Hello and welcome back to the Introverted Soap Box where I talk about what is on my mind, current events, my take on the political landscape, and whatever nonsense that I need to get off my chest.
So here I am talking about something that I did not want to do, or even talk about. I should have had this done years ago, but I was too nervous and embarrassed. I’m talking about my first colonoscopy. I should have had this done years ago, but I was too stubborn. For two years I did the Cologuard, but this time, the PCP wanted me to get my colon examined because I was within the age range where the threat of colon cancer can rear its ugly head.
I scheduled a consultation, and it was very informative. I was still a bit apprehensive, but I scheduled a date in August to have it done. I could not drive myself since I would be under the influence of anesthesia, and needed someone to take me there and bring me home. I considered using an ambulette service, but that cost over $400 and the colorectal office is only 20 minutes away. I could not ask mom because she doesn’t like driving from her place to mine as I live far away, and she gets lost easily. I had to ask a nurse friend I have known for over 10 years, and she was happy to do me this favour.
I scheduled time off from work because I was really banged up and needed a break. The leg was still sore from all the cramping, and I had a pain in my right side from constantly exiting the company vehicle at an odd angle. I was supposed to receive Suflave a week before to help clean out the colon but it never came. I was really mad so I went to the colorectal office for answers. Indeed, they called it in to the pharmacy, but they did not have any in stock. The day I went to the pharmacy, the Suflave came in. They just needed to unpack it and put my name on it. When I returned home, I consumed one bottle. I did not need the second bottle, and thank the gods for that because I felt sick for three hours. I also could not eat for 24 hours before the appointment. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I was worried about dehydration and the threat of muscle cramps, but it did not happen.
My friend picked me up at 7am on the morning of the appointment and the office was open when we arrived. The appointment time was 7:30, but they wanted me to come earlier so they would get set up. I thought I would have some time to myself to prepare, but I was called in after a few minutes. I went with the nurse into the latrine and she told me to take everything off and put them in a bag, and put on an open back gown with the provided socks. Then I was escorted into an exam room where my blood pressure was taken and it was within the normal range. Then I was taken to another room where I had to lie on a gurney where I met another nurse and the anesthesiologist. We were talking whilst another nurse put oxygen tubes into my nose. He then started an IV and gave me a numbing agent to ease the burning from the needle being in my vein. Then the colorectal doc came in and we talked for a bit. I could feel the blood pressure machine squeezing my arm at regular intervals. I remember the doc asking me to turn on my left side, and it was lights out. It is not like what is shown on TV where one falls asleep gradually. In th wink of a eye, I was dead to the world. The same thing happened when I had surgery to remove kidney rocks.
I woke up in the recovery room and one of the nurses was there. I felt no pain but I was a bit woozy as she helped me up. Now I know what being really plastered feels like. I got dressed and went into the waiting room and my nurse friend walked in a few minutes later. They must have called her after the procedure was done. She took me home and walked me to the door. I was definitely in no shape to drive, even through I was alert and not slurring my words. All I did for the rest of the day was rest. It must have been chilly in the room before my nose started running; I was coughing and sneezing. I was getting over a cold and I was under a blanket in the exam room. I felt awful. I was taking lots of Vitamin C and that helped a lot. As I looked at the pictures and the notes, I saw that a lone small polyp was removed via a cold snare to reduce the chance of bleeding as opposed to a hot snare. Indeed, I have not experienced any rectal bleeding thus far.
I was talking to a friend who has had many colonoscopies due to her Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She says that her gastroenterologists have mentioned to her many times that polyps are common. But how many of them are cancerous? It is a moot point. Mine was a sickening green colour, which implies that there was no blood flow present. I’ll have to wait on the lab results, so now it is a matter of hurry up and wait.
As of now, I feel fine. No complications whatsoever. I do not look forward to going back to work, but I have lots of medical bills that require my attention. I will say that if you’re up there in age, look into having a colonoscopy starting at age 45. Don’t be like me and wait until you’re past the half century mark. The hardest part is the needle prick for the IV; and I HATE needles! Once that’s done, the process goes much easier. Shoutout to Northwell Health for taking good care of me. I’ll will be having another colonoscopy in two years time for screening purposes.
I remember reading an article about how the benefits of a colonoscopy is moot and why it may not necessary. I almost cancelled the appointment because of the article, but I went through a lot of trouble to have the consultation, set up the appointment months in advance, take time off from work, and ask a friend to drop me off there and pick me up when done, so I might as well go through with it, and I’m glad I did.
That will do it for me. Hope you liked the blog, and if you did, please consider subscribing. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time. Be safe, be strong, be wary, be smart.
The Introverted Soap Box 