Medical Technology Avenue archive: November 2009

Colonoscopy Procedure Part II

My mom underwent colonoscopy last week and it turned out to be fine—no bumps, no abnormalities. In other words, there are no signs of colon cancer.

The procedure was quick that it only took less than 30 minutes. My mom was sedated during the procedure. She just strained for seconds as the fiber optic camera reached the ascending part of her colon. In general, she was doing okay while the doctor (number 1 gastroenterologist in Davao City) was busy maneuvering the device to look at her colon.

Since we have a family history of colon cancer, she needs to undergo colonoscopy after five years. But if there are any changes in her bowel movement, she has to go through the same type of colon examination.

Although we have a family history of colon cancer, we can still decrease our risk of developing this type of cancer by eating fiber-rich foods and consume at least three portions of fruits high in fiber each day.

Colonoscopy Procedure: Its Cost And Preparation

My mom will undergo colonoscopy this week. This is an endoscopic examination of the colon. This procedure is imperative, especially when you have a family history of colon cancer. My maternal grandmother died of colon cancer many years ago and her children, including my mom, were advised to undergo colonoscopy when they reach the age of 50. This is to evaluate the risk of developing colon cancer.

In preparation for colonoscopy, mother will follow a soft diet, such as lugaw (rice porridge), a day before the examination. To clean her bowel, certain medication was given. Since that medication can induce frequent bowel movement, she must drink plenty of water in order to avoid dehydration. My mother's doctor recommended Gatorade.

Six hours of fasting before the procedure is also included in preparation for colonoscopy.

How about the cost of the procedure? Since my mother is a member of Philhealth, the cost of colonoscopy (in Davao City) is about PHP 12000.

Although the preparation for colonoscopy can cause some discomfort to patients, this procedure is still essential as a routine screening for colon cancer—you will be glad you underwent such exam.

Other topics of interest:
The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer
HDL Cholesterol: What Makes HDL A Good Cholesterol
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Mangosteen—A Miracle Cure?
Antioxidants Can Make You Slim

HDL Cholesterol: What Makes HDL A Good Cholesterol?

HDL stands for high density lipoprotein. It is also known as the "good" cholesterol because it lowers the risk of heart attack, carries cholesterol away from the arteries and sends it back to the liver, and it also wipes away excess cholesterol from the arterial plaque.

HDL is included in a lipid profile test, along with LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), triglycerides and total cholesterol. Lipid profile is usually requested to determine the risk of coronary heart disease. Blood is the specimen for this test. Before blood extraction, patient needs to undergo fasting for at eight to twelve hours.

Since HDL cholesterol is the good guy, you need it to fight against cholesterol related diseases. But how do you increase your HDL in the blood? One of the food varieties you can choose to increase HDL level is a food high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Then, be more physically active, maintain ideal weight, and quit smoking.

Other topics of interest:
Lose Weight With Herbalife
Skin Whitening—The Power Of L-Glutathione Of Whitelight
Aloe Vera Gel As Sunburn Remedy
How To Prevent Migraine?
Remedies For Bad Breath

Lose Weight With Herbalife

Lose weight nutritional shake mix Herbalife

Although my weight is ideal for my height, I still want to try the Nutritional Shake Mix of Herbalife. It is a weight management formula that works in 3 ways: weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance.
Since this shake mix of Herbalife is a meal replacement formulated, I can skip one full meal each day. Instead of eating cup of rice and viand for dinner, I just have to mix 2 tablespoons of chocolate-flavored Nutritional Shake Mix and approximately 220 ml of cold water as my dinner. But I have one problem. My stomach feels empty after a few minutes. So, to feed my growling stomach, I eat one fiber-rich fruit in conjunction with the said meal replacement shake mix.
My brother is using it for quite some time now and he's been successful in losing extra pounds.
But of course, you also need to be physically active and avoid eating fatty foods in order to be triumphant in losing weight. Get more fruits and vegetables if you really want to shed some pounds.