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Be Well NP Adult Health & Wellness

I Completed the First Colonoscopy—My Tips for You.As a 49 year-old female and cancer survivor, I decided not to wait unt...
03/20/2023

I Completed the First Colonoscopy—My Tips for You.

As a 49 year-old female and cancer survivor, I decided not to wait until age 50 to do the routine colon cancer screening. I also selected the ‘Gold Standard’ of screening colonoscopy. My procedure was Monday March 6. This is after being referred in August, waiting until January 12 for the Nursing Education Phone Call, receiving the preparation instructions by mail, and picking up “The Prep” at the pharmacy. If you want to see my specific prep instructions, please look in the comments section.

Comments or Tips on my experience are as follows:

1. I found it challenging to drink all the liquid in the recommended time frame, though I typically drink about 1.5 liters of water every day, in addition to my coffee and milk. You might consider upping your liquid intake for several days before drinking the prep as ‘training’.

2. The prep liquid tastes like a weakly salty/baking soda taste. The pharmacist did not include the flavor packet. I drank some plain and some with a bit of Crystal Light Lemonade mix.

3. Writing myself a ‘menu’ helped keep me on track, for example:
a. 9:00 a.m. Clear Liquids only
b. 2:00 p.m. Mix up Prep and store in fridge
c. 5:00- 6:30 p.m. drink 2.5 liters of prep
d. 6:00 p.m. Start Sh****ng (don’t plan to leave home or engage in any activity that cannot be rudely interrupted)

4. I looked forward to completing the screening as it is in my best health interest. I told myself to enjoy the fact that this ‘suffering’ has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. How often in life are we lucky enough to know there is an end to our suffering?

5. There were two worst parts for me: First was the initial onset of ‘s**tting’, though once the solid matter was out the ‘peeing out my butt’ was not an issue. Once the liquid coming out your backside is clear, you are ‘in the clear’. You will likely need to drink more prep during hours 5 to 4 prior to the procedure. Expect to see some morning ‘sediment’ in the bowel movement.

6. Once the BM liquid is clear the morning of the procedure, you can stop the prep. It is MORE IMPORTANT to have nothing by mouth at least 4 hours prior to the procedure than to finish the prep—you better be clear by then!

7. The surgery center staff were experts—so efficient. The sedation was quite enjoyable, I was out in about 3 minutes, woke up after 10 minutes in recovery room. I had a warm blanket and some juice, the RN allowed me to get dressed while my spouse drove around to pick me up. I went home and cozied down in my bed for several hours.

8. The second worst part for me was the abdominal tenderness the next day. I was told to expect this, and it only lasted about a day, my lower tummy felt tender, kind of like after stomach flu, but without the nausea and vomiting, and hey, I’d already completed the diarrhea part.

9. My colon had a single 10mm polyp which was removed during the colonoscopy. On biopsy it turned out to be a sessile serrated polyp that is precancerous but does not contain cancer. I will repeat the colonoscopy in 3 years.

Good luck to you on your colon cancer screening journey! I am happy to answer what questions I can for you, and likely your Primary Care Provider and Gastroenterologist can offer better answers more specific to your individual medical profile.

An issue of Public Health.Young people often have a feeling of invincibility or "it can't happen to me". As a cancer sur...
03/20/2023

An issue of Public Health.
Young people often have a feeling of invincibility or "it can't happen to me". As a cancer survivor diagnosed at age 14, I know it can happen. Please get screened.

If you're in your 20s, 30s or 40s, you need to know the signs to watch for and when to seek screening or treatment for colorectal cancer.

Need low-cost Exercise equipment for Home? Try this.I often check out Ross, Marshall's, or TJ Maxx for exercise equipmen...
01/30/2023

Need low-cost Exercise equipment for Home? Try this.

I often check out Ross, Marshall's, or TJ Maxx for exercise equipment. Their stock varies, of course, depending on the time of year. December and January are excellent months to check out availability. I have seen dumbbell sets, kettle balls, waist trainers, gloves, resistance bands, and more. You can set up a modest home gym with these items. Add a sturdy chair or step stool to the mix for leg presses, triceps dips, and more. Use your imagination!

WHY AREN’T MY MEDICATIONS BEING REFILLED?I often hear from patients that their medications are not being refilled; there...
01/30/2023

WHY AREN’T MY MEDICATIONS BEING REFILLED?

I often hear from patients that their medications are not being refilled; there are many possible reasons:

Patients have not been seen in the last 12 months and need updated labs.

Did you know that Providers much check at least a CMP/metabolic panel for liver and kidney function at least once a year to make sure that liver and kidney function is adequate to clear medications?

Patients with chronic conditions, such as Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Diabetes, or Thyroid issues.
They need to be seen by their Provider at least every 3, 4, or 6 months to monitor the condition and ensure the medication dose is still appropriate.

Was the medication prescribed for an acute/short term condition, and the patient continues to take the medication beyond the initial treatment duration?
The patient needs to be seen by the Provider to evaluate the ongoing need for the medication or to see if there are other tests or treatments that need to be performed to treat a condition that has now become chronic.

Was the medication requesting to be refilled initially prescribe by another Provider the patient is no longer seeing?
It is likely the pharmacy is sending the refill request to the ‘old’ Provider and not the new Provider, in which case the refill will not be approved. The patient will need an appointment with their new/current Provider to discuss why patient is taking this medication and get a new prescription.

The pharmacy may tell the patient they have sent a refill request and has not hear back from the Provider.
In this case the patient needs to contact the Provider and request the medication; this may involve scheduling an appointment.

Please know that Providers want to help and not harm patients. Providers are not being ‘mean’ or punitive in refusing to refill a medication.

Trust that the Provider has the patient’s best health in mind.

No time to exercise? Try this!I heart this 7-minute workout (it takes me 8.26 minutes). Routine does not require any spe...
01/29/2023

No time to exercise? Try this!

I heart this 7-minute workout (it takes me 8.26 minutes). Routine does not require any special equipment--you'll need a floor and a chair. I modify some exercises--pushups and superman's I do on the stairs/incline or from my knees, side plank with one bent knee on floor, and I do marching or knee lifts with upper arm pull downs instead of the high stepping.

Greetings I’m Sharon Collins a licensed and board certified nurse practitioner specializing in primary care for adults a...
01/28/2023

Greetings I’m Sharon Collins a licensed and board certified nurse practitioner specializing in primary care for adults ages 15 to forever.
I am also a registered nurse, a registered public health nurse, and I have a master’s degree in nursing from University of California at San Francisco.
My interests are patient education, quality of life, exercise and nutrition, and consumer advocacy.
This content has been developed with the intention to reach the general adult healthcare audience.
It is not intended to diagnose or treat a specific person or condition. If you relate to some of the content, you are encouraged to address your concerns with your primary care provider.

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