Preparing for a Colonoscopy

Preparing for a colonoscopy

Some people avoid colonoscopies because they dread the preparation, they are afraid it will hurt, or they are anxious about the procedure itself. In answer to these concerns, it is helpful to remember these points:

•   As skilled medical professionals, gastroenterologists perform colonoscopies regularly. They respect your privacy carefully. Complications arise in less than 1% of cases.

•   It’s important to prepare thoroughly so that any problems may be seen as clearly as possible. Some troublesome polyps are flat, and some problems are found only in a change in color of the colon’s lining. A clean colon means your physician can see all areas clearly.

•  Colonoscopy prep is more manageable than it used to be. There is less preparation solution to ingest and many patients find the process to be simple and straightforward.

•   Colonoscopies are virtually painless. Sedatives are used and the lining of the colon does not register pain.

Dr. Sandeep Kumar, general surgeon, advises patients get scheduled. “It’s a small inconvenience. Every ten years. If we catch a polyp, it saves your life. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.”

There's no reason not to get a colonoscopy. Take advice from two Willamette Valley Medical Center patients who waited - until it was almost too late.

“I just had my head in the sand.” 

Karen Evers lives in a peaceful house on a hill overlooking the tree-rimmed Willamette Valley, with a distant view of Mt. Jefferson. A retired interior decorator and home stager, Evers has been married for 38 years and has three sons and two grandchildren. She was 56 when she had her first colonoscopy.

“I guess I just thought, ‘Not me. That wouldn’t happen to me. I don’t need to have it done.’ I just had my head in the sand,” said Evers. She was at an appointment for a separate medical issue when her physician saw that she had a family history of colon cancer—her brother had passed away from the disease at age 49.

“When my doctor recommended a colonoscopy, he had a lot of urgency in his voice. He was very insistent, pressing me to be sure and do it,” said Evers. “I thought, ‘Well, maybe I should, if he’s that concerned.’”

Evers’s gastroenterologist found a dysplasic (pre-cancerous) polyp during her colonoscopy. It was removed, preventing the possibility of it developing into cancer. “It’s just so important to get screened,” said Evers. “I’d like everyone to know how important it is to do.”

“I promptly waited nine years.”

David Heida is an insurance manager for an industry trade association. When he has a day off, he manages the young forest he planted himself on his seven acres. He’s grown a variety of tree species and knows their ages and needs. His redwoods have beautiful orangey bark, his cedars are graceful and fragrant, and tiny Ponderosa pine saplings lay hopefully in the slanting morning sun.

When Heida turned 50, his wife and his physician urged him to schedule a colonoscopy. “So, I promptly waited nine years,” he said.

“It’s a guy thing. My whole life, I’ve prided myself on not needing a doctor. I thought, ‘I don’t need a colonoscopy. I’m a healthy guy, I’m not sick.’ Which is dumb.’”

Heida’s wife and doctor finally convinced him to make an appointment. “They didn’t have to tie me up and drive me down there, but their continued encouragement is what made me finally go,” he said.

During his colonoscopy, his gastroenterologist found a large polyp. “I was two to four years away from full-blown cancer,” he said. “Now we’ve had follow-ups and I’m confident that everything is okay. But it might not have been. I prevented my doctor from helping me earlier.”

Don't wait! If you are 50 years or older or have a family history of colon cancer, schedule a colonoscopy today. It could save your life.

Don't have a gastroenterologist? Contact one of our physicians.

J. Scott Gibson, MD
503.472.0888

Kimya Nguyen, DO
503.434.6688
WillametteValleyGastroenterology

Nazmul Hoque, MD
503.434.4759
McMinnvilleInternalMedicine