It would be hard to convince a lot of people in puck-crazy Grand Forks that some things are more important than hockey. Especially if it’s a Central-Red River game with first place in the Eastern Dakota Conference on the line.

But with Tuesday night’s contest at Purpur Arena less than 48 hours away, there’s something that trumps it in importance to me.

I’m going to have my third colonoscopy Wednesday morning. In preparation — starting at noon Tuesday — I have to drink about a gallon of a mixture that will help to clean out my colon before the procedure.

As a consequence, I’ll be frequenting the bathroom often for a period of several hours after drinking the solution. That means I probably won’t be able to attend the game between the Knights and the Roughriders. And that will be hard for me, since my grandson plays for Central.

I should have checked the schedule before making the appointment for the colonoscopy. But 20/20 hindsight is another thing. And I could have rescheduled, but that would mean waiting another three or four months, since the doctor of my choosing is in high demand.

For those of you who don’t know, colonoscopy is a test that allows a doctor to look at the inner lining of your large intestine. The doc uses a thin, flexible tube called a colonscope for the procedure.

A colonoscopy can detect ulcers, polyps, tumors and areas of inflammation or bleeding. People who have a normal risk of colon cancer are urged to have one every five years after the age of 50. For people who have a family history of colon cancer like me, testing can begin earlier.

So far, my colonoscopies haven’t revealed any polyps or tumors, just a mild case of diverticulosis — a condition that develops when pouches form in the wall of the colon, part of the large intestine.

I’m hoping that’s all my doctor will find this go-around.

Then, I can get back to the “serious” business of hockey.