01/31/2025
This post is part PSA and a huge part gratitude. In 2021, the recommendations for colon screening colonoscopy changed from age 50 to age 45. Had that not happened, I would be telling a very different story.
Last year, I turned “colonoscopy age” as I lovingly call all my friends when they turn 45.
I went in for my routine screening and expected to have a clean bill of health. My diet isn’t perfect, but I don’t check any of the risk factor boxes for colon cancer.
I awoke from the anesthesia to the GI doctor saying, “I’m really glad you came in.” Needless to say, that woke me out of my grogginess pretty quickly!
What he found was a 5 cm (2 inch) colon polyp that was found to be noncancerous…for now. He educated me that if I had come in at age 50, it would have “very likely” have been full blown colon cancer. It was so big that he wasn’t able to get the entire thing, so this morning, I went through a procedure called EMR - endoscopic mucosal resection, and it turns out that the polyp was even bigger than they realized.
To prepare for today’s surgery, try had me do “extended prep”, which meant twice the liquids and 2 days without solid food, but at no time could you find me grumpy about it. I prefer THAT a million times over to colon cancer treatment.
Those recommendations that the USPSTF changed probably saved my life. I hope if you are coming up on age 45 or just learned in this post today that you can get screened, you’ll take advantage. Colonoscopies and colon health aren’t something talk about near enough.
A huge thank you to the teams at MNGI Digestive Health AND Allina Health for their impeccable expertise, professionalism, care, and compassion.