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ELLEN
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID MY MOTHER SAID 'ALL I WANT IS
TO KEEP MY GOOD HEALTH' AND I THOUGHT, CUZ I'D ASK HER
'WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS' AND SHE'D SAY
'ALL I WANT IS TO DO KEEP MY GOOD HEALTH.'
AND I WOULD THINK 'TELL ME SOMETHING, TELL ME A ROBE,
'TELL ME SOMETHING YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS.'
AND SHE'D SAY 'ELLEN, I HAVE EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED,
'I JUST WANT TO STAY HEALTHY.'
SO, NOW I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
THEY SAY AT A CERTAIN AGE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT
IT IS, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S 50 OR 55, BUT THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE
A COLONOSCOPY.
YOU JUST HEAR THE WORD COLONOSCOPY AND YOU'RE LIKE
'UG, I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT.'
THE YEARS FLY BY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU ARE 55, AND YOU
DIDN'T HAVE IT, 56 AND YOU STILL DIDN'T HAVE IT, 57 YOU STILL
DIDN'T AND YOU'RE LIKE 'OH, I SHOULD DO THAT, YOU KNOW.'
AND I'M HEALTHY AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE I NEED TO DO ANYTHING
SPECIAL, I FEEL LIKE I'M FINE.
WHEN I WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND HE SUGGESTED IT AGAIN, AND
I PROBABLY ROLLED MY EYES, YOU KNOW LIKE
'ALRIGHT, I GUESS I'LL SCHEDULE IT.'
AND HE SAID 'WELL I COULD DO A SIGMOIDOSCOPY.'
AND I SAID 'OK, WHAT IS THAT?'
AND HE SAID 'WELL THAT'S A PROCEDURE I CAN JUST DO HERE IN
THE OFFICE.'
I FELT LIKE 'WHAT IS THIS? WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD ABOUT THIS
BEFORE?'
AND WHEN HE SAID 'YOU CAN DRIVE YOURSELF, RIGHT HERE AT MY
OFFICE.'
HIS OFFICE ISN'T FAR, AND IT'S EASY PARKING, AND IT JUST
SOUNDED WORLDS EASIER.
IT FELT REALLY PRIVATE, IT FELT LIKE I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO
BE MY DOCTOR AND HIS NURSE, THAT'S IT.
THE SIGMOIDOSCOPY IS A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW,
YOU FEEL A LITTLE PRESSURE.
BUT THAT'S ALL, IT WASN'T THAT BAD, ONCE YOU GET THERE, IT'S
REALLY NOT THAT BAD, THERE ISN'T THAT MUCH TO IT, YOU THINK TO
YOURSELF: 'WHY DID I AGONIZE OVER THAT?'
YOU ARE IN AND OUT OF THERE WITHIN 40 MINUTES AT THE MOST,
AND IT WAS NO BIG DEAL.
IT'S LIKE OTHER PROCEDURES, WHERE YOU GO TO HAVE A
MAMMOGRAM, AND YOU LEAVE, AND YOU'RE FINE.
YOU JUST PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON AND YOU GO, LIKE NOTHING EVER
HAPPENED.
SO YOU CAN CARRY ON WITH YOUR DAY, YOUR WHOLE DAY ISN'T
RUINED.
WHEN IT'S OVER, YOU'RE HAPPY WITH YOURSELF. YOU ARE PLEASED
THAT YOU DID SOMETHING. YOU FEEL LIKE: 'THAT WAS GOOD, I GOT
SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED.'
MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT THIS SAYS I'M CLEAR, AND I'M GOOD FOR
5 YEARS. HE SUGGESTED I HAVE ANOTHER SIGMOIDOSCOPY IN
5 YEARS, WHICH I WILL.
NOW WHEN MY OLDEST DAUGHTER ASKS ME: 'DID YOU HAVE THAT TAKEN
'CARE OF?' I CAN SAY 'YES I DID'.
WITH AGE COMES WISDOM, AND NOW WE SEE WHAT'S IMPORTANT,
AND IT'S JUST A GOOD TIME NOW, WE'RE ENJOYING EVERY DAY.
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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