I had a recent colonoscopy which is when a camera is inserted into the colon to check if you have any pre-cancerous polyps. Polyps are common small growths and rarely cancerous. However following the colonoscopy I was surprised to be told that one of the polyps was malignant. This meant I had and have Colon Cancer.
My first response was one of detached disbelief. The word cancer seems so alien. It’s what other people get not me. It has taken several days for this diagnosis to sink in. I think I was in denial. I am writing this article to advise readers to be vigilant and hopefully to give them good advice. It is normal to be worried and yes a little, if not a lot, frightened.
Let’s start with why I decided to have a colonoscopy in the first place. I had various symptoms which were annoying but which I didn’t regard as serious. I was breathless, occasionally dizzy when I stood up too quickly and felt fatigued and tired. I visited an excellent doctor in Muscat who arranged for me to have a number of blood tests. I wasn’t surprised when the blood test results showed a low iron level. So, I thought, I have anaemia. Big deal. No problem, I would visit the nearest pharmacy and buy a bottle of iron supplement tablets and get on with my life.
I was somewhat taken aback when the doctor advised me to have an endoscopy (a camera down your throat) and a colonoscopy (a camera into the other end.) This struck me as excessive. After all I only had anaemia. However the doctor insisted and so I agreed. These procedures are a walk in the park. You are placed into a deep sedation which feels like having an afternoon nap and you feel no discomfort at all.
Now here’s the first bit of advice. Anaemia is not an illness. Anaemia always has an underlying cause which is the illness. It is the symptom of something else that needs to be treated. So if for any reason you feel breathless, fatigued or suddenly sleeping too much go to the doctor and get yourself checked out to find out what’s causing these symptoms.
Colon cancer is often referred to as the silent killer because people have no symptoms or they ignore the symptoms. It is the third most common cancer and the second deadliest. If caught early it is easily cured but people tend to ignore its symptoms or have no symptoms. So if you have a sudden change in bowel habits, blood in your stools, sudden weight loss, pain or bloating that doesn’t go away or as in my case fatigue and breathlessness, go and see your doctor and don’t be fobbed off with a quick diagnosis of “oh you must take it easier” or “that’s what happens as you get older.” Insist on blood tests and if you have low iron anaemia get an endoscopy and a colonoscopy.
Early detection of colon cancer invariably leads to a complete cure. Next up for me is a CT scan to check whether the cancer has spread. After that it will hopefully be an operation to remove the cancer followed possibly by chemo therapy.
My final bit of advice is to check out your doctor’s qualifications. You need a doctor who specialises in the cancer you have been diagnosed with. Before I see any doctor I know everything about his qualifications and his experience. I will only see a doctor whom I feel has the right experience and qualifications to deal expertly with my health concern. After all you wouldn’t have your car repaired by a mechanic unless you knew he was experienced and well trained so why would you not do the same when it concerns a doctor and your health?
Karim Easterbrook
Former School Principal Cambridge U.K.
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