An uncle of mine died relatively young from colon cancer. He had no symptoms of anything wrong until it was too late to do anything about it. Six months later he was gone.

When I was 47 I was diagnosed with it. I had a minor procedure scheduled to fix a herniated disk in my neck, but a routine pre-admittance blood test said I was extremely anemic. Investigation into that ultimately revealed a tumor in my large intestine. It was stage 3 at the time. That was 16 years ago now, but if I hadn't had that sore neck I probably wouldn't be here because like my uncle I had so outward symptoms.

Do not delay...everyone is correct in that the prep sucks but I know too many folks that have had issues and family history. Do it for your family if no one else...

During the prep you can gripe and tell them you are doing it for them...

I started screening at age 40 due to family history of colon cancer on both sides. My first procedure discovered/removed a significant polyp. The gastroenterologist asked me who it was that told me to begin early screening...he thought that I may have not made it to age 50 where most initial screenings begin.
Get it done, yeah, the prep sucks but the procedure is easy. Your loved ones will thank you...unless your house only has 1 bathroom.
s.

I am 66 and have had 5, the latest in July of this year. There is a history of colon cancer in my family. I have had polyps removed during 3 of the procedures. I will continue to get them. Prep is better now than with my first. The prep is no fun but short lived. Uncomfortable prep: 16 to 18 hours. Colon cancer: the rest of your life. My advice: do it.

quote:

Originally posted by SPWAMike0317:
Prep is better now than with my first. The prep is no fun but short lived. Uncomfortable prep: 16 to 18 hours. Colon cancer: the rest of your life. My advice: do it.

That's something I noticed the last time too (June of this year). The prep, while still sucky, isn't as bad as it used to be.

I got my first one at 50 and it was not that bad.

The pharmacist suggested using a straw to drink the "mix" with. That was helpful as it made it go down easier.
Also, do not try to chug and be done. If I remember I had an hour to drink the mix. I took the whole time to work it all down. That allowed my body the time it needed to work.

Cheers~

No more “drink” to consume thankfully......mine was two doses of 12 pills each time....with lots of water.......I was happy to hear that was going up be my prep as I heard disgusting things about the “drink”!

Due for #3 later this year and I’m not even 50 yet.

Colonoscopy #1 - Exploratory one in 1997 to find out why I was having so many digestive issues. Found nothing, but prep was horrible back then (practically needed seