News

Learn, Learn, Learn, and Share Your Knowledge

Published Date: 02.17.2012

By Kevin D. Quinn, Deputy Chief of the Union Fire District and NVFC Alternate Director for Rhode Island

I have been in the fire service for 36 years and currently serve as the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Everyone Goes Home Courage To Be Safe Region I (New England) Advocate Manager. Each and every time I deliver the CTBS 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives, I stop and think about my own life experiences and share some anecdotal glimpses of the past. In this article, I want to share the impact of Initiative # 6, which states, “Develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.”

To set the stage, as a Deputy Fire Chief in the volunteer fire service, I have been privileged to work with so many qualified, dedicated professionals. For many of us, the lost family times have been a major sacrifice while giving our time to help others in need. I am fortunate to be married to a true supporter of a volunteer firefighter. My wife is a registered nurse and has been employed in the same hospital for 36 years. She is knowledgeable, skilled and current in her practice. She is the mainstay of my life, ever-so ready to keep me grounded.

A few years ago, as I was approaching the magic age of 50, I remember my wife encouraging me to consider getting a non-invasive colonoscopy procedure. I can clearly remember my response; basically ignoring it and giving the macho statement of “I’m all set with that!” Each year, on or about my birthday, the same conversation would take place and the encouragement to make an appointment to simply talk about the procedure and the preventative nature of the colonoscopy. And every year for the next three or four years my response was the same, “Not happening.” I write this article to make an impact on those that are approaching age 50 or, more importantly, those individuals who have reached that magic age of 50 and have maintained the same “I’m all set with that” stance.

I clearly remember reading an article by Billy Goldfeder in Firehouse Magazine and other fire service publications indicating the importance of scheduling a colonoscopy. I read the article and felt empowered through Billy G’s words (he has a special way of projecting firefighter safety) to act and schedule my first appointment with a GI specialist. Mind you, I have full respect, admiration, and appreciation of my wife’s knowledge as a skilled professional in the nursing field – but it took the brotherhood of a fellow firefighter to help me reach the true understanding and logic to take action.

When I asked my wife for a referral to see a gastroenterologist, she was extremely pleased. After all, she has seen the impact of colon and colorectal cancers. At the time, she felt a bit rewarded for all her words of encouragement and believed she influenced me to move from the “I’m all set with that attitude” to a “Let’s scope this out” consideration. I have since let her know that it really was a combination of her caring and Billy G’s message that prompted me to ask for the referral.

I made an appointment for the first introductory interview with Dr. Mo and scheduled my first colonoscopy for about three weeks later. At the end of this article, I have provided some information about what to expect as well as valuable links to help you gain a better understanding of the procedure. I truly encourage you to take 10 additional minutes or so to ponder the information.

Without going into too many details, after my colonoscopy I met with Dr. Mo for the follow-up. He indicated how potentially dangerous it would have been if my pre-cancerous polyps hadn’t been removed.  He displayed the pictures to show me the many polyps and in particular the size of the polyps growing inside of me. Talk about a scare. Fortunately, I listened to Billy G, and with my wife’s encouragement and support I made the appointment and had the procedure to remove those pre-cancerous growths. It saved my life! I think about what might have happened had I not acted. In fact, I don’t want to think about that result. I want to thank Billy Goldfeder and my wife for sharing information that is vital in the prevention of colon and colorectal cancer.

Dr. Mo placed me on the one-year plan for a colonoscopy. My annual colonoscopy continued over the next 2 years. Each year, I would prompt the good doctor to move my plan up to the five or three year interval. We are still in negotiations on that. The good news is that each year I go for the procedure, I come out clean and polyp free.

Although I have elaborated on my experience in this article, I provide the Reader’s Digest version when I deliver the EGH CTBS 16 Firefighter Initiatives. Further information on the Courage To Be Safe program and the initiatives can be found at: http://everyonegoeshome.com/initiatives.html

I encourage you to learn, learn, and learn more about your family history of colon and colorectal occurrences. Read Billy Goldfeder’s article; only he can provide his words with true meaning in his special way. Investigate the colonoscopy world. When you are in that magic 50-years old zone, take action. Remember it is a preventative action and you won’t feel a thing!

What to Expect

The prep for the procedure is the worse part of the procedure. Clear liquids the day before and a solution or pills (each specialist has their own preference) the night and morning before. Once at the facility/hospital, a nurse will ask you a few questions, have you undress, start an intravenous line, and place you on monitoring equipment. You will be covered with a sheet and asked to turn onto your left side. The nurse will then inject medicine into your IV that will relax you. (I remember counting back from 10 never even getting to 6.) 

The procedure is done in a darkened room so the physician can easily see the monitor as he/she examines your lower intestinal tract. The procedure itself takes anywhere from 20-40 minutes (although you won’t remember a thing). Most people are so relaxed that they are unaware that the procedure was completed. In my case, the polyps were removed through the scope, which did not cause any pain since there are no nerve endings on the inner side of one’s bowels. Any discomfort one might feel is from the doctor using a little air to get through the bowel due to nerve endings on the outside of the bowel when stretched. It is about the same discomfort when someone feels gassy. Passing that air is encouraged after the procedure. You are monitored for about 30 minutes.

I strongly urge you to take action and make your initial appointment. Especially if there is a history of polyps in your family, the recommended age for making an appointment then is prior to age 50. I share this information to increase firefighter safety. This is a simple procedure that could save your life. Take time for yourself! Your family depends upon you.

Where Can You Go for More Information?

Audio and Slide Presentation: Sidney J. Winawer, lead author for the National Polyp Study, discussed The Role of Colonoscopy and Polypectomy in the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer during the AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference in December, 2007.

National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse: Colonoscopy

Video of Katie Couric’s colonoscopy in 2000, credited for the “Couric Effect” that increased use of screening colonoscopy. Note: Katie is perhaps more awake and alert that most people would be. She says she wanted to be awake enough to ask questions during the taping.

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has answers to many patient questions about colonoscopy on their site Screen4ColonCancer.org.

Billy Goldfeder’s IAFC version of his colonoscopy article is posted on the IAFC web site: http://www.iafc.org/Operations/LegacyArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3731

Information on colorectal facts from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/

Firefighter Cancer Support resource: http://www.firefightercancersupport.org/

About the Author

Kevin D. Quinn has 36 years of experience in the fire service. He is a Deputy Chief of Union Fire District in Rhode Island, serves on the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Executive Committee, is NVFC Alternate Director for RI, Past President of the Rhode Island State Firemen’s League, Region 1 Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Everyone Goes Home-Courage to Be Safe Program, liaison of the South Kingstown Decontamination Unit, Hazardous Materials Technician on the Hope Valley HazMat Team, and member of numerous federal, state, and local exercise design management teams. Chief Quinn has served on the NVFC Board of Directors for 27 years and is the Executive Committee’s liaison to the NVFC Health and Safety Committee. Quinn serves as the Washington County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Chair. He has been a certified Wildland Firefighter for nearly ten years. He recently was appointed to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation’s LAST Team representing RI. Mr. Quinn taught high school for 30 years, retiring from South Kingstown in 2007. He holds a Master of Science in Counseling and Educational Psychology and a Master of Science in Education. He lives in South Kingstown, RI, with his wife LeeAnn. They have two children; Jonathan a Physical Education teacher in North Kingstown and Josh, a wildland firefighter with the Forest Service.

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