Ensure A Successful Probe

Each year more than 145,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, often referred to as colon cancer, in the U.S. and almost 50,000 people die from it annually. The disease, however, is largely preventable with regular screening and is treatable with early detection.

But, a recent study reports that colonoscopies done with suboptimal bowel preparation are associated with relatively high adenoma miss rates, suggesting that suboptimal bowel preparation substantially decreases colonoscopy effectiveness and may mandate an early follow-up examination.

In English, this means you're putting yourself at unnecessary risk by not taking your bowel-prep medications correctly or by not following the doctor's directions to fully clean out your system "before" the examination.

The effectiveness of any colorectal cancer screening program is critically dependent on adequate bowel preparation. Adequate preparation ensures that the colon is thoroughly cleaned before the exam so that the physician can clearly see the entire colon to look for abnormalities, such as colon polyps, during the procedure.

Cleansing the colon before a colonoscopy is called bowel preparation, or "prep." It involves taking medication that causes diarrhea, emptying the colon and making it easier to find cancerous polyps. While you may find it difficult or burdensome to take your medications as directed, your life may depend upon it.

Quit being a pussy. It's difficult enough to see through the shit of everyday life, let alone what you're leaving in your colon. Buck up and do what your health care providers tell you. They're not doing it just to seem important, they're doing it to ensure success.

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