If you are 50 or older, treat yourself to the best gift of all – the gift of good health with a colonoscopy screening.
“Colon cancer is the only preventable cancer, yet colon cancer kills more people than car accidents,” says Christopher W. Deitch, MD, gastroenterologist. “You have a 4 percent to 6 percent chance of colon cancer without a family history of the disease. In essence, colonoscopies are lifesaving.”
Though colonoscopies take only an average of 15 minutes in the procedure room, many people who should have a colonoscopy – which means anyone at the age of 50 if you do not have a family history of the disease – delay it because of preconceived notions, including the prep. Deborah Stenton, RN, and her team coordinate the patient preparation. They would like to put everyone’s fears to rest.
Colonoscopy Preparation Tips:
- Prep solutions are varied. There are six different preps available, and based on the patient’s preference there is usually one to fit their individual needs.
- If the patient tends to be constipated, taking a laxative before beginning the prep will help with the cleansing process.
- Decreasing food consumption a few days prior to the colonoscopy helps decrease the necessary cleansing required.
- There are ways to make the preps taste better. For example, adding a powdered drink mix to the prep helps to mask the taste.