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JEFF
SOME OF THE HOBBIES THAT I LIKE TO PARTAKE IN ARE BOWLING,
GOLFING, GAMBLING AT THE CASINOS, ETCETERA...
I THINK THE FIRST TIME I TOOK NOTICE OF THE IDEA OF
LOOKING AFTER MY COLON WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO.
IT BECOMES A KEY TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF YOUR HABITS.
AND IF YOU GOT DIRTY HABITS, YOU NEED TO CLEAN THEM UP.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID WHEN I QUIT SMOKING.
AND I REDUCED MY DRINKING, AND I STARTED EATING BETTER FOODS,
REDUCING MY RED MEAT INTAKE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY COLON CANCER HISTORY IN MY FAMILY, NONE
AT ALL, WHICH I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR. MY MOM AND OTHER PEOPLE
ARE SUGGESTING THAT MAYBE I SHOULD GO IN AND GET A
COLONOSCOPY SCREEN.
WELL, I GUESS I HAVE A FEAR OF BEING PUT UNDER, AM I GONNA
WAKE UP AGAIN? THAT'S A REAL FEAR FOR ME.
I DID GO IN TO MY DOCTOR, AND I BRANG MY CONCERNS TO HIM.
HE SUGGESTED A LESS INTRUSIVE PROCEDURE SUCH AS THE
SIGMOIDOSCOPY. I DID HESITATE A LITTLE BIT TO SCHEDULE THE
SIGMOIDOSCOPY. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME TYPE OF TUBE
INJECTED IN YOUR *** CANAL, WHICH, BEING KIND OF A MACHO
MAN, WOULD NOT BE TOO ENTICING TO ME.
I THINK WHAT CONVINCED ME TO GO THROUGH WITH THE SIGMOIDOSCOPY
WAS A NUMBER OF FACTORS, LOVED ONES SUGGESTING I DO IT, BEING
SUPPORTIVE, THE DOCTOR SAYING THAT IT'S A PIECE OF CAKE.
'YOU'LL BE OUT OF THERE IN 20 MINUTES, HALF HOUR TOPS.'
PREP FOR A SIGMOIDOSCOPY, 24 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME, NO FOOD,
JUST A LOT OF WATER, THEN THE MORNING OF YOU HAVE TO TAKE A
LITTLE ENEMA THERE, AND THAT WAS BASICALLY IT FOR THAT.
YOU GO ON THE TABLE THERE, AND THEN HE HAS THE LITTLE
SIGMOIDOSCOPE ON THE TUBE THERE, AND HE JUST STARTS INSERTING IT,
I COULD FEEL INSIDE, THERE WAS A LITTLE PRESSURE IN THERE,
I WOULD SAY AN INTERMEDIATE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE.
IT WASN'T EXCRUCIATING, I WAS EMBARRASSED.
I CAN'T LIE TO YOU, IT WAS EMBARRASSING, BUT I JUST KEPT
THINKING 'HEY, GET IT OVER WITH, LET THEM GET THE RESULTS,
'AND I'M OUTTA HERE.'
I WAS TOLD AS THE DOCTOR WAS VIEWING ME ON THE SCREEN THAT
HE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING MAJOR IN THERE, THAT I WAS NOT GONNA
HAVE TO DO THE FULL COLONOSCOPY, WHICH WAS A REAL RELIEF.
I'VE BEEN ADVISED TO GET ANOTHER SCREENING, WITHIN THE NEXT
3 TO 5 YEARS. THE SIGMOIDOSCOPY WAS OVERALL A POSITIVE FOR ME,
AND I PROBABLY WOULD DO IT AGAIN, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
I THINK I WORRIED OVER NOTHING.
A SIGMOIDOSCOPY PAIRED WITH A REGULAR STOOL TEST IS
RECOMMENDED EVERY 5 YEARS BETWEEN 50-75 FOR
COLON CANCER SCREENING.
BECAUSE EACH PERSON IS DIFFERENT, YOU SHOULD TALK TO
YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TO DECIDE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU.
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