This has been quite and interesting and busy week--with Monday being the highlight of it all. Well, first let me start back a few weeks at the beginning.
When I went for my annual checkup, my doctor started in on me about getting a colonoscopy screening. Well, I knew from my last one, about ten years ago, that I didn’t want to go through that again. Not so much the test as the preparation you have to go through before the test. It has always made me sick and given me a splitting headache. So I hemmed and hawed, as usual.
Doc then suggested what about a Cologuard test, which one does at home, not drinking vile liquid and suffering physical pain--just “get, go, gone,” or something like that (I can’t remember the commercial slogan right now.) I agreed, the kit was mailed to me, I did as instructed, mailed off the results, and thought no more about it. Until Doc called me a week or so later.
“I have the results from your Cologuard,” he announced in a somewhat sympathetic voice. “I’m sorry, but the results were positive."
“Oh,” I uttered.
“Now that doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer,” Doc quickly added. “But I do recommend that you go ahead and have the colonoscopy done."
Well, yeah, I thought. I guess I better.
I immediately phoned the gastro doctor who has taken care of me and Vann in that department for many years and made an appointment for two weeks hence, the soonest I could get scheduled.
I was able to go for pretty long periods without worrying about that horrible statement, “The results were positive.” After all, I’ve been through cancer scares a bunch of times--almost every year, in fact, after my mammogram, with more testing required before I’m declared A-OK. But every now and then, it would hit me that I might have colon cancer, and I would freak. But I was able to talk myself down until I actually started the prep for the test. As soon as that first sip of Miralax cocktail entered my mouth, I started shaking. And I didn’t stop until I awoke from the antithetic and Doc announced that everything was clear. No cancer, no polyps. Just a bit of diverticulitis, which with a proper diet can be controlled.
So, let this be a lesson to you: If you do one of the at-home colon tests and get positive results. Just go about your knitting (or quilting) until it’s all over. I’ve since learned that a great many of these tests give false positive results, and even some false negatives, which would be even worse. From now on, I plan to go straight to the colonoscopy. Save time and torture and a little money for my insurance company.
I had barely recovered from the stresses of the colonoscopy when I was scheduled for a dentist appointment to remove a temporary crown and replace it with a permanent one. The best thing I can say about that is that it didn’t take long and wasn’t nearly as traumatic as when the dentist took off my old crown, drilled my tooth a little, and put on the temporary. With the dentists’ hands, his assistant’s hands, some dental equipment all in my mouth at the same time, the dentist was somehow able to touch my upper lip with the drill. Just enough to hurt like crazy and draw blood--no great damage done. But still.... I can still see the spot on my lip where the drill connected, and it only stopped hurting about a week ago.
But all my medical issues are taken care of for the time being. No more until later this summer when I’ll have to go for the mammogram, and they’ll find something, and I’ll have to go back for further testing. And I’ll be grumped up again--instead of thanking God for all our modern medical testing that is saving lives daily. And also for the fact that the colonoscopy prep routine has improved (I was on a soft diet for two days and then clear liquid for the last day). It was still not fun, especially swallowing those last few tumblers of Miralax cocktail. But I didn’t come out of it with a splitting heading as I have done the other times.
So get your colonoscopy, friends. It’s worth it to have the peace of mind of knowing you’re ok. And while you’re going through the uncomfortable business of prep, as the nuns in our catechism class used to advise us, “Offer it up."
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On 06/07/2018, Barbara Anne said ...
Oh, honey! What a story! DH just mailed his "sample" off yesterday so will tell him not to freak out if word comes that it's positive.
Going to the dentist right afterwards was just cruel and unusual punishment! I'd have postponed that appointment.
Glad all is well from the inside out!
Hugs!
On 06/20/2018, Joanne said ...
My last colonoscopy was done without a prep, at my request. My last mammo dealt with what they always said before was, "Your breasts are so dense!" The last time they did the pictures twice, I think a different machine for the second one. They said definitely that I did not have breast cancer, so I don't have to be tested every six months any more.
On 06/21/2018, Susan Ramey Cleveland said ...
Wow! I didn’t know you could do a colonoscopy without the prep. I’m going to ask about that if I ever have another one. Glad you mammograms are clear. It’s about time for mine, I think.
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