« Colon? I don't want no stinkin' colon! | Main | Pathology Report »
November 05, 2003
Anatomy Lesson
Okay, because some folks have asked, here's the scoop on the colon. Until this, I always thought a colon was the eyes on the smiley :) but apparently it's just another name for the large intestine. The small intestine does most of the digestive work, and hooks up to the large intestine on your lower right side, above the hip (this is also where the appendix is). The large intestine runs up your right side (the ascending colon), across to the left side (the transverse colon), down your left side (the descending colon) and through a funny S shape (the sigmoid colon) to hook up to the rectum. I think you can guess what happens from that point on. The whole large intestine, if for some reason you wanted to stretch it out, is about 5-6 feet long, and most of what it absorbs from food is water, so having a chunk cut out of it isn't a big deal as far as digestion goes.
My tumor was the size of a tennis ball located in the ascending colon. No wonder the gastro specialist was surprised I was able to digest solid food! The surgeon made a 7" incision, angling from near my belly button up and to the right, moved aside (not cut!) the muscles, and cut the tumor and a good hunk of the surrounding colon out and reattached the remainder to the small intestine (this is called resection). Included in the tissue removed were 21 lymph nodes (there are lots left). He sealed it all with 18 surgical staples (removed a week later). The tumor went to the pathologists for disection.
A few days later and I was back on solid food. No colostomy bag was involved whatsoever (ew ew ew ew ew). By Saturday, I was at home. Belly laughs, coughing and sneezing were painful. Getting out of bed was a nightmare that I minimized by actually sliding to the floor, and ending in a crouch, otherwise I'd be in such pain that I'd have to go lie down. I was on pain killers, but within a few days was just taking Extra Strength Tylenol.
My doctor insisted on a month off work, with me taking naps whenever I felt tired (which was pretty damn often, so the month off work wasn't as much fun as it could have been).
I am not part of the population that would normally be considered at risk for colon cancer (over 50 and a family history are the qualifications). Thank goodness I had those dumb stomach pains, because colon cancer can take up to 10 years to develop with no warning until your stomach starts hurting. It has been recommended that my family have colonoscopies ASAP.
Here's a hint: if you're having abdominal pains and it's not the right time of the month for menstral pains (or you're a guy), you should go see your doctor. And if the doctor says "it's probably ovarian cysts" or "it's probably IBS" (irritated bowel syndrome) or "it's probably something you ate", keep pushing until he/she/they can tell you EXACTLY what it is. Especially if they say it's ovarian cysts, and you're a guy. That's just weird. Colonoscopies are pricey so insurance companies like to discourage doctors from recommending them (even when the insurance company is the government), but they're the best way of determining what's going on in there. As my boss told me: It's your health, be pushy.
Since some of you have seemed confused, here's a happy little diagram:
Posted by Nicole at November 5, 2003 04:36 PM