Probing for answers...hee hee hee.

There are many things in my genetics for which I am grateful. For the most part I am strong and healthy. I think my father once referred to me as "sturdy". lol There are also a few things which I would gladly do without. One of things my younger brother and I refer to as the "Bennett Bowels". Technically it should be the "Romney Bowels" being that it comes from my mother's lineage. Regardless of what you call it, it runs a gamut of symptoms ranging from frequent diarrhea to ulcerative colitis to polyps. (I will get to the reason for my graphic descriptions later.)
Due to my awesome, overactive digestive system I have the opportunity to undergo an invasive colonoscopy every five years. This all started when I was 21 and a precancerous polyp was discovered. Who would have thought having diarrhea may have saved my life? If I hadn't had that colonoscopy 11 years ago, my doc says it likely would have become cancerous. Crazy!
Between being pregnant, nursing and just not wanting to subject myself to the nastiness of the bowel prep, I put off having a routine colonoscopy for a few extra years. Last month I suddenly had a feeling it was time. I HATE, HATE,HATE the electrolyte nastiness you drink to cleanse your poop tubes. I think it is the texture that gets to me. I almost throw up with every gulp. Uggggg! Just thinking about it I just dry heaved in my mouth!
The Dr. who performed my procedure was awesome! He kept joking about how I was "special" to have such crappy (pun intended) bowels at such a young age. I told him to give me a punch card where every fifth colonoscopy was free. If he weren't about to "colonoscopize" me, I would have thought we were old friends.
To get on with it, the procedure went fine.( I woke up once in a previous colonoscopy when the nurse was pushing on my stomach and the doctor was pushing something else the other way.....let's just say it was awwwwwful.) In fact, when I came out of anesthesia, I started shouting and flailing my arms. Both the doc and staff began laughing HYSTERICALLY! I asked what I had just said, and the Dr. replied, "You yelled, 'Mike! Get out of my colon.'" Hahahahaha! No offense to any of you who may be into that kind of thing, but I have enough bowel issues. I have no idea where that outburst came from.
Dr. Fenton told me the procedure had gone well but that he had found more polyps and they were being sent out for biopsies. They way he said it as he grasped my arm made me nervous. There was no way something was wrong. Right? I waited in angst the following week Had I waited too long? I couldn't help but think about my mom waiting to hear back about test results and that made me worry even more. Fortunately, I received news that they were all BENIGN! Yay! Some did, however, show potential to turn into something cancerous so it was good I had them removed when I did. I WILL NEVER PUT THIS OFF AGAIN!
That is the reason for this graphic, personal post. It is SO important to take care of ourselves! Be sure to get your mammograms and pap smears and colonoscopies and annual physicals. SO many life threatening medical issues can be resolved if found early enough. I am grateful I listened to that little voice that kept nagging me to get checked. I owe it to myself and to my family to be proactive about my health.