Well hi there! It’s been quite a while since I have written a blog post but I wanted to pop back on here and use this platform to raise awareness for a cause that is very near and dear to me.
Just over three months ago at the age of 71, I lost my mum Lynda to colon cancer. She never got regular screenings as recommended by medical professionals. In contrast, my dad Jerry, celebrated 10 years colon cancer free at the end of March, all thanks to regular screenings. Same diagnosis, incredibly different journeys and outcomes.
When my mum got sick I vowed to advocate for my own health. Since I have a history of colon cancer on both sides, a year ago I talked to my family doctor about getting myself screened. When I met with the specialist she originally told me I could wait until I was 40, but when my mum passed (I am 38), I decided that I just couldn’t wait.
I know that there is a lot of anxiety around colonoscopies, specifically about the prep before the procedure. When my dad had his first one scheduled he was anxious about it for weeks and got even more worked up because of the horror stories other people told him about their experiences.
I am here to shut that down. While the process, especially the prep, can seem intimidating it is nowhere near as bad as people describe, I promise. So join me as I de-mystify the process with some humour sprinkled in!
Tuesday, May 6, 2025: Prep Day
The majority of my day was normal. I puttered around at home while enjoying a liquid diet that consisted of water, broth, clear juice, ginger ale, freezies, Gatorade, and Jell-O. If you are prepping for a colonoscopy, be sure to avoid anything red, orange, or purple as they can interfere with the doctor’s ability to see polyps or other issues in your colon!
Being hungry and badly wanting a snack was my biggest complaint.
5:00 pm: T-MINUS one hour until I had to drink THE PURGE. As prescribed, I took two Dulcolax pills and it was a bit of a struggle. Normally I can only swallow pills, even ones as tiny and these, with food.
When I was a teenager I was prescribed these tiny antacid pills and my mum was completely exasperated by my inability to swallow them. To fully paint the picture, you know when someone is really grumpy and you are trying not to laugh but that person knows it and becomes even grumpier? Well that’s what was happening. Eventually she wrapped one of the pills in cheese and shoved it at me. I couldn’t contain it any longer and burst out laughing. I told her she just made it five times the size, and also, I wasn't a cat. That finally made her crack and she started laughing too. I was able to take the pill with zero issues while eating a Cheezit. She was proud as she rolled her eyes at me.
5:45 pm: In anticipation of how much liquid I was going to have to drink over the next few hours I decided to have a hot shower. That always helps me drink a lot of water and anything that might assist in this endeavour was welcome.
6:00 pm: Cheers! Purg-Odan (pico-salax) dissolves in just 150ml of water. It is orange flavoured (though I have heard there’s a fruit punch option as well!) and it’s not that bad at all. I found it kind of similar to Emergen-C. I knocked it back in four gulps.
The assumption that a lot of people make when it comes to colonoscopy prep is that you have to drink the gallon jug (PEG aka polyethylene glycol) but there are other options! One of the reasons there is a full gallon of that stuff to drink is because it forces you to get enough fluids and electrolytes. I think this is the biggest source of anxiety for folks. If drinking that atrocity is a concern for you then please talk to the doctor/clinic performing the procedure! It doesn’t need to be a barrier for you getting a simple screening.
With Purg-Odan, all you have to do is ensure that you are consuming enough liquid. It is an osmotic laxative that uses the water in your system to increase water in your colon which helps to flush everything out. After you drink the purge liquid you are instructed to drink at least 1.5 litres over the next two hours, and then at least 250ml of liquid every hour until you go to bed.
Also - I laughed really hard at the warning on the package to make sure you have access to a toilet.
7:00 pm: So it begins… I was truthfully a bit anxious about this stage, but it’s not nearly as bad as I expected. The drained/blah feeling you get with a regular bout of digestive distress is non-existent because your body is so prepared and SO hydrated. I didn’t feel like I was glued to the toilet, but certainly made frequent trips. I have eaten things with too much dairy that have done equally horrific if not worse things to my digestive tract so this was tolerable.
8:00 pm: I had never been happier in my life to own a bidet attachment for my toilet. Apply Vaseline or zinc oxide cream liberally for relief.
9:00 pm: It was safe to properly settle down again, but with the amount of liquid I had to drink, I was still making frequent trips to the bathroom to pee.
10:00 pm: My discomfort at this point was due to the sheer amount of liquid I had consumed. My stomach felt like it was bursting. Still peeing a lot which raised concerns about how well I am going to sleep.
11:00 pm: I took this as an opportunity to replace the batteries in my toilet nightlight. It’s an LED that rotates colours and it delights me. My mum got me one as a joke for Christmas a few years back, and once I figured out what it was we both laughed heartily.
