Mark Caudill: 1st colonoscopy made for interesting experience
I was 17 years late in getting a colonoscopy.
Doctors recommend everyone get one by age 50, or 40 if there is a history of colon cancer in one's family.
I had a close family member who underwent surgery for colon cancer in 2004.
Instead of heeding the warning, I found reasons to put off going through a colonoscopy. The prep sounded miserable, the procedure sounded invasive, etc.
When I finally got around to it last week, I have to admit I was a bit worried. What if I had waited too long?
Fortunately, I received a positive report from Dr. Robert Maxwell during my recent procedure at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. He removed a pre-cancerous polyp.
For the uninitiated, people need to clean out their colons before undergoing a colonoscopy to allow the doctors to see what's in there.
I was instructed to take four laxatives with plenty of water at noon the day before. Two hours later, I started a regimen of drinking powdered Miralax with Gatorade.
Per the instructions, I was to drink 64 ounces by 6 p.m. For most of the afternoon, I lay around waiting for the inevitable.
Katy the rescue cat stayed close by throughout the day. I don't know if she could tell I felt lousy, but I took comfort from her presence.
As day turned to night, the prep work did its job. I think I made 12 trips to the bathroom and two more the next morning. I managed to lose 3.4 pounds.
Two of the nurses seemed concerned that I needed those two extra trips. My system should have been cleaned out by then.
Nurse provided aid for tricky part of procedure
To my dismay, the solution was an enema. The nurse who helped me with it seemed way too cheerful about the task.
God bless nurses.
Waiting in the surgery area took me back to last summer, when I spent six days at OhioHealth with COVID-19 and heart issues.
Another nurse inserted an IV into my right hand, reminding me of enduring 25 similar jabs in the summer of 2022.
Not the fondest memories.
When the nurse pricked the vein in my hand, blood spurted out. The nurse called it a "geyser." I had been off my blood thinner for a week.
The nurse, who had to change her pants, joked that at least I wouldn't have a stroke because my blood was thin.
I had to be at the hospital 90 minutes before my procedure. Anyone who goes through a colonoscopy has to have a ride home after being sedated.
At my age, I feel a bit embarrassed to have my mom fill that role, but I don't have many people close to me. I can always count on her.
Actually, having her along provided a bit of comic relief.
The nurse who was wheeling me to the surgical suite made reference to my mom, calling her my "wife." Excuse me, miss, but that's my mom. She's 86. I am not in that age demographic.
When we made it to the suite, I didn't notice Dr. Maxwell initially. He was tucked in a corner with music playing. I remember him saying he was the DJ.
Medication did what it was supposed to do
I don't remember much else after that. The sedative they gave me knocked me out almost immediately.
Apparently, they had to give me a little more of the good stuff because I was moving around during the colonoscopy.
Again, I remember almost nothing. While I was in recovery, my mom said Dr. Maxwell stopped by a couple of times to see how I was doing. That was news to me.
She said a nurse gently pinched my face to rouse me. I'm a sound sleeper on a normal day, without introducing a sedative to the mix.
All in all, the prep was much more of a hassle than the actual procedure. I don't have to have another one for five years.
That's why I encourage anyone reading this column to get a colonoscopy when you reach a certain age.
If you wait as long as I did, you might not be so lucky.
Meanwhile, I expect to have another bowel movement some time after Labor Day.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
Twitter: @MarkCau32059251
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: News Journal reporter endures 1st colonoscopy
