Why a Colonoscopy Should be on Everyone's Bucket List

Actually, the colon prep my doctor ordered wasn't that horrible. The liquid tasted like Crystal Light in bad need of some sweetener. As advised, I kept the prep in the refrigerator so it was nice and cold. I also kept the television on to distract me and a watch nearby to time my progress.

During the first swallow I held my nose like I do when I take cough syrup. By the time I reached my second timed dose, my big girl confidence took over and there was no need for me to hold my nose.

My procedure was early the next morning. My doctor discovered three polyps. They weren't cancerous, thank goodness. But, let that be a good example of why you should never put off a colonoscopy when it's your time.

The statistics of colon cancer in the United States are frightening. Colorectal cancer kills thousands of men and women each year. Please don't put off the procedure because you are afraid.

I wanted to find out more information to encourage others to have this procedure so I contacted a physician who performs colonoscopies.

Dr. Christopher M. Griffith is an attending gastroenterologist at Gastro One. Gastro One is a medical practice that specializes in digestive health. Dr. Griffith is board certified in internal medicine as well as gastroenterology and hepatology.

I was fascinated to learn his reasons for choosing to specialize in this field. Dr.Griffith says he was always interested in the physiology of the gastrointestinal system. For me, however, the most touching reason he gave was when I learned that his own father had passed away from colon cancer - a cancer that could have "potentially been prevented if he had received his screening colonoscopy."

Unfortunately, as we get older, our risk for cancer increases and, if the cancer is undetected, it can progress until it may be too late.

Colorectal cancer studies are ongoing and we would all be wise to pay attention to them. Dr. Griffith says, " recent evidence has shown that African-Americans should begin screening at age 45 as they are at an increased risk of polyps and cancer at a younger age as compared to other ethnicities."

Family history is also key. He adds, "if a first degree relative (sibling, parent, child) has colon cancer or a high risk polyp, screening should begin at age 40 (or 10 years younger than the age at diagnosis of the family member), whichever is first."

Famliy history can play a key role in how often the procedure should be performed as well as "the number and type of polyps found."

Don't let fear or embarassment keep you from having the procedure. A sense of humor also helps.

Have you ever heard of reporter involvement? I used to be a reporter myself. There were countless times I would deeply involve myself in the topic of the story I was covering. I found one reporter who did a story on his own colonoscopy that I thought was extremely well done. Watch as this TV anchor reports his own experience.

Colon prep procedures have changed over the years and, Dr. Griffith says, several preps are lower in volume and typically administered in split-dose fashion.

If you're like me and you dread the taste of the prep, you'll appreciate a lower volume dose. Dr. Griffith explains the split dose: "part of the prep is taken the night prior to the procedure and the remainder is taken the morning of the procedure depending on the time your procedure is scheduled. Splitting the dose also makes it easier in that not all of the prep has to be consumed at once. Also, it provides a better prep so that lesions are detected."

Your physician will tell you which method he thinks will be right for you. Everyone wants quick and painless.

Dr. Griffith describes the sedation he uses: "In my practice we use propofol for sedation which offers a deep sedation that has a rapid onset and has a short half-life, so recovery is quick. Since it is deep sedation, patients do not feel anything during the procedure. We have dubbed it "painless colonoscopy". Other sedatives that perhaps do not provide as deep a sedation may meet with patients waking during the procedure or feeling some discomfort, but that is still rare. Most patients in my practice feel fine after the procedure; however, some feel bloated afterward due to air that is used to insuflate the colon during the procedure, but very few people have pain. The procedure usually lasts 10-15 minutes on average.

There are also stool tests that have been around for several years. While that may seem an easier prep for the patient, Dr. Griffith warns those tests have a high false positive rate. There's a new stool test coming out that Dr. Griffith says is very good, although "a positive test on any of the screening tests need a colonoscopy to evaluate for lesion /cancer. The benefit of a colonoscopy is it provides screening as well as potential theraputic options for lesions that are found. It is one-stop shopping. There are some other screening tests, such as CT colonography, but they also require a colonoscopy for a positive result."

No test for colon cancer screening is perfect, but having a colonoscopy reduces the risk of colon cancer significantly.

Dr. Griffith says "no matter what form of screening a person chooses, I can't recommend strongly enough to get something - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Many thanks to Dr. Christopher M. Griffith, M.D. for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions about this potentially life-saving procedure.

My hope is that, if YOU are a candidate for a screening colonoscopy, this information is helpful and will encourage you.