The "The 16 Minutes And 12 Seconds That Saved My Life" Story

Foreword:  I'm just like everyone else.  I hate to have certain medical tests done.  One of them is the dreaded colonoscopy. The test is done to see if you have any trace of colorectal cancer which can be life threatening.  You did read that correctly ... LIFE THREATENING!!  I recently had the test done for the third time in my life.  My story today will take you on my journey as I strive to be cancer free.  I tell my story in hope that you too will be inspired to have the test done before it is too late.  DON"T PUT IT OFF!

It was an ordinary day.  Ordinary in that I once again had a medical procedure scheduled to be done.  This time it was a colonoscopy that I had scheduled about three months ago.  I had my first colonoscopy done a little over 15 years ago and the doctor found two pre-cancerous polyps that he removed.  While talking with me after the procedure, the doctor said he wanted me to return in five years for a follow-up colonoscopy.  Five years later I had a second one done and it proved to be perfect and this time the doctor told me I should once again return in five years.  Well, five years stretched into ten years and then into twelve years.  I'm much like everyone else in that they hate the dreaded colonoscopy.  For the past two years my family doctor reminded ... no, warned me ... about returning for another colonoscopy, but I kept putting it off.  And then, for some strange reason I just had a funny feeling that I better have the test done before it was too late.  I placed a call to Dr. Rosenberg's office and made an appointment for the test.  Since I had my first test, the procedure has become much easier to prepare for than what it used to be.  

Bottle of Gatorade with instructions.

Used to have to drink large amounts of a terrible liquid to clear your intestines and bowel of any crap.  Now, I picked up a half-gallon container from my doctor's office which contained 120GM of orange powdered Gatorade.  I had to mix it with the small container I was given which had what is known as PEG 3350 in it and then fill the bottle to the top with water, shake well and place in the fridge to cool.  The night before my procedure I had to drink half the container in 8 ounce increments, every half-hour.  Really wasn't too bad since the mixture had a good flavor to it.  Wasn't long before I was visiting the bathroom to deposit the solution and what it washed out with it.  Since my procedure was the next morning, I had to get up at 5:00 am and drink the remainder of the bottle and hit the toilet once again.  Reported to the medical center, put the gown and booties on and talked with the doctor before the procedure.  I was given a light anesthesia and lights went out.  Awoke to a visit from my doctor who told me he had removed a very, very large polyp that he was going to have analyzed and he would be in touch with me in a few weeks and wanted me back in 6 months for another procedure.  

The polyp that was found during my colonoscopy.

I was given post-procedure items to do as well as a print-out of my innards and what the polyp looked like.  I studied the pictures and couldn't believe the size of the polyp and what my colon looked like after removal.  At the end of the series of photos the report said the total procedure took 16 minutes and 12 seconds.  

Same area after removable with a wire.

Remarkable that it was that short a time from start to finish.  A few days later I had a call from Dr. Rosenberg who told me the polyp had traces of cancer in it and he wanted to see me in a few weeks to check out the site to make sure he removed enough.  I told him I was going on vacation at the time he wanted me to return and I should come before or after the date.  He told me after vacation would be fine.  So, I worried my vacation away wondering what he would find.  Well that was back in October and today, a month and a half after I visited Dr. Rosenberg, I returned to have a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy done to check on the area where the polyp had been removed. I was anxious for most of the week before, wondering what he was going to find.  This test was not going to require anesthesia and I was able to eat food up until last evening.  I had to get up early this morning and give myself two enemas, an hour apart, to prepare for the test.  After arrival I was called back from the waiting room, changed into my gown and booties and wheeled into a small room for the test.  Doc asked if I wanted to see what he was going to do and I agreed.  The scope was inserted into the rectum with no problem at all.  There on the screen was my innards.  Wow!  He told me I might feel some discomfort since he had to use air to open the colon to see the interior.  I felt absolutely no pain or discomfort.  The test was amazing.  He used previous photos and measurements from my colonoscopy to search for the spot where he had removed the large polyp.  After close to ten minutes he said, "I can't find any trace at all of where the polyp used to be.  Everything looks perfect.  I want you back in three months to do this again and then if everything is the same as today, we'll go another year and do the colonoscopy again.  You're mighty lucky you didn't put off having that colonoscopy any longer than what you did."  I told him, "Something just told me I needed to get that done before it was too late.  Thanks for saving my life, doc."  "You did that yourself," he responded.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.