This morning was the every-five-years-until-I-die colonoscopy exam. My dad had colon cancer, so I do this. And of course I wouldn't rest until The EGE had one, too, never mind that he has no family history; African Americans are more likely to die from the disease. So he gets one every ten years; and I get one every five.
Now, I know that many people don't have health insurance and can't afford the tests they need. I think that all those tests--from colonoscopies to mammograms to stress tests--should be made available to everyone. Sure, it would be expensive, but not nearly as expensive as the treatment once disease develops and progresses. Of course, I think a lot of other things about health care, too, mostly having to do with all the various ways people abuse their bodies and are in denial about their diets.
But never mind that. If you *do* have insurance, and you're over 50, please schedule a colonoscopy today. It's not pleasant, but it's not painful, and you'll live through it. I had my first one at age 50, right after my dad was diagnosed. I had a nice, healthy, polyp-free little colon. I had my second one today, and there was a polyp (removed during the procedure) and, amazingly, diverticulosis. This is quite amazing to me, and The EGE and I are pretty much stunned and baffled: the gastroenterologist talked to The EGE while I was off somewhere waking up, explaining what diverticulitis is and what they believe causes it.
His recommendation? Eat more fruits and vegetables, more whole grain. Get more fiber.
Goodlordallmighty. That's almost all we eat! We cannot figure out how we could possibly get any more fiber. Benefiber, fiber wafers, bran fiber muffins (me--this is my regular breakfast), steamed vegetables--a LOT of them--every night for dinner. I'm not a big fruit fan, but The EGE loves almost every kind of fruit and always has a variety in the house, so I do eat some almost every day. The only way to get more fiber would be, geez, I don't even know. A permanent IV? We eat more vegetables than anyone we know, and I don't mean lettuce and tomatoes (the former is mostly water; the latter, a fruit). I mean broccoli and cauliflower, carrots and squash and zucchini. Avocados. Huge amounts of spinach, which I adore.
The EGE was sitting on the porch telling me this (he's explained his conversation with the dr. several times, but I can't remember any of it until the rest of the drugs wear off. Even then, of course, it's iffy whether I'll remember), shaking his head and saying, "That's all I feed you." That's true: I have the most excellent diet imaginable, prepared just for me by a former health teacher who believes firmly in the power of a good diet.
Diverticulosis is common among--ahem--"the elderly," it says. I think I'll ignore that and just use it as an excuse to eat more spinach. I'm like the guy in Forrest Gump. Broiled spinach, fried spinach, spinach salad, raw spinach, sauteed spinach. Spinach pie. No, I've never had it, but I bet I'd like it.
Anyway, it's amazing what you can find out from these tests, in addition to what you meant to find out in the first place.
I feel great--I've been napping with Moe. Because of the minor surgery (polyp removal), you can't lift anything for 48 hours. Good thing I just happened to remember this as I bent over to pick up Moe. At 20 pounds, he probably counts as heavy lifting. I'm always telling him, as he walks over the top of me and plants a paw in my ribs, "Moe! You're not my brother! Please!"
You know: "he ain't heavy; he's my brother."
Go check your records, find out what tests you need, make the appointments. If the prep is icky, we'll all listen to you whine about it.
XO
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"Common among the elderly" maybe, but my spouse and another good friend both have diverticulosis, and both are younger than you and me. My spouse finds that if he drinks a big glass of soluble fiber (psyllium) at morning and one at night, the condition doesn't progress to full-on diverticulitis. It's probable that your fiber-rich diet has kept you asymptomic!
Diverticulosis also runs in families. My doctor told me no more popcorn, which I mostly adhere to. Tiny seeds like sunflower seeds are another problem.The main thing is not to do a lot of things that aggravate it as katzenjammy pointed out. You're doing the right thing.
You really don't want the diverticulosis to get worse. It is painful. My Dad thought he was having another heart attack, but then he is a guy, and he has a low tolerance to pain. He has had a heart attack, so it scared me into watching it. Nuts, popcorn, little hidden seeds like in strawberries. Which makes no sense if you are supposed to increase your fiber. Spinach pie is delish. You can also make Greek dolmathas (?) that are yummy.
I had my first colonoscopy at 50 and due in a couple of years. They aren't awful, just the prep is inconvinent. On the plus side, the drugs your are given are heavenly.
So, as Rice said, go have it done!!! I lost an uncle and a cousin to colon cancer. The cousin put her head in the sand after her Dad died and went on to die a painful death before age 48. Sorry, but that's the facts.
Thanks, Jeannie. I'm sorry to hear about your uncle and cousin, and I thank you for helping me remind people. Oh, I adore dolmadas (? I've heard various people call them various things, which makes it difficult sometimes when you're trying to find them and use the wrong term and they just look at you). Like I said, almost anything you can do to spinach= yum!
There is such thing as spinach pie! It's a greek dish and it is super tasty, made with phyllo sheets. You have to try it!
http://greekfood.about.com/od/pansizedpies/r/Spinach-Pie-With-Feta-Spanakopita.htm
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