Pauly Polyp encourages regular colon screenings
September 17th, 2009 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Nobody enjoys colonoscopies, but they save lives. Regular colon screenings can detect polyps even before they become cancerous. It is recommended that people begin colon screenings beginning at age 50, or earlier if they have a family history or are exhibiting symptoms such as blood in the stool. But how can you convince someone he needs to have a colonoscopy? Just have Pauly Polyp do the asking.
Pauly Polyp, developed by Theda Care, uses humor and a bit of attitude to convince people age 50 and older to get a colonoscopy. When you enter the site, aptly titled “I Don’t Want A Colonoscopy,” you enter “Excuse Central.” Just type in an excuse and Pauly Polyp sympathizes, but then offers a helpful tip, “Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Schedule your colonoscopy today and kick colorectal cancer in the end.”
If you need to convince a loved one to get screened, consider sending him a Pauly Polyp e-card:
You spend a lot of time
In the bathroom anyway.
Get a colonoscopy.
Though the cards are humorous, they drive home the message that having colonoscopies are critically important.
Want a more intimate relationship with Pauly Polyp? Friend him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter. As one Pauly Polyp fan writes, “If you are faced with the colonoscopy, don’t sweat it. The day before sucks. The procedure itself is a breeze.”
The fan is right. Colonoscopies are generally safe procedures, but do keep in mind that some risks have been associated with some products used to cleanse the bowel prior to colonoscopy. These products, known as oral sodium phosphates, or OSPs, are available by prescription under the brand names Visicol or OsmoPrep, and were available over-the-counter in solution from by Fleet. Earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning on OSPs after studies linked the use of the products to a serious kidney injury known as acute phosphate nephropathy.
Just make sure to talk to your doctor about the risks, and your concerns.