No one wants to have a colonoscopy! Sure, there are people with stomach problems that need them to figure out what is going on. But what if you feel just fine? You have to drink something the night before that makes you spend hours in the bathroom. The next day, you have anesthesia, and allow someone to look inside your digestive tract from the bottom up. It doesn’t really sound too appealing, does it?
Why not ask Betsey Ely? She was 53 years old with a husband, children and a thriving interior design business. She felt completely healthy, but did make time for her first routine colonoscopy. According to Betsey, she expected to get a clean bill of health.
“I had no symptoms at all.” she says. “My cancer was discovered at that time.”
Betsey was fortunate that her colon cancer was in the early stages and was treatable.
“I had surgery,” she said. “A part of my intestine was removed and I had a colostomy for three or four months. After that, the intestine was reconnected; no radiation or chemo because the cancer had not penetrated the intestinal wall.”
That was 17 years ago. Her husband, J.K. Greenburg, had colon cancer back in the early 1980s. Since the cancer spread, he had surgery and chemo. He survives today, too. Betsey’s Mother died from colon cancer in her 90s just a few years ago. Betsey feels that sharing her story is worth it if it might convince others to get tested.
The American Cancer Society tracks cancer cases. The numbers of people affected by colorectal cancer in the United States speak for themselves. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. It ranks third in the list of the most common forms of cancer for men and women. Rates in men are higher. The CDC reports that in 2010 (most current data) over 131,000 people were diagnosed with colon cancer (67,700 men/63,907 women). That year, more than 52,000 people died from colorectal cancer.
You can do a lot to help yourself when it comes to colon cancer. The first step is to speak with your doctor about getting a colonoscopy. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening starting at age 50-75. After that, patient and doctor determine testing practicality. Some people are at high risk, and colonoscopy is done earlier. You are at high risk if you/your families have had colon cancer/polyps (hereditary or not) or you have some type of digestive disorder (e.g. IBS, Crohn’s).
When the colonoscopy is scheduled, you will be given directions to follow in order to prepare for the procedure. Prep time can be up to 4-5 days ahead of time, so plan accordingly. In general, days ahead of the procedure you are asked to stop eating dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit/vegetable peels, tomatoes, corn, beans (e.g. kidney beans) and anything with shells/hulls. According to the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse, for 1-3 days before the colonoscopy, you will follow a clear liquid diet (broth, lemon/lime jello and sports drinks, apple juice, tea & coffee); at this time, no solid foods and nothing red, blue or purple in color.
When directed, you begin drinking the liquid that will clear out your gut. You need to follow the directions, but basically you are drinking 8 ounces every 10-15 minutes until the bottle is empty. You can usually flavor the liquid with lemonade flavored crystal light.
“If the drink is repellent put a hard lemon candy in your mouth,” said Ely. “Use a large straw pushed as far back as possible to avoid tasting the liquid.”
After the procedure, you can usually resume normal eating. If biopsies were taken, you get results in a couple of weeks. But your role does not end here.
Although there are no guarantees, you can potentially lower your risk for colon cancer with lifestyle changes such as:
Getting moving, exercising regularly (aim for a minimum of 3 days a week)
Cutting back on red meats (beef, lamb, veal, pork) and processed meats (e.g. deli, hot dogs, kielbasa, sausage)
Having more vegetables and fruit (leave on peels when appropriate), having 2-3 servings each daily
Getting adequate calcium (e.g. low-fat milk & yogurt), having 2-3 servings/day
Meeting Vitamin D needs (e.g. low-fat milk, salmon, fortified cereals)
If you are obese/overweight, losing weight and keeping it off (particularly around your belly)
Keeping alcohol to a minimum
We know that colon cancer is widespread, and if left undiagnosed, it can kill. But we also know that you can work on making changes to lower your risk. Luckily you can also get tested.
“Fortunately, early treatment is usually successful,” said Ely. “We were the very lucky ones.”
What are you waiting for?
Jennifer Giffune, R.D., L.D.N. is a freelance author, professional speaker and nutrition counselor. She currently is providing nutrition counseling services for Hampden County Physician Associates at their offices in Westfield, Southwick, Feeding Hills and West Springfield. If you would like to schedule a counseling session with Jennifer, please call (413) 786-1500.
