Colonoscopy Prep

I have had a colonoscopy every five or six years since I was 50. My mother had colon cancer twice, so my doctors think it's important to monitor it.

There is a three-day preparation before the procedure, which requires an empty colon. Cutting out meat and dairy three days before isn't as hard for me as the final prep day, when I had to follow a clear liquid diet - and take purgatives to totally empty my digestive tract.

It was a day of drinking tea and other clear fluids - and staying close to home.

When I arrived at the hospital outpatient clinic the day of my half-hour procedure, I was reminded that - without health insurance, the test could be very costly!

One polyp was found and removed. Now I'm awaiting the lab report.

I'm so thankful for this less invasive way of having cameras check what's happening inside the body. When my mother had colon cancer for the first time, they had to do extensive surgery to find out what was wrong. Afterwards she wasn't able to do any strenuous work for more than six months, until everything had healed. I remember that she found this very hard: She loved to be active!