The prep IS worse than the procedure...

So guess what I did today? I had my first colonoscopy...

I can honestly say what they say is true - "the prep is worse than the procedure". And it will probably surprise you to know, what I mean by that - is drinking almost a gallon of a salty-lemonade tasting drink was the worst!

I went in at 8am and was getting ready with the assistance of my nurse, Anne. She talked to me about her young cousin who is dealing with cancer. She said that she liked seeing a patient like me who has dealt with it and is in such good spirits. I had to look around and see if she was talking about someone else, cause I didn't think I was in that good of a mood. In fact, I felt pretty grumpy - after not eating for a day and a half!

I was alert enough through the procedure to see some of the work the doctor was doing. And afterwards he showed me the results. Good news is, there were no new polyps found. However, there was a growth that he thinks might have been a scar buildup from the reconnection of the colon when they removed the portion that included the original tumor. Hope that makes sense... The growth will be sent to pathology and I will update when I get the results.

As of now, my next step will be to get a CT Scan in March. And then I will have an appointment with Dr Azar to discuss all the results.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention... Nurse Anne came in and said, "I don't usually do this, but I want to give you a hug" and she said she wished me well. She also said that she was glad that I was her first patient. It was a great way to set the mood of the day. How nice is that... :)