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Michelle Olgers, Director of Marketing and Communications, Virginia State University

Michelle Olgers

"After dragging my feet an entire year to do my recommended CRS at age 50, I finally scheduled my appointment. My primary care physician had given me the name of a doctor whom his office regularly recommended to patients. Because of some traveling I had to do for work, I scheduled the appointment about three months out. The office mailed me a thick packet of info on the procedure and called in a prescription to my local pharmacy for the products I needed to prep for the procedure.

Three months passed quickly; and before I knew it, it was one week before my CRS. I called my pharmacy to ensure that the items I needed were ready to pick up; I also checked that the over-the-counter item required for the prep was available. I picked up the items, and worked from home the next day as I started my 24-hour liquid diet and began to drink the colon-cleanse 'potions.'

I have to say that drinking the potion' wasn’t really that bad at all. My husband said it was because I was used to drinking what he likes to call 'vile concoctions' I make in the blender — drinks I like to call smoothies! Nonetheless, not eating for a day and drinking the less-than-yummy stuff was very tolerable. And the results, well, though not exactly pleasant, were just what the doctor ordered.

The next morning, my husband drove me to the out-patient office. I checked in, waited about 20 minutes, and was escorted to the back. I changed, talked to a few nurses and an anesthesiologist, and was then told to enjoy my 'nap.' For some reason, I was extremely tired that morning, so I welcomed the nap.

The nurse injected a fat syringe of clear liquid into my IV drip and said it would burn a bit, but would get better quickly. She was right.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up, procedure over. I never even knew it happened, and I had no tell-tale signs or aches or pains to even indicate anything was done to me. The doctor stopped in and gave me a clean bill of health, no problems. But, because my mother had polyps when she had her CRS, he recommended that I come back in five years instead of the usual 10.

After dressing, I was escorted out in a wheel chair to the car where my husband waited. The two of us drove five minutes to a Thai restaurant that, thankfully, was already open at 11:15, and we had a very enjoyable early lunch."

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Upcoming Webinars

"Taking the Fight to Colorectal Cancer: Latest advanced in early detection and treatment"

Presented by Dr. Khalid Matin, Medical Director, Community Oncology and Clinical Research Affiliation, VCU Massey Cancer Center

Date: March 7, 12:00 noon
WebEx: goo.gl/G6zdiA
Access code: 647 581 016
 

Past Webinars

Note: We've experienced issues with WebEx recordings playing in Firefox. If you get an error in Firefox, please try using a different browser, e.g., Chrome or Safari.

• Get the Facts: Breast Cancer
Presented by Dr. Young Ju, associate professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise

Breast cancer prevention and control: Key messages your community needs to hear
Presented by Kristin Harris, executive director of the Central Virginia affiliate of Susan G. Komen; and Carlin Rafie, Extension specialist with VCE

• Get moving to reduce your colorectal cancer risk

• Have your cake and eat it too: Decreasing your colorectal cancer risk through smart food choices

VIEW WEBINAR

• Colorectal Cancer: What is it, and how do I get screened?
Presented by Dr. Farrel Adkins, specialist in colorectal surgery, Carilion Healthcare; and
Dr. John Michos, medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

 

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Contact

Carlin Rafie
Adult Nutrition Specialist
crafie@vt.edu

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