Everyday, we comb through hundreds of news stories to keep you up to date with the latest in colorectal cancer news, and sometimes it’s the experience of average men and women who catch our eye the most.

I came across this article while checking out Twitter conversations about colonoscopies. In it, one brave woman explains her reasons for choosing to face the procedure sedation and anesthesia-free.

Like many folks, Jan experiences unpleasant recovery from anesthesia, and so she opted for a drug-free colonoscopy. She was able to watch the doctor navigate her colon and remove a small polyp for biopsy. She writes, “I could watch everything unfold on screen and knew exactly what the gastroenterologist was doing. While rare, perforations of the bowel have happened during colonoscopies.” Some patients may indeed find the sense of control more comforting than full sedation.

Another benefit for Jan was the quick recovery time- there was no need to be driven home from the appointment. As for discomfort, she describes it as minimal, the worst of it being a temporary cramping sensation that lasted about 30 seconds. She agrees with many people that the preparation was much more uncomfortable than the actual procedure- and she was awake for every second of it!

Please give the full article a read and show your support! We’re so glad that Jan shared her experiences and we hope that it puts you at ease for your next check-up, whether you choose anesthesia or not.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2747529/why_i_chose_colonoscopy_without_sedation.html?cat=5