TMI

[Bill Clifton]

Just remember that the false-positive with Cologuard is about 15%. Which means that you end up having to have a regular colonoscopy to verify or disprove the Cologuard. I had that happen to me last year at age 70 - spooked me a little because my ex-GF had colon cancer.

The problem with this is it winds up costing you more than likely.

Insurance will pay for a colonoscopy as preventive maintenance but if the Cologuard test shows a positive the colonoscopy is then keyed in as a procedure that you will have to pay deductible or whatever. This happened to my wife and fortunately turned out everything was fine but wound up costing a good sum of money for the Colonoscopy that would have otherwise been mostly covered by insurance alone.

Bottom line forget the poop in the box and just have your doctor set up a colonoscopy and get it over with.

 

[rjtfroggy]

Not to derail the original post to far, I was told by the urologist/oncologist that there are over 85,000 new cases of bladder cancer a year. Most go undetected until it is approaching the later stages, if it breaks through the bladder wall it spreads everywhere.
It has a nick name that I hesitate to write because many people will say I was never a f---f------r so they won't get checked, I was a f---f-----r and had never known about it.

 

[wkdickinson]

I had my first colonoscopy when I was about 55 (I was stubborn) , I am now 69 and have had 3 of them. The 1st time one huge polyp and was put on the 5 year plan, 2nd time 3-4 small ones and got put on the 2 year plan, last time only one tiny one, so I am back on the 5 year plan again. The procedure itself is a breeze, the prep as everyone has said isn't so much fun but not that bad either. Just do it and don't take chances with the mail-in tests. Life is short enough, no reason to take any more risk than is necessary!

 

[jpx2rk]

I was on the "annual plan" for several years due to the doc finding and removing one or more polyps each time. One polyp was large enough to take a few stiches "up there" so I got grounded for close to a week to allow healing. I finally got past that stage of being "fertile" and doc didn't find any polyps for the last 2 procedures, so now I'm on the 5 yr plan.

Wife has her procedure sch'd for 3/21, she is just hoping/praying I have recovered from cataract surgery on both of my eyes so I can be the driver that day.

 

[Jeff Porter]

To add to the conversation.. since we shoot out of doors most of the time, don’t forget about your skin. While getting a skin tag frozen off at the dermatologist , she looks at a mole on my chest and says “I don’t like that “… so she shaves it off and leaves a dime sized hole in me. When the biopsy came back as malignant melanoma … she took a 2”x 6” patch of skin. This will keep me from shooting for a few days. 24 stitches. But I got a boob lift out of the deal.

 

[INTJ]

You guys are all colon-o-scopey amateurs compared to me. 32 years ago I had my first as a consequence of mild UC. I was one of the first few pilots with UC to get back on full USAF flight status.

I just today had #14 or 15--I lost count. I also added an upper as well. It's only my second upper.

This is the second in a row completely clean scope I have had. The multi-BM days are giving way to the need to work on regularity. This is all very good things for me, and MASSIVELY TMI......

 

[topclass2017]

for my last colonoscopy I asked my wife to take a sharpie and write "abandon hope, all ye who enter here" just above my butt. She didn't think the doc would be amused

 

[wkdickinson]

Since the subject of being screen for bladder cancer came up in this thread, I should have mentioned in my previous post, I had that done about a year ago. During my annual physical they did a urine analysis and I had 3 things (some unit or measure) of blood in my urine and you are only allowed to have 2. So my Internist referred me to a Urologist who wanted to do an ultrasound of my kidneys and balder and "scope" my bladder. You can imagine how enthused I was about the "scoping" procedure - which is the point of this post.

Obviously short of surgery there is only one way into the bladder. I read about the procedure and was not looking forward to it all. However, after having it done I realized the anticipation was FAR worse than the actual procedure. They used a topical anesthetic at the entry point, the "bore scope" was very small in diameter and the coolest part of it all was a TV screen right above my head. So I could see exactly what the doctor was seeing and he did a play-by-play the for the entire trip. There was no pain involved, just a bit of discomfort when the scope passed through the muscle that stops your urine. Other than that it was a piece of cake. Plus, they didn't find anything wrong!

So if you need to get that done, don't hesitate, it's a snap compared to the alternative.

 

[rjtfroggy]

Since the subject of being screen for bladder cancer came up in this thread, I should have mentioned in my previous post, I had that done about a year ago. During my annual physical they did a urine analysis and I had 3 things (some unit or measure) of blood in my urine and you are only allowed to have 2. So my Internist referred me to a Urologist who wanted to do an ultrasound of my kidneys and balder and "scope" my bladder. You can imagine how enthused I was about the "scoping" procedure - which is the point of this post.

Obviously short of surgery there is only one way into the bladder. I read about the procedure and was not looking forward to it all. However, after having it done I realized the anticipation was FAR worse than the actual procedure. They used a topical anesthetic at the entry point, the "bore scope" was very small in diameter and the coolest part of it all was a TV screen right above my head. So I could see exactly what the doctor was seeing and he did a play-by-play the for the entire trip. There was no pain involved, just a bit of discomfort when the scope passed through the muscle that stops your urine. Other than that it was a piece of cake. Plus, they didn't find anything wrong!

So if you need to get that done, don't hesitate, it's a snap compared to the alternative.

I had that procedure once, after that all procedures were under anesthesia because instead of a catheter size scope a 6mm scope is used so they can use the scraping and cutting tools. I had the second one done 11 times, each worse than the next.
I do not wish this on anyone so please get checked, yearly.

 

[loinhunter]

I've had 4 or 5 now, always have more than a few polyps, all benign so far..... Prep is lots easier now since my doc went to Gatorade and Miralax. I'm curious to see what my next one will be, as I am eating good and have lost about 50 pounds so far.

