Posted by (*Recently I had another screening colonoscopy. I want to re-post this article I wrote after I had my first one. Original post published March 4, 2012.)
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I opened my eyes as I slowly regained consciousness. I looked around and I was alone in some kind of cubicle where the curtains were drawn close. I was lying in a stretcher with nothing on but a flimsy hospital gown. I felt cold and naked. Wrapped around my left arm was a blood pressure cuff, and attached to my chest were leads of a heart monitor. In the back of my right hand was a small catheter inserted through my skin, while intravenous fluids infusing slowly through my veins.
My mind was still foggy like I was dreaming. I felt like floating and detached, and yet I was so calm. Is this out-of-body experience? It must be the sedatives I received.
Moments later the nurse entered through the curtains and smilingly told me that everything went smoothly. Not too long after, the doctor came in and said everything turned out to be alright.
Before you think that there was something bad or serious that happened to me, it was not that. I just had my screening colonoscopy done. Nothing more.
Colonoscopy is a recommended procedure for all people above 50 years of age (*now changed to age 45), to screen for colon and rectal cancer. It is through this test that small polyps in the colon, which can be pre-cancerous or early cancerous lesions, can be detected and removed. And though I am still a few years from fifty, yet with my strong family history, as my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, my good friend who is a gastroenterologist, recommended that I have the procedure done early according to the American Cancer Society’s Guideline. That was more than two years ago that I was told that, but I dragged my feet to have it done. Doctors can be the worst patient you know.
When I had my annual physical exam few months ago, my personal physician also recommended that I undergo colonoscopy. Now I cannot escape the doctor’s orders. So I finally gave in. Doctors like to give orders, but not necessarily like to follow their own advice or follow the orders they were given.
So there I was lying in the recovery room, still dazed from the sedatives I received during the procedure. As the doctor approached the stretcher where I was, it dawned on me that there was a big reversal of role. I was not the doctor in control. This time I was the patient.
The doctor came in, who was nicely dressed with his white coat on, while I was butt-naked with nothing on but a hospital gown. He towered over my bed confidently like the man in-charge, while I laid there feeling groggy and helpless. Not knowing what just happened as I was just coming out of sedation, I felt so vulnerable and invaded. If having a scope shoved down in you-know-where would not give you a feeling of invasion, I don’t know what will. And lastly, when my doctor came in to give me the news whether it be good or bad, he knew something that I don’t, and yet it concerns me, my health, my life.
So this is how a patient feels. Exposed and powerless. No option but to submit, for resistance is futile. Entrusting your life to the hands of somebody. Somebody you barely know, except for his name. Somebody that you can just hope, will take good care of you.
I am glad that I experienced being a patient, for it gave me a different kind of perspective. A point of view that I have never seen before. Though I don’t look forward of having my colonoscopy done again in about 5-10 years (*I had 2 more since then) as what was recommended. But I admit the floating, detached, and calm feeling from the medication was some kind of “high.”
The next time I stand over patients’ bed while they lay there defenseless, with my white coat on while they are almost naked, and with facts that I know while they don’t know and yet it concerns their life – I will certainly hold it with such high esteem and with utmost reverence, that trust that was given to me.
Being patient is a virtue. In my case, being “a patient” made me virtuous.
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(*words added to the original article)
Do they do colonoscopies under GA over there, doc? Just wondering 🤔
I had a gastroscopy for dysphagia and choking, under conscious sedation. I only had a small amount of midaz and I could not remember what happened in the suite 😆
Under conscious sedation also.
I see. I worked with a doc from Oz. She said they do things under GA over there, so I thought I’d ask how things are in your neck of the woods 😊
Wow, 45. Very early indeed! Used to be 60 in England (they automatically get sent an invitation to first do a FIT test via post. If +ve, they have an option to go for colonoscopy or CT). They’ve recently lowered the age to 55, I think, then eventually to 50.
I was part of a study where they piloted the use of camera capsules for those with FIT results of 10-100. I am hoping to see this added as an option to colonoscopy and CT scan someday. 😊
The thing with the camera capsule is that you still need to do the colonoscopy if something is found, that is to do the polypectomy.
Same with CT 😊! Indeed, colonoscopy remains the gold standard, but it was found that around 70% of those with FIT 10-100 do not need colonoscopy. That’s a huge number of patients who would have otherwise gone for colonoscopy unnecessarily. Out of the remaining 30%, a lot of them only needed flexible sigmoidoscopy. The remaining people who needed the colonoscopy had polyps removed or angiodysplasias sorted ☺️ I suppose the aim was to triage.
I have yet to see the final scores 😁 but the numbers were pretty much consistent throughout when I was involved in it.
I can appreciate the use of it. Malaking strain (as you know very well) ang nagawa ng pandemiya sa national services, kasama na ang endoscopy. Humahaba na ang waiting lists nila. Kung may paraan para makapagconcentrate sila sa therapeutics, I think they should consider embracing it.
Trouble is, will other people change their ways when presented with evidence? Nahirapan Kami sa hosp namin kasi ayaw pa rin nilang I refer to capsule endo Yung ibang patients so ang ending, they’re having to wait longer to be fitted in. Yung FIT 10-100 here should be seen and examined within 2 weeks. Nahihirapan Yung endo dept i-accommodate yung referrals sa sobrang haba ng list. Biglang nasa balita na naman ang national health sa haba ng waiting lists lol
Sa hosp namin, though, they use the capsule service to surveil people with IBD. I think with tech advancement, the resolution of the videos they collect are getting ultra high Def/4k na din. Very sharp images 😊
Yaiks, nobela na naman! I beg your pardon… 😁