I believe that I’m alive today because my cancer was detected early. Thanks to my wife who prodded me to undergo colonoscopy where a second stage cancerous mass was found.
The case was not the same with my friend whose colon cancer was at the third stage when it was found out. It had metastasized in the liver and eventually spread to the lungs and brain. Extensive treatment which include surgery followed by the combination of chemo and radiation did not work. He was gone in eight months.
Medical textbooks say that every men when they reached the age of 50 must have their colonoscopy done. And for those who have history of cancer in the family, colonoscopy procedure is recommended earlier- at the age forty of even younger.
Colonoscopy is a medical test that allows the doctor to look at the inner lining of the large intestine (rectum and colon). The procedure uses a thin, flexible tube called colonoscope. It helps to find ulcers, colon polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation and bleeding. When polyps are found during the test, the doctors would remove them right there and then.
The test only takes fifteen minutes but the more dreaded part is the preparation which is done a day before the procedure. You need to clean out (empty) your colon because any residue may obscure the view of the lining during exam.
In my case, my doctor told me not to eat after midnight the night before the exam. I was told to use an over the counter enema kit the night before the exam to empty my colon. I had to finish drinking the one liter concoction and had be close to the bathroom the entire time.
The next day at the colonoscopy clinic, I was sedated. They did the procedure while I was unconscious. When I woke up, I received one of the most disturbing news of my life.
“Mr. Valenzuela, I found a mass in your colon. From the looks of it, it might be malignant. But I really don’t know for sure at this point. I took a sample and I will send it for biopsy. I will call you when the results are back.”
After a few days, I got a call from the doctor. “Mr. Valenzuela, you have colon cancer. You need to see a specialist.”
It took me three months to decide to have the surgery. First, I looked for alternative treatment and asked for second opinion. Every doctor I talked to thought that surgical removal of the mass is my best option and I have to decide soon before the cancer spreads.
The surgery took many hours to complete and I lost a lot of blood. Seven units of blood were needed to put my number to a normal range.
That was almost six years ago! I thank God for providing me a second chance to life!
I would like to encourage all my friends reading this blog who are 50 or older to consider having colonoscopy. Don’t wait until symptoms appear.
This simple procedure can save your life too!
myJOURNEY 
I agree, Brod Gil. If you’re age 50 or older, you should get screening colonoscopy. Here in the US, most insurance companies cover it 100% as a preventive screening for cancer. I had a patient once, he was in his late 60’s, never had colonoscopy. He had no symptoms at all until one day he started bleeding. By the time the cancer was found, it was in it’s late stages. His advise to me? Go get colonoscopy and tell your husband to get it done, too. Needless to say, I heeded his advice. So thanks for the advice.
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