Have a happy colonoscopy!
To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say, “I can’t wait to have a colonoscopy.” Well, after having three, it was time for me to have number four. And yes, I waited. I was a year and a half behind schedule.
I was referred to Dr. Michele Thomas, and at the initial office visit she put me at ease. The best part was she never made me feel guilty that I hadn’t scheduled the procedure earlier. She said calmly, “You are here now, and that’s what counts.” With detailed instructions on the preparation and specific diet limitations prior to the procedure, it was all easy to follow. This was the first time I was given an option of prep choices, and I chose the pill regimen. No drinking gallons of a salty solution – instead pills at certain intervals with lots of water.
I arrived Feb. 26 at Beebe’s Outpatient Surgery Center on Route 24 and hoped I wouldn’t have anesthesia issues. Fortunately, my anesthesia team of Dr. Stephanie Allison and CRNA Sue Davis took amazing care of me, and assured me I would have no ill effects from the anesthesia. I was skeptical based on prior experiences. Just in case there were difficulties, I planned a day off following my procedure. Cynthia McMahon was my perioperative nurse and took excellent care of me while preparing me for the procedure. With a reassuring pre-op visit from Dr. Thomas, off to the operating room I went.
What happened next? I woke up in recovery with my husband Mark holding my hand and telling me it all went well! Huh? What? It’s over? My nurse Michelle Dwyer helped me through the post-op; she was so attentive and kind. Dr. Thomas confirmed all went well, and I’ll be diligent in scheduling my next colonoscopy when it’s time. There were no ill effects from anesthesia, and the next day I enjoyed a wonderful break, shopping and relaxing.
I’m celebrating Dr. Michele Thomas and this team that made me so comfortable during this important health screening! Estimates are that the number of new colorectal cancer cases for 2018 was 97,200, and there were 43,030 new cases of rectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the United States. It's expected to have caused about 50,630 deaths during 2018.
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