Hi, Ardith...haven't typed at you since last year. 

 AH>  I understand colonoscopies are a drag... a female friend
 AH>  had one recently & told me she was hors de combat for three
 AH>  days.  The alternative could be worse, however, if further
 AH>  developments took place unchecked....  :-Q

  One time, they gave me this "Go-Lytely", which was nauseatingly tepid 
salt water. When I gagged on it, they said "we can put it up through
your nose", I groaned "No, I'll drink it"...man, that stuff was nasty!!

  Now, I take a bottle of clear citrate of magnesia (my late wife 
termed it "Sprite with a kick")...which is rather tart, but tastes
better chilled...followed by 3 Ducolax tablets, then one additional
Ducolax just before bed. Then, an enema the next morning (a few hours
before the procedure), and it cleans the colon out rather nicely!! As
a side, I take the clear citrate of magnesia...because while apparently
the red version of said solution does the same thing, it would make it
appear that there was blood in the colon...which is obviously not good.

  Plus, I drink clear flavored water ONLY the day before I take all the 
purgatives, then continue the clear flavored water the day of the 
purgatives (which is the day before the procedure). That helps clear 
the colon out better. So, while the clear liquids are 2 days before
the procedure, the actual purgatives are just 1 day before. With that
"Go-Lytely" it was like 2-3 days before. 

  That cleansing also had to be done before an IVP (to check the entire 
urinary tract for kidney stones or obstructions)...apparently, the colon 
is in front of the ureters, etc., and any fecal obstruction would block 
the view of the dye going through. I've had problems with an enlarged
prostate for years, but so far, the prostate specific antigen tests
have shown no cancer. But, I don't want to risk it getting so large
that it blocks the flow of urine out of the bladder. That is a MEDICAL
EMERGENCY known as AUR (acute urinary retention). I've been prepared for
a possible procedure where they remove the center of the prostate, so
the flow of urine out of the bladder isn't blocked. They also did a
cystocopy (what I call a front-end colonoscopy) on me in late November,
and it showed no blockage from the bladder, and the urethra, all the
way out the penis...which was good news. That sensation of passing a
4 millimeter kidney stone was not pleasant to say the least!! But, once
you have had one kidney stone, you are at risk for more.

  They do have me on Furosemide (generic of Lasix)...a diuretic...which 
helps take the fluid off my legs...mainly the lower calves. With drinking 
large amounts of Grape Gatorade (recommended by the urologist to replenish
the electrolytes), and the diuretic, I can pass 3500 cubic centimeters of 
urine in a day. I have to keep a diary on what fluids I take in, and how
much urine I'm excreting. They are trying to figure out why my urinary
tract is getting as ornery as my digestive tract.

  Speaking of which, I used to have terrible abdominal cramps after the 
colonoscopy, but a fellow ham radio operator (who is now a retired 
gastrointerologist) told me to tell the doctor "to let the air out
of my rear end tire before removing the colonoscope". It did the trick...
no cramps, and aside from being groggy, I felt like a million bucks!!

  They did find several benign polyps a few years ago, but none since
then, and it's better to be safe than sorry. Colon/colorectal cancer
is the second greatest killer behind breast cancer and heart disease.

 AH@>           Uh-huh.  So it's not a disease affecting only overweight
 AH@> middle-aged guys who love their meat & potatoes, contrary to popular
 AH@> belief... [wry grin].

  The dangerous thing is that in its early stages, there are no symptoms
whatsoever. I've heard way too many stories of folks who waited until
they felt lousy to go to the doctor...and in the case of cancer, by
then, it's too late. The BEST time to see your doctor is when you're
feeling great...seriously. :)

  On a side note, when I took my dachshund into the vet several years
ago, I asked the vet why the dog did certain things, the vet replied
"he's a dog"...to which I said "well he don't look like no darn cat, 
doc!!"...to which came the reply "Correct...that'll be $50 please". 
My wife died of a massive heart attack 3 weeks shy of our 4th anniversary,
and we had to have the dachshund put to sleep...he became diabetic,
resistant to the insulin, then went blind from cataracts and glaucoma.
But, he had a working nose, and a full set of teeth!!

 AH@>           Reminds me of a neighbour of ours who died from a
 AH@> particularly fast- growing variety of prostate cancer which then spread
 AH@> elsewhere.  He was afraid he might have cancer, so he put off
 AH@> consulting his doctor about it until there wasn't much anybody could do
 AH@> to help.  His wife blamed the ER for not noticing he had bone cancer
 AH@> when he broke a couple of ribs as a result of falling off a high shelf
 AH@> at work.  I felt saddened that neither of them got the picture even
 AH@> though they lived in close proximity to the home of the SURVIVOR
 AH@> echo....  :-(

  Now that I'm over 50, I have yearly cancer checks...prostate, testicular,
colon, esophageal...you name it. The thing is, I had to have these done at
least 13 months apart, or Medicare won't pay for it. The prep work may be
literally a pain in the butt (pun intended), but if nothing is found, it
makes it all worth it. Conversely, if something is found that's either 
benign (pre-stage 1), or at stage 1...and removed...you have a 90% chance
of survival. It's shocking how those percentages plummet once it goes to
stage 2, and especially 3 and 4. 

 AH@>           Because of your IBS, however, you are monitored at regular
 AH@> intervals for such things.  It seems to me that every cloud has a
 AH@> silver lining....  ;-)

  Cancer has run in my family...and I doubt any family has escaped the
sting of that scourge. I lost an uncle (my Dad's brother) to colon cancer...
my grandmother to lung cancer...and both my Dad and an aunt (his sister) to
pancreatic cancer.

  On another note, I'm going in on Tuesday for a Doppler Ultrasound to 
check for blood clots. Since I spend at least an hour a day working with 
the BBS, playing games, and reading the message areas (as I'm doing now...
thank goodness for QWK mail!)...not to mention sometimes the flareup of IBS 
tends for long sits on the toilet...that could develop blood clots. While 
those in the legs are "working against gravity" to work up to the heart, 
lungs, or brain...if one does, the outcome is usually fatal. :( 

  From what I've read on WebMD (excellent website, but not a substitute
for your physicians advice), there isn't any prep work for that Doppler
Ultrasound, per se. However, I will have to strip naked (which doesn't
bother me...the medical staff is there to save my butt, not kiss it)...
and they'll use that deal with a COLD gel to check for clots. If clots
are found, they'll likely put me on Cumadin (warfarin, the same 
ingredient in rat poison), to thin it. While I have Naproxen Sodium
for pain, any aspirin acts as a blood thinner, so I try to avoid that.
The closest I get to aspirin, is the Walgreens Migrane Tablets (I take
a max of 2 a day, when I need it). My Mom takes an 81 milligram aspirin
tablet each day, advised by her doctor, and we saw them when I was helping
her with grocery shopping at Wal-Mart earlier this month.

  Lastly, my Mom ordered this "portable exercise device"...with pedals,
and handlebars...to exercise both the feet and hands, while you are
seated. It's not an actual bicycle, but it does provide exercise for
both your arms and legs.

Daryl

... Bad Restaurant: Hospital map on the back of the menu.
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