It has been 8 Years...........

[Kip Powick]

...since I posted this on AEF.

I hope you will indulge me and accept the fact that  as we move through life, there are things we can do to ensure our health remains as one of our priority's, not only for

oneself  but also for the sake of one's family and friends.....

June 2011

I had plans to make this entry an intriguing and exciting post …but common sense prevailed so here it is…………. in simple plain language…….. When I was 16 I had my appendix out…so long ago, who can remember?

 In my early 50’s I had laproscoptomy surgery to remove my gallbladder, a large stone was discovered during a chest X-Ray and it was thought that seeing I was a pilot, it should be removed. It was removed on a Friday, I went home on Sunday, was working my snow blower on Monday and back flying on Tuesday.(Airline MO was not happy about that sequence when he found out about it 4 months later during my semi annual medical)

 So here we are in 2011

 The month of May was what I would call rather “blaaaaah”. I was not feeling that great, seemed tired every few days. This was the month when I prepped the boat for our summer…seemed possible I was just getting a bit older…yeah that had to be it.

 Finally Scuba02 hounded me so much that at the end of May I went to see our GP…..Full blood test required….result …extremely low severe anemia…loosing blood somewhere…..WHAT !!!!!??? GP said I would need to be scoped from top to bottom ASAP in the mean time Iron pills… pronto.

Scoped top to bottom on 26 June…result, as I awoke from what is called “twilight anesthesia” was The doctor by the bed , shoulder to shoulder with Scuba 02 and his first words were” You have cancer in your colon and it has to come out “

 What?, Who is he talking to?, I twisted my head to see if there was someone beside me , no one there……....I looked back and saw Scuba02’s eyes filling and I knew I was the intended recipient  of his comments.

 Long story short, because someone I didn’t personally know, but knew me, I was hustled through the red tape, underwent all the required protocol and was in surgery in a minimum amount of time.  Prior to surgery I had 3 major concerns…..

 1)    had the cancer spread outside the colon ?

2)    would I require a colostomy bag attachment?

3)    how successful would the operation be ?

 Scuba02 and I devised a signal that would be relayed to me when I was wheeled out of recovery that would indicate that ALL was well because if any of you have had surgery you know damned well that when you open your eyes you can talk but initially  you will be damned if you can remember what you said or heard…visual clues , however do remain with one's mind.

 I remember being wheeled out and seeing Scuba02 by the bed with her forefinger on her  thumb….the perfect circle……..the international scuba signal that everything was OK !!!!! Relief.!!!!

 So here I sit, after 5 days in hospital with about 34 staples in a line from below my breastbone to just below the naval and the next item is to have them removed in 7 days.

 What is you point Kip………?

 Very simple…….don’t fool yourself into thinking “it will never happen to me”. As far as I know I have no history of cancer in my family..(I never have known who my birth father is…...I was adopted) so once again I became a “first” in our family, but not an envious “first”  in this case.

 When to have that first colonoscopy ?? That is a real dilemma but “generally it is accepted that starting at age 50 one should endure the procedure every 10 years. Family member with cancer….then every 3 or 5 years. Cancer is insidious and there is no data that indicates a fixed progression of growth.

 

The colonscopy procedure..

 For a fact it is less painful that having a small filling of a tooth NO, it is not the Canada Arm being rammed up your rectum by a team of high kicking draw mules. In a nutshell…one takes a oral laxative the day before, and the next day one gets a little IV drip, and one gets a “twi-light/light switch type” anesthetic,, ( some Doctors make the anesthetic optional...my proctologist asked if I wanted to watch the procedure on the monitor........I told him , "No......, perhaps I'll pick up the DVD at a later date"), 10 minutes later one wakes up, hears the verdict and gets a lift home….(no driving for 24 hours).

 PS……..If for some reason your doctor does not want to use an anesthetic, you have the right to request an anesthesiologist to attend…...I know I would have.

 The end….

 If this post causes just one individual to reconsider their thinking about the colonoscopy procedure, it will have been worth the use of all this band width.

 If you have any questions about my entire episode please feel free to PM me 

And lastly, if you are as lucky to have a woman as steadfast and true as my Scuba02, no matter what happens…you will make it. 

 

ADDED today....2019....

I hounded my three kids so much that they each  finally had a colonoscopy just to get me to shut up...but I do know they were relieved to know they checked out as negative...... and they will be called back in 5 years.

[blues deville]

Great story and advice Kip. Glad it all went well for you.

I’ve had mine at the required intervals but did lose a favourite uncle and a good friend because they didn’t. The prep for the exam isn’t the best night of your life but the one hour procedure, awake or asleep, will definitely help to save your life.

[Vsplat]

Agreed.  Saved my Dad. 

'But', he said with a smile, 'this really is a pain in the ...'

Sorry, could not resist

Vs

[vanishing point]

Great post, Kip.  I’ll be getting a 3-year follow up next month.  First time around, one benign polyp removed.  Now the 3-year checkup then 10 years if all is well.

For the record, I’ll be 58 on 5 May.

[Kip Powick]

57 minutes ago, vanishing point said:

Great post, Kip.  I’ll be getting a 3-year follow up next month.  First time around, one benign polyp removed.  Now the 3-year checkup then 10 years if all is well.

For the record, I’ll be 58 on 5 May.

Another Taurus ................03 May

[Innuendo]

Could not agree more. I have a three generation history of the women on my mother's side of the family and it saw my mother gone in her fifties.

The company Doc in YVR, (who I had a lot of time for), said, "Colon cancer could almost be called a preventable disease if caught early enough". 

The prep is not the greatest but the procedure is not too hard to take and the preventive value is "Priceless".

 

Edit: just realized on reading that my handle could be a very poor pun, but not intended. 

 

[thor]

Innuendo is Italian for enema.