On turning 50 – and having your first colonoscopy.
Although I have performed over 20,000 examinations for my patients over the years I still had a lot of apprehension about my upcoming exam. I knew that it would be very difficult for me to continue to recommend this examination without having gone through the process myself. I finally made up my mind to go ahead and get my colonoscopy as a 50th birthday present to myself. My wife had just turned 50 a few months earlier, so we made plans for both of us to have the examinations at our center. I scheduled this with a simple phone call to our Central Scheduling desk for the Friday before the big FIVE-O. Two days later, I received the preparation instructions in my home mail. After reading through them thoroughly, it was off to the grocery store to pick up 2 32 ounce jugs of my favorite Gatorade flavors along with the laxatives I was to take. I chose 2 flavors so that I wouldn’t lose my taste for Gatorade, which is my favorite hydration solution on the soccer field. On the morning of the day prior to my colonoscopy, I went onto a liquid diet after breakfast and kept hydrated as best I could. In mid-afternoon, I took the stimulant tablets and several hours later began my intake of the Gatorade mixed with Miralax. While many folks complain of nausea and bloating, I really had neither. The prep was much easier than I had anticipated and by bedtime, things were running clear! My exam was set for the following afternoon, so I continued on clear liquids to stay hydrated. Mission accomplished. I presented myself to the Lakewood Endoscopy Center, where I was escorted to the recovery area. After a quick change into my gown, I reclined in the chair, my IV was placed uneventfully. When it was time, I was escorted into an exam room, reviewed my consent form with my doctor and received my sedation. While I floated in and out of brief consciousness during which time I watched my exam on the television monitor, I was briefly aware of the exam being done but experienced no real pain. I was then told all was fine and that the exam was over. I had no concept of the 20 minutes or so that the exam took. Back in my recovery chair, I slept off the sedatives for a bit, then was informed of the results of my exam (good news – everything was ALL CLEAR). After some liquid refreshment, I was able to change into my clothes and head home. It was the greatest feeling to “get to the other side” and have things turn out the way they did. Now when I am counseling my patients about the experience, I can honestly say “been there, done that.” The whole experience was much easier than I had anticipated. While having my first colonoscopy was an inconvenience, an expense and a small risk to my well being, it was absolutely worth it. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer for men and women, and it carries the second highest death rate.
The day and a half that was required for me to have my screening colonoscopy was a small price to pay for my 50th birthday present.
R. Matthew Reveille, M.D.
Rocky Mountain Gastroenterology
