FOR RICHARD

Hi Richard.

I'm a big wimp when it comes to medical procedures and Lynn reckons that I'm a hypochondriac.

I'm the sort of person who hates being touched (except by women obviously), hates being stuck in a dentist chair and even hates getting a haircut with a barber fiddling with your head. It's invasive.

So, when the prospect of a colonoscopy came up in 2007 I wasn't best pleased. I'd had some severe lower stomach pains and my excellent GP (preceded first by my brilliant sister who is also a great diagnostician) said I was likely to have diverticulitis (polyps in the main bowel) and needed a colonoscopy to check things out.

At this time, in 2007 I'd never had that old finger-up-the-bum-to check-prostate and certainly no-one had done anything else to my rear end so wasn't looking forward to this. So - I had the procedure, it went OK with no major scares and conformation of diverticulitis (I just have to be careful what I eat, no tomato skins for example). All good. I had prescriptions for antibiotics so that if I experienced lower left gut pains I knew that I had an inflamed polyp usually from eating tomato with skin on and could self medicate.

When in Canada I had a flare up (an Italian restaurant's tomato sauce) and went to the medical centre for some antibiotics. I explained what the problem was and knew what I needed. The docs there though weren't about to just accept my explanation. Canada has a brilliant free medical system and they sent me off for a colonoscopy just over a week later - unheard of in NZ and impossible in UK and USA. All OK just confirmation of diverticulitis.

Back in NZ a couple of years ago I did that free bowel cancer screen test (as advised by our doctor) and something abnormal came up (see link). Off I was sent for a colonoscopy (the third) and used Southern Cross insurance to get it over with quickly. The result was again confirmation of  diverticulitis with no other worrying results but, as my doctor said, it's good at our ages to have the check.

Sorry about the ramble but I discovered that, apart from a bit of initial embarrassment, it's an easy procedure and 'another day at the office' for the medical staff. The specialist doctor is earning so much money per procedure that he's not worried and the drugs they give you make it all worthwhile anyway.

Just make sure that someone drives you home afterwards (you'll still be flying). I trust it will all go OK and that there will be no problems.

re my last colonoscopy see here:

GETTING REAMED UP THE ARSE