Even though some people find it difficult to talk about colonoscopies and avoid them, there's nothing to fear, said Patty Harper, who received the colon cancer screening procedure in February.

"It's a walk in the park" and a lot more comfortable and convenient than it used to be even a few years ago, she said.

"It's not scary," said Harper, a retired nurse of Mills. "But is saves a lot of heartache and pain if you come down with colon cancer."

Harper received a colonoscopy for free from the Wyoming Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Program created by the Legislature in 2007.

First, she went to see Dr. Mary MacGuire for a preliminary appointment to make sure this was the right procedure for her and to discuss preparation for it.

The day before the procedure, Harper had to watch what she ate. For breakfast, she had toast and eggs, but after that she was allowed only clear liquids such as Sprite or chicken broth.

Around 4 p.m., she drank three tablespoons of a laxative medicine the doctor gave her with three glasses of water. She repeated the routine around 8 p.m.

The medicine had a bad taste and made her stay close to the bathroom for about six hours, but she needed to clean out her colon, or large intestine, before the procedure. Anything in the large intestine can block the doctor's view during the procedure.

She went to the Casper Surgical Center about 7:15 a.m. the next morning. Nurses put in an IV, the worst part of the entire procedure, and gave her another distasteful medicine, which put her to sleep.

Harper said she doesn't remember any of the procedure or calling seven family members on the way home from the surgical center to tell them she was all right.

Her husband, Dennis, brought her home about 11 a.m., and Patty Harper slept until about 2 p.m.

She woke up, felt no pain and went on about her day. She had a big roast beef sandwich from Arby's for dinner since she hadn't eaten in more than 24 hours.

Her husband said, "The stories are a lot worse than the procedure."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.