bleeding

In a research conducted by Tedesco and colleagues in the 70’s, out of 285 people with rectal bleeding, 29 of them are diagnosed with colon cancer thru colonoscopy2


References:

http://coloncancer.about.com/od/causesofcancer/a/Colon_Cancer.htm
1- http://www.doctorbob.com/2005k_11_07news21.html
2 - Tedesco FJ, Waye JD, Raskin JB, et al. Colonoscopic evaluation of rectal bleeding. Ann Internal Med 1978;89;907