Well, the weather outside is frightful. It's colorectal cancer awareness month. I write this column every year, and every year, letters come to me. Some say, "I finally went, and everything was FINE!

Five days before a colonoscopy, people usually need to move to low-fiber foods, such as white bread and eggs. For the last 1–3 days, they may only be consuming clear liquids and laxatives. A doctor ...