Sandra

SANDRA I DIDN'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT THE COLONOSCOPY IN DETAIL, THE ONLY THING I HEARD WAS THAT THEY'RE GONNA GO IN YOUR COLON, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK FOR THIS, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK FOR THAT, AND THEY'RE GONNA SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OR SIGNS. BUT NOTHING THAT WAS REALLY DESCRIPTIVE. MY MOTHER, SHE DIED OF BREAST CANCER AT AGE 49. I BELIEVE IF SHE HAD HAD EARLY DETECTION, THE RESULTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. SO, FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT I'M TO HAVE THIS COLONOSCOPY SCREENING, I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE THAT DONE, JUST LIKE I KNEW I WAS GONNA HAVE MY MAMMOGRAMS EVERY YEAR. SOMEBODY DID TELL ME 'YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DRINK THAT 'NASTY STUFF, MAKE SURE YOU GET A FLAVOR.' SO I GOT SOMETHING LIKE A LEMON LIME SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HELP, SO WHEN I GOT MINE I CALLED AND SAID 'CAN I PUT SOME SUGAR IN THIS?' THEY SAID 'NO.' YOU HAVE TO DRINK THAT STUFF STRAIGHT. IT DOES NOT TASTE GOOD, IT HAS A HORRIBLE TASTE, IT LEAVES A HORRIBLE TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH, AND YOU HAVE TO FILL UP ON IT, AND THEN YOU'RE FILLING UP BUT YOU'RE EMPTYING OUT, AND THEN YOU'RE CONSTANTLY GOING TO THE WASHROOM, AND ALSO THE PART OF THAT IS, YOUR BEHIND GETS RAW, BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF STUFF COMING OUT. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE THAT GRAPHIC, BUT IT'S THE TRUTH. AND SO I GO IN THERE AND I PUT ON THIS GOWN, AND THEY SAY 'OK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE YOU LAY HERE' AND I SAID 'OK.' SO, THE ONLY THING I REMEMBER WAS 'SANDRA, WHO'S PICKING YOU UP?' 'EXCUSE ME? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE 'THIS THING DONE?' THEY WERE LIKE 'OH SANDRA, WE'RE DONE.' I WAS LIKE 'REALLY? THAT WAS PAINLESS.' I WAS HAPPY THAT IT WAS DONE, THEN I WAS A LITTLE BIT LIKE 'OK, I WONDER WHAT THE RESULTS ARE GONNA BE.' WHEN I GOT MY RESULTS, I WAS ECSTATIC THAT IT WAS NORMAL. I AM SO HAPPY THAT I HAD A COLONOSCOPY BECAUSE THAT FEAR RIGHT THERE, OF THE UNKNOWN OR THINKING IF YOU HAD COLON CANCER, OR COULD IT BE? I AM SO HAPPY I HAD IT BECAUSE THAT WAS LIKE 'WHEW', I CAN BREATHE. THE COLONOSCOPY IS RECOMMENDED EVERY 10 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. WWW.GUTCHECK.NCI.NIH.GOV