Colonoscopies: What’s Your Excuse?

          Ladies, you faithfully make appointments for your mammogram. Guys, you get your PSA—even if joke about it amongst yourselves. That’s because we all know the value of preventive screenings. So tell me, ladies and gentlemen, of all the important medical screening tests which save lives, why is scheduling a colonoscopy first on the “most procrastinated” list? 

          I think I’ve heard all the excuses: “I can’t take time off work to recuperate.”  “I don’t know any gastroenterologists.” “There’s no colorectal cancer in my family.”  “I hear the preparation is messy and the procedure is painful.” “I only go to a female GYN so I only want a female GI.” 

          Let’s put it in perspective: We know that certain types of prostate cancer tend to affect men of Caribbean background and certain types of breast cancer affect women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. But colorectal cancer doesn’t adversely affect a specific gender or ethnic group at all. In fact, in America it is the second leading cause of death from cancers that affect both men and women. Most colorectal cancers develop from precancerous polyps. A colonoscopy can help detect and remove these polyps. That’s really the gist of it.

          What can we do at Downstate LICH to help? The physician referral service can help you find a gastroenterologist who accepts your insurance. The GI Lab is fully accredited and staffed with nurses who are specifically trained in GI procedures. Downstate LICH’s anesthesiologists see to your comfort. We instituted weekend hours to accommodate patients who wish to have a Saturday procedure. We have a Fellowship-trained female GI on staff—one of a very select group of women who practice gastroenterology in New York.

          And really, neither the preparation nor the procedure itself is that difficult.  Ask anyone who’s had a colonoscopy. In my last blog post, I wrote  that I want you to say “yes, always!” if someone asks you if the care you received at Downstate LICH was top-notch. I want you to be able to do the same for the screenings and outpatient procedures we can do to help you keep healthy and out of the hospital.  So schedule your screening colonoscopy soon.  Really—what’s your excuse?

 Yours in good health, Debra

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at debracarey.ceo@downstate.edu, and visit us at www.downstate.edu/LICH.