Have you had your colon checked lately? Are you at least 50? Is there a family history of colon cancer? Do you have medical insurance? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you must read on.
What is a sigmoidoscopy?
A sigmoidoscopy is a lower colon check usually done by a primary physician or a nurse practitioner, where the doctor takes a thin, lighted tube with a video camera and inserts it in the lower parts of the colon to check for polyps. This is usually done in the doctor’s office without the necessity of sedation, and is usually finished within the half-hour. The patient is able to drive himself/herself home, since no medication has been used.
What is a colonoscopy?
The colonoscopy, however, is a thorough examination of the entire large intestine. It requires the presence of a gastroenterologist, who is certified by the Board of Internal Medicine, whose specialty is in the realm of treating ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and also the stomach and intestinal areas. The procedure entails the use of a colonoscope; a long, thin, and flexible tube which is inserted delicately up the colon wall, and is able to take video images of the intestinal area which is then transmitted upon a computer screen. The doctor looks for growth of tissue, protruding along the mucus lining of the intestine, called polyps and removes them. A representation of the polyp is then taken to a lab to be tested for signs of cancer. If cancer is discovered, the patient is then referred to a surgeon or medical oncologist for treatment.
Most colonoscopies are done with moderate sedation, administered by the endoscopist, but an anesthesiologist may be available for a deeper sedation. In either case, the patient will not feel or remember anything from the procedure, but will need to be driven home. The person who’ll be giving the “taxi” service, needs to stay on the premises during the procedure, and must have the permission to make important decisions, about the patient, should there be any unforeseen complications. The next day will be “business as usual” and the patient should be able to continue his/her regular activities.
Now that you know what it is, the question becomes, why are these rules so important? Firstly, colorectal screening is one of the most important check in preventing colon cancer. Secondly, without feeling any particular symptom, cancer can grow and become more difficult to eradicate, at a later stage. Seems important enough for me. So why would I not want to do this. Is it the cost? Without insurance, the colonoscopy may cost between $1850. to $9700. Quite a range. I better be getting the best gastro-doc in the area for my nearly ten thousand bucks. But wait….I’ve got insurance..this procedure, which I’m having done in two days, will cost me less than a hundred dollars.
So why did I wait until my nearly 58th birthday to have this done? I’d like to think it was stupidity on my part, but it’s really more than that. I think it’s the irrational fear of not wanting to know. After all, I feel good. I’ve got no symptom’s. No way can I have cancer. Never mind that my sister had cancer some 20 years ago. Never mind that my dad had cancer, in the prostate area, just five years ago. It can’t happen to me, because I eat pretty good and exercise regularly. I bet a lot of us think this way. It’s upside-down thinking to not want to know. It makes no sense to me why I just kept putting this off. Well I promised my dear sister, I would have a colonoscopy, so I’m having one because I love her and I cannot, for the life of me, find any good reason not to do this thing.
