I really wasn’t going to mention this. It’s not something most of us talk about. Although maybe we should.
I was off on Friday because I had something I had to have done. A colonoscopy. Told you it wasn’t something we usually talk about.
But one thing I have to mention is, when it comes to certain things, our medical system still works pretty darn well.
I ended up being invited for a colonoscopy because I failed the test. I know. I should have studied harder. But it’s really not the sort of thing you can pull an all nighter to pass. You know the test I mean. Once you reach a certain age, they send them out as a sort of birthday card. You may have seen a similar version featuring a talking box on television. In our case, you don’t need to have a doctor order one. And you don’t need a box that tracks you down if you’re swimming or out walking the dog. For us, it’s that special birthday present.
I won’t say I always do them. Some years I have ignored them, although you probably shouldn’t. It might not be the most pleasant thing in the world, but it is pretty easy. Collect a small sample and mail it back. That’s it.
Only in this case, that wasn’t it. A couple weeks after sending mine in, I got a letter. It was from Cancer Care Nova Scotia. They had detected blood in my sample so I would need further tests. They also outline several very good reasons why this may be taking place, trying to set your mind at ease. But remembering back to the time I actually had a family doctor, referrals are usually not overnight things. They generally take a while.
So when I got a phone call the next week, it was a surprise. When I was told they had an opening in two weeks, it was an even bigger surprise. But I jumped at the chance. I wanted to get it over with. I wanted to find out, one way or another.
I know people who have discovered things they would rather not discover through these types of things, but if you find out early, you can start dealing with it.
In my case, there was nothing to really deal with. A couple little polyps that were harvested and sent for testing, but otherwise it looked good. He even gave me pictures of it afterwards. Although you may notice I haven’t shared those. You probably don’t need that.
But the thing is, while many of us still have family doctors, and even for those who don’t, there are things we can do to help ourselves. That simple little test they send out in the mail is one of them. There are others you may have to find a way to demand that they are done. But don’t ignore them.
It might not be the most pleasant thing in the world, but it can be a lot better than the alternative.