I made sure my bladder was as empty as it could possibly be while enjoying my illuminated toilet bowl, and then headed to bed.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025: Procedure Day
5:30 am: It is well known that I am not a morning person so I genuinely thought that waking up at the crack of dawn would be the worst part of this. Having to take THE PURGE: 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS at 5:30 seemed like a nightmare. But honestly, even this wasn’t that bad. I slept solidly and the morning dose went down in six gulps. I was ready with more broth, Gatorade, and ice cold water to make sure I got the 1.5 litres of required liquid down once again.
6:30 am: Here we go again. There isn’t quite as much left in your system after the initial purge so the morning purge didn’t seem quite as bad. Plus the prospect of being able to eat real food in just a few more hours was a great motivation to get me through.
7:00 am: During prep, sneezing feels like the worst game of Russian roulette.
7:30 am: No more liquids before the procedure in two hours. I definitely had enough liquids in my system to sustain me.
8:45 am: Arrived at the hospital to check in. For me, being at the hospital was the hardest part. The last time I was at Joseph Brant Hospital my mum was ringing the bell to celebrate finishing chemo (October 2024). It felt so unfair that just a few months earlier we were feeling so hopeful and optimistic.
I took a number by the counter just like at the deli and waited for mine to be called. I had the necessary forms already filled out and signed; all I had to do was verify some basic information. I received a hospital bracelet, and was sent with paperwork in hand to the Endoscopy unit.
9:10 am: I handed my paperwork over to the friendly nurse in Endoscopy. She got me checked in, led me to a bed, and gave me instructions on the gown (open at the back, got it). It was important to visit the washroom one last time because my bladder was so very full of liquids. Got into the gown, took some deep breaths to calm my anxiety, and waited.
9:20 am: The nurse came by and got my IV started. No issues finding a vein because of how hydrated I was!
9:25 am: They wheeled me into one of the procedure rooms. I was smiling thinking of one of the times my mum was moved from the ICU to the step-down ICU unit when she was joking that she wanted a steering wheel on the bed so she could race it. That helped to keep me calm as my anxiety was ramping up a little bit.
In the room the anesthesiologist introduced himself and asked if I had any questions. I said I know a lot more than the average person because of the family history. He was very kind and we made small talk while waiting for the doctor to come in.
9:30 am: Show time! I scooched into the appropriate position on the bed and the anesthesiologist injected the sedation. I mentioned that I could taste it when it was injected into the IV and he asked curiously “Oh yeah? What does it taste like?” My answer of “I don’t know…” trailed off and I was out.
10:00 am (ish): I was so solidly out that I thought I was in my bedroom. I heard all kinds of people talking and didn’t understand why so many people were talking so loudly in my room. Then I opened my eyes and I remembered that I was indeed at the hospital. A nurse noticed me stirring and came over.
She told me that the doctor found one small polyp which was removed, but otherwise all good. The fact that they did find a polyp is the whole reason I did this. It is infinitely better to know what is going on than to live in denial. In a few weeks I have a follow up appointment where I will likely find out how many years until I need another colonoscopy.
The nurse told me she could call my dad to let him know he could come get me. I told her I could text him I just needed my phone.
Now friends, I don’t have the best track record of using my phone while coming off of anesthesia. The nonsense text messages I sent to people talking about a Lady Gaga dance party after my wisdom teeth surgery are legendary. But if you get a phone call, especially if you are expecting a very important phone call, do yourself a favour and let it go to voicemail. Don’t make embarrassing mistakes like your pal Emma! The logical part of my brain told me to let it go to voicemail, but the still loopy part of my brain said “OOOH A PHONE CALL!” and accepted that call.
Sigh.
Fast forward and I am home. I planned excessively when it came to my liquid diet, but I didn’t do enough planning for snacks and food that would be gentle on my stomach for after the procedure. I had some noodles with butter and cheese (a toddler favourite) for lunch, and at the risk of my stomach revolting, I got a burger and fries for dinner. While I thankfully faced no consequences for this, I strongly recommend you give your stomach a little break for the next two days while your system gets back to normal.
So that’s a colonoscopy! Was it fun? No. Would I do it again if I had to? In a heartbeat. I know firsthand what the alternative looks like. I would much rather be mildly inconvenienced for a couple days than go through a colon resection, chemotherapy, or worse.
Colon cancer is so preventable by regular screenings. If you don’t want to get screened for yourself, get screened for the people in your life that love you.
Denial is expensive. It can cost you your life. Face things head on and you will be stronger for it.
If you want to learn more about colon cancer, or if you feel so inclined to donate in my mother’s memory, visit the Colorectal Cancer Canada website.