1. When they wheel me into the OR, I always say: "If I forget to tell you, I had a good time tonight"
2. Always ask for a "to go bottle" of propofol. They won't give it to you, but you should always ask, just in the off chance.........
3. They never let you sleep and it's such a good sleep. To all the nurses that woke me up afterwards, my apologies for my language when I order you to perform an impossible body function.
4. I woke up during my first procedure. No pain, just remember coming to and the doctor bellowed at me: "Be still!!". I was awake for maybe 3-4 seconds. He had the perfect job, 'cause he really was an AH. Glad he's gone. New doc is great.

The worst aftereffect I have is if they intubate me. Sore throat for a day or so, hard to take those shots of Woodford. Might as well be gasoline.

I go every 3 years. If you're not doing it, you should.

My wife says I told them the experience should be an attraction at Disney World. She said the nurses enjoyed my infirmity! Yeah, Woodford Reserve would be a little rough(worth it though). Next procedure Laws 8year Bonded will be my reward!

 

[Richard Jones]

@Jeff Porter Had one of those myself a couple of weeks ago. Got the stitches out Wednesday.

 

[SMguy]

I know this is a public forum but I figured I’d post a little bit about my last 8 weeks anyways, maybe it will help somebody, you never know. 8 weeks ago I sent off a cologuard test, you basically send your stool to a lab and they screen it for any signs of polyps or colon cancer. My test came back positive. Naturally your mind wanders and you’re in a state of limbo wondering if you have a serious problem or if it was a false positive, maybe just polyps…. It’s not a good place to be in, at least not the way my mind works.

I immediately started looking for a specialist and found one in Scottsdale. My local hospital is not the place to go for those matters, they have a very poor track record. I found a guy I liked after I did my research, gave his office call and schedule a consultation. He got me in me fairly fast and I ended up having colonoscopy. The results were one large polyp, he removed it and it tested negative, gave me a clean bill of health.

Why in the world would I share an experience like that? Simple. I procrastinated screening myself for years, I’m 55, should have done it at 50. The rate of colon cancer is rising and it’s being found at an earlier age. My doc said 45 is the new 50. I know it’s a crappy subject, pun intended, but if you’re my age or if your family has history of such things I’d encourage you to put aside your reservations and get checked out. You don’t have to have colonoscopy, they have tests that have a good track record. A colonoscopy is the best way to screen but I know being violated isn’t at the top of everybody’s list.

Gotta keep our shooter’s healthy. Health is wealth.

NO, YOU ARE MISTAKEN!!!! Checking for cancer of the colon starts at 45, or when a first degree relative developed it if tjat happenened earlier. It is NOT a big deal and is life saving. Pooping in a box and sending it of is a poor second. Just be an adult/ man and have the test....READ the directions and come with a clean colon so you don't waste everyone's time including your own. My dad died from colon cancer that Mets to his liver, I go back to a prep which invluded two days of clear liquids--which I still do and I always get the cleanest colon of the day award. I have had polyps in the past and am alive today bc as incidental finding my GI doc had me have a CT scan for something he saw on an upper exam---that turned out to be nothing but they again incidentally found a cancer of the kidney. Popped out my right kidney and 5 years on I am still agood to go. By the way I am a CRNA/anesthetist and sedate people for EGDs and colonoscopies every day---- only a fool puts off this life saving procedure---don't be a fool.

 

[SMguy]

You can also opt for a virtual colonoscopy, in which they can visualize all around the outside of the colon also. Only downside is if they see a polyp, you have to get the physical one. Insurance would rather pay for the virtual cause it costs them less. No anesthesia. I had it. They shoot some co2 in your bowel and radiologist does the test. Took 30 mins. Went & had lunch with wife & went shopping. Some smaller hospitals may not have the capability though.

This is a bs test for pussies, it is not as good as the real exam. Which is still not 100%. Stop fooling yourself with a 50% test , go get the real thing which is 95%+

 

[SMguy]

Smart move. In the process of getting the cologuard sample kit myself. I'm 68 and never been checked so it's time to git-er-done.

That test is NOT as good, it is maybe 50% -- just get the real thing-- colonoscopies start at 45

 

[SMguy]

and you wasted the money on the mail in test which have been around for at least 35 years, and the have always been iffy. there is a reason they say to get the scope at fifty and if colon cancer is in the family at 45! BTW the mail in test does nothing to find a polyp all it does is look for blood in the stool.

U r right , it can detect blood and it can also detect genetic changes with polyps, but it is only of limited value, just man up and get the real test and than GOD that good people are there to help save you

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

A stitch in time saves nine.

 

[gambleone]

This is a bs test for pussies, it is not as good as the real exam. Which is still not 100%. Stop fooling yourself with a 50% test , go get the real thing which is 95%+

Ever hear of a perforated colon? The virtual is actually better than the physical one, just that you need the real one if they spot a polyp. If you would have done your research you would have seen that the radiologist can visualize all around the outside of the colon being able to spot any problem areas. With the physical colonoscopy, the Dr is limited to only the interior. Also, not very wise calling people names on this forum.
Negative comments are prohibited last time i checked.

 

[markT]

 

[markT]

Had diverticulitis back in September. CT scan showed a mass on my right lung I had thoracic surgery on Monday and Dr said it was not cancer. Thank God! Recovery has been horrible. Extreme pain.

 

[Dave M.]

The procedure is a piece of cake. My last one when I was talking to the nurses and thought they were still prepping me, they said you are all done now.

Not saying anything, but I’m a little concerned that you didn’t notice they shoved a tube up your behind….lol.