Colonoscopy....

[goathunter.oregon]

Man, what a gut punch. Damn. Very sorry for your loss. One thing that we've seen reinforced here is that early detection really does save lives.

@Broomd , thanks I appreciate that. I miss him every day. I guess the other thing I want to mention is that it's easy to get complacent and not schedule the health checks that we know we should do. For whatever reason, my mother was avoiding getting a colonoscopy and then when my brother was diagnosed with cancer, she finally got it done. It was a good thing she did too, because the doctor found and removed polyps that likely would have turned into cancer down the road. Had my brother not been diagnosed, she might be the one facing cancer now. What we do (or don't do) influences family around us and if you go and get checked, you might be influencing the rest of your family to do the same and maybe save their lives.

 

[Kimber7man]

@Broomd , thanks I appreciate that. I miss him every day. I guess the other thing I want to mention is that it's easy to get complacent and not schedule the health checks that we know we should do. For whatever reason, my mother was avoiding getting a colonoscopy and then when my brother was diagnosed with cancer, she finally got it done. It was a good thing she did too, because the doctor found and removed polyps that likely would have turned into cancer down the road. Had my brother not been diagnosed, she might be the one facing cancer now. What we do (or don't do) influences family around us and if you go and get checked, you might be influencing the rest of your family to do the same and maybe save their lives.

My brother helped save my life too. He had a bothersome mole and got it checked out. It was melanoma. Made me decide to go get checked. First full body screening they found a suspicious mole on my chest, yep it was melanoma also. Go that sucker cut out and fortunately it was less than 1 mm so was able to get it before it spread. I go back every 6 months for screenings now and have had a couple more squamous cells cut out. Only advise I can give is get checked and don’t delay.

 

[Redfeathers]

If you give a rat's a$$ about watching your kids/grandkids grow up, do it!!
Like stated above, worst part is the wonderful magic juice. Lost friends due to being embarrassed about the procedure and the magic juice.

 

[Big_Sky]

I am headed in at noon today for mine. The Gatorade prep wasn't bad at all. Went for a run right before I had to start drinking the prep and the 64oz of Gatorade went down pretty easy.


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[Big_Sky]

Eazy Peazy. In and out in 2 hours. Headed for a cheeseburger and beer.


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[reloader41]

So I am an anesthesiologist and have had several uppers and lowers and have covered several out patient surgery centers. My recommendation to EVERYONE is to NEVER have either an upper or lower in a detached surgery center. Only agree to have it done in day surgery at the local hospital. GI guys love to direct you to the surgery center that they are owners in, but if/when a complication develops - lost airway, colon perf, etc, you need help and you need it fast and you better hope that you are in day surg where you can be moved to the main ORs and they have blood and advanced airways and general surgeons available to fix you. And just to be clean, I am a big believer in surgery centers, but not for GI stuff.

 

[johnsd16]

So I am an anesthesiologist and have had several uppers and lowers and have covered several out patient surgery centers. My recommendation to EVERYONE is to NEVER have either an upper or lower in a detached surgery center. Only agree to have it done in day surgery at the local hospital. GI guys love to direct you to the surgery center that they are owners in, but if/when a complication develops - lost airway, colon perf, etc, you need help and you need it fast and you better hope that you are in day surg where you can be moved to the main ORs and they have blood and advanced airways and general surgeons available to fix you. And just to be clean, I am a big believer in surgery centers, but not for GI stuff.

This thread is about screening colonoscopy. Based on that I have to respectfully disagree and note that this is not advice based on data. For an average risk patient who is healthy enough to undergo screening, the rate of airway loss, perforation or bleeding requiring emergent transfusion is so small it is hard to measure. This is in the hands of a gastroenterologist. A recent Swedish study found the rate of perforation as 1/6,700 or 0.015%.

I wholly agree on NOT having a general practice (internal or family medicine) physician or a general surgeon do your procedure in a detached center (or at all really if you have access to GI). The data is clear that complication rates by those specialties are higher and the quality (polyp detection and interval colon cancer or cancer between colonoscopies) is lower. With that said there are gastroenterologists that are bad at scoping and surgeons and GPs that are good but as a whole GI is where to go. If the doctor can’t tell you their polyp detection rate, cecal intubation rate and perforation rate then you should find someone else.

I have performed over 85% of some 8000+ of these procedures outside of the hospital and have had to rush 0 patients to the hospital. Have patients had to go, sure, but not some hair on fire rush. The issue is that access at hospitals is much less than at outpatient centers. We already have enough trouble getting patients to get this important test done, creating a bottleneck by saying healthy screening patients should be done at the hospital is an unnecessary barrier to screening. No data to support it. If you have a lot of comorbidities (morbid obesity, history of a difficult airway, previous neck radiation, significant cardiopulmonary disease etc) then yes, the hospital is probably best for you. The hospital also costs more in many cases.

I am a gastroenterologist who has published papers on CRC screening, am the medical director of a GI clinic/endoscopy center and has studied endoscopy quality. I have never been an owner or investor in an outpatient procedure center.

 

[cs1]

For my first the prep wasn’t bad, but wasn’t the most fun either. I got a TV tray, book and iPad charger and just settled in. By midnight it was maddening but I figure it was for a good cause.
Had it in December. I turned 45 last June and the doctor informed me the age switched to 45 and insurance would cover it. They removed eight pollops (which apparently is a lot), so now I’m on the three year plan as well. No family history, no bowel problems, nothing. So I think it was worth it.

 

[frank church guy]

First off I want thank broomd and johnsd16. I know there are folks on this thread asked why a hunting thread. We all hunt and are people. Colon cancer ain't covid. If you get colon cancer you are dead. Didn't mean to respond this way. Just read some of the responses on this thread.

So I got my colonoscopy two days ago. The most comfortable surgery I have ever had. The nurse ( Iam 51 and she was 28 and beautfull), was so professionnal, Made the whole procedure so easy. And I say the most comfortable surgury because when I woke I was not in horrible pain like all my other ones. The whole medical staff from the doctor to the nurse were top notch. They let me dictate when the anstecioligists (spelling agiain) let me go to sleep.

So to prefice all this, I have no family members who have ever died from cancer. I had two polips (spelling) removed. And when I came to and my doctor was there I asked, 10 year.. 5 year or 3 year? He said 5 year.

I am very thankful I did this. With in 5 years this had a good chance of being cancer. Then I wouldn't be able to hunt. I do appoligize to those who think this is not the right forum to talk about this. I am just responding to A thread started here. I am no expert ( I am not cool as buzz, the most reclaimed expert on every hunting forum). Just a guy who took some advice from broomd and johnsd16.

To each there own. I just wanted give thanks and share how easy this is.

 

[CoStick]

As I mentioned previously I have had to do them annually for a long time. Have been eat much cleaner as of late and had the least amount of polyps ever and now have been given a two year schedule. Diet is pretty important it seems

 

[Patriot2]

I am 60 and was due for round 2 of the ole scope up the back side. Asked my GP and since I am low risk we just did a Cologuard test. Easy peasy and pretty cheap.

 

[frank church guy]

I am 60 and was due for round 2 of the ole scope up the back side. Asked my GP and since I am low risk we just did a Cologuard test. Easy peasy and pretty cheap.

I did that two years ago (the cologuard). But a few days ago I did the real check. Glad I did. my cologuard was negative but the real thing took two polyps. My family history no one has had cancer, It is life and we all get to choose. I am just trying to share. Everyone gets to decide on their own,

 

[frank church guy]

For my first the prep wasn’t bad, but wasn’t the most fun either. I got a TV tray, book and iPad charger and just settled in. By midnight it was maddening but I figure it was for a good cause.
Had it in December. I turned 45 last June and the doctor informed me the age switched to 45 and insurance would cover it. They removed eight pollops (which apparently is a lot), so now I’m on the three year plan as well. No family history, no bowel problems, nothing. So I think it was worth it.

like a hot rain shower out your backside. I have no family history. If they told me yearly I would do it. A day in a half of inconvience, to prevent that. easy choice

 

[Newtosavage]

Tomorrow....for both wife and me. Our first. Colon issues run in my family so I'm overdue.
Just chugged round one of the purge juice, good lord--gack! Waiting for the purge now....

Anyone else gotten the probe lately?

Got it last year. They said the prep was the worst part and they are absolutely right. I can normally eat or drink anything but putting down that juice was just awful.

Hope things go well for you and the wife. It's a good feeling to get a clean bill of health.

 

[CoStick]

Seems to be numerous prep options these days, you can take pills as well. My last one in April the prep was 2 small bottles that didn’t need to be mixed with water. Was very easy to drink.

 

[Patriot2]

I did that two years ago (the cologuard). But a few days ago I did the real check. Glad I did. my cologuard was negative but the real thing took two polyps. My family history no one has had cancer, It is life and we all get to choose. I am just trying to share. Everyone gets to decide on their own,

EXACTLY what I didn't want to hear! Thanks for sharing that

 

[pumpedTSI]

Taking the purge juice is the worst part......procedure is no big deal

 

[Broomd]

Guys, I wanted to bump this up. If you are 40+ and have colon disease or history of colon cancer in your family GET A SCAN.

I've had the honor over the last couple of days to communicate with a thirty-something guy, a complete stranger, who just lost his young wife to colon cancer.
I initially had no idea exactly how she passed, but as I also lost a young wife to cancer some time ago I reached out to him to offer some support and consolation when I read of his very recent loss.
He reached back and we've chatted back and forth, he's really hurting. He was married a long time for a younger guy.
I read his very detailed blog on his wife's cancer journey and battle and it's heart wrenching. A few other anonymous folks also commented there on the blog and mentioned loved ones--often young people--who succumbed to colon-rectal cancer.

It seems that it's everywhere but it can almost always be prevented with early detection. Do it for the ones you love!

 

[Archerichards]

Judy piling onto the Git er Done thing. In short: 1) it doesn't hurt, 2) yes, you have to drink laxatives the day before but not such a big deal, 3) low medical risk, 4) the upside, in terms of early diagnosis of treatable cancer, can be huge.

 

[yfarm]

Had a great friend I met while he was slowly dying of colon cancer. Thought he had hemorrhoids causing bleeding, diagnosed finally with liver mets. Met him after that, went through conventional and clinical trial chemotherapy as well as chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation of mets. Took 3 years but he finally passed, took some bucket list fishing trips with him in between treatment sessions. Regret not meeting him earlier in his life, could have avoided the disease completely with screening.