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Saturday, November 9, 2024

Testing for better health, Would you do a “Colonoscopy”? I am..

Pre-Colonoscopy prep Kit

Pre-Colonoscopy prep Kit

Story Time:

Back in 1986 when I was stationed at Branch Clinic, NAS Dallas, as a young buck HN, I worked in the primary care clinic.

One of the saddest things I ever saw was when our SMO (Senior Medical Officer) was comforting a Chief and his family
as the Chief had been diagnosed with Colon Cancer, and it was so far gone it was un-treatable.

6 Weeks later I saw the Chief’s wife in the clinic getting meds to deal with her husbands death.

Death.

From the time I first saw him to this date, 6 weeks.  A total of 6 weeks he had to say goodbye to his family, get things in order etc.

Death.

How did it get to this?

The Chief had plenty of warning signs, and he regularly missed appointments that was scheduled for him by his squadron Corpsman.
He missed annual/5 year PE’s for one reason or another.

The real reason though was he “HATED” medical.  He was afraid of us.

If he had had his appointments, at his age a simple “Guiac” test would probably have picked up on something, or he might have come clean about some issues he had.

Well, the whole reason I am going into this?  Tomorrow I face the “Camera”!

Upper, as well as Lower, if you get my drift…

No I don’t have issues, but I had in the past and they found a polyp that requires me to get this done every 2 years just to make sure.

Look no one likes this type of thing, today I got to wake up to a clear liquid diet, but also get to this:

At Walgreens this AM so I cam make a nice mix of 1 liter of swill that I have to start drinking 8 oz’s ever 30 mins until gone starting at 5:00 PM tonight and then wake up at 0400 tomorrow AM to do the same thing. My appointment is tomorrow at 0830.

The Final Mix Pre-Colonoscopy

The Final Mix Pre-Colonoscopy

I won’t have me or my family go through what this family suffered. I have friends who I ask if they are tested and they give me the “Whoo man that’s a one way street!”.

I call BS on that, your not very manly because your can’t suffer some pride swallowing for a test that doesn’t hurt and your not even awake for!
(If don’t remember it never happend! 🙂 )

Anyways, Doc’s out there, there are reasons for these tests, you may think your doing your Chief, or superior a favor by letting them get out of these simple tests, but it could bite them in the ARSE later and you as well.

Stand up and be the DOC!

Have a good weekend everyone, Mine will be errr… interesting..

🙂

Comments

3 Responses to “Testing for better health, Would you do a “Colonoscopy”? I am..”
  1. Gpdaniti says:

    As a endoscopy Nurse for many years I have seen many a sad case as you have described. The worst part of this whole exam is the prep beforehand but you can make it so it is not so bad by getting a great big jar of vaseline and well coating each time you evacuate. Saves everyone's butt every time!! lol You get the best sleep by Anesthesia IV you ever had. Everyone wants more and to take some of the stuff home. lol You will wake up and say that is it – done? Not a one in all the years I have done them even using conscious sedation have I ever had anyone complain after the exam. If you have a polyp it is removed right then and there and they can pretty much tell whether or not it looks bad (cancer) although it is sent off to the lab.

  2. Gpdaniti says:

    Oh almost forgot to say important you take ALL your prep. If you are not clean you cannot see anything and it is a waste of everyone's time. The upper endoscopy (EGD) is all of a minute or two for the whole thing.

  3. Corpsman_Com says:

    Oh yeah, I hear you about the prep, the taste is the “WORST”! I know they try to make it ok but man.. it's TERRIBLE!!

    But I'm on Phase 2 of it, 4 hours prior to the exam.. I have 2 drinks left to go.. then well.. time for EVACUATION!!
    😉

    Thanks for the insight!