Kristen Bell's Elective Colonoscopy
- Actress Kristen Bell, 41, recently had an elective colonoscopy and detailed the experience on a new episode of the podcast Armchair Expert.
- Bell describes a sleepless night prior to the screening procedure; this is common, and a thorough cleansing of the colon before a colonoscopy is needed for the procedure. She wishes she would’ve known how tired she would be for the procedure, but describes the colonoscopy as being “super easy.”
- People aged 45 and over should get colonoscopies regularly; for people with a family history of colon cancer, like Bell, they should start screening earlier.
On a new episode of husband Dax Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert, Bell explains how the procedure went, how she prepared for it, and what she wishes she would’ve known prior to her colonoscopy.
Read MoreShepard lost both his father and stepfather to cancer, and has frequently spoken about cancer-related grief, cancer treatment, cancer caregiving, and cancer screenings on his show.
Bell’s Colonoscopy & What She Wishes She’d Known
Bell says she spent the night before her colonoscopy making frequent trips to the bathroom, which is common. Preparation for this screening test involves a thorough cleaning of the colon.
“I’d never had one before. You can’t eat for 24 hours [before it]. It used to be that you took this liquid but now there are pills [you take]. They were quarter-sized pills and you had to take 15 of them 10 hours before and then 5 hours before. So I took them at night before I went to bed.”
Bell describes how she wasn’t fully aware of how the pills would affect her. “I wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen after [I took the pills]. It’s absolute Draino. You have to wake up at 3 in the morning and do it again.”
Bell says she wishes she would’ve known before her colonoscopy that you don’t eat for 24 hours prior. She also wishes she had known, “You also don’t sleep for 24 hours because you’re up power-washing your insides. You can’t go to bed.”
The actress says the day of her procedure she was exhausted but also excited. “You know I love doctors. I’ve got a thousand questions [for them]. Everyone was super nice. It was super easy.” Bells says “It was absolutely great,” and she loved the bedside manner of her doctors.
“The cool thing about colonoscopies today,” says Bell, “is the doctor can remove polyps as they find them.”
How Does a Colon Polyp Turn into Cancer?
What Happens During a Colonoscopy?
During a colonoscopy, the doctor is looking for polyps small white growths in the colon. Polyps can turn into cancer, and 95% of them are precancerous. When they're found during a colonoscopy, the polyp may be sent to a lab for testing to see if it indicates a risk of the presence of or future development of colon cancer.
Related: Getting Cleaned Out for a Colonoscopy
While experts don't currently know exactly what causes colon cancer, they do point to certain risk factors. Risk factors for this disease may include one's diet, smoking tobacco, and drinking alcohol. Having a family history of colorectal cancer, as Bell does, can also increase the risk.
People with an average risk of developing colon cancer meaning, no history of colon cancer in the family and no history of Lynch syndrome (an inherited syndrome that increases your colon cancer risk) should begin getting colonoscopies at age 45. People with a family history of colon cancer should begin screening before 45.
Lowering Your Risk for Colon Cancer
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