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Welcome to Medsplaining! I'm your host Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. I've made no secret about the fact that I've turned 50 this year, and with that milestone birthday came another milestone—my very first colonoscopy.
In this episode, I'm joined by my other daughter Becky to answer a listener question: What is it like to get a colonoscopy?
At this age, a screening colonoscopy to detect early signs of colorectal cancer is appropriate for anyone—regardless of family history or typical symptoms related to colon cancer (any changes in stool pattern, size, or colour; any pain with passing stools; and any other worrying symptoms such as unexplained anemia or weight loss). Seeing that I live a pretty healthy lifestyle, and don't have any of the symptoms associated with colorectal cancer, I went in there as a preventative measure, you know, because of the whole "turning 50" thing.
Imagine my shock when I found out that I had 5 polyps removed, 2 of which were already 8mm in size. Fortunately, these were all non-cancerous, but now I have to return in 3 years because of my elevated risk of future cancerous polyps. Colonoscopies are well worth the prep and are crucially important as early detection is often the difference between life and death when it comes to colorectal cancer.
If you are 50 or older, please speak to your doctor today. If you have a family history of colon cancer, you will want to start your screening 10 years earlier than the age of your relative's diagnosis. If you are having any symptoms, you will need to request a colonoscopy as soon as possible.
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Medsplaining is for educational purposes, not medical advice! ✨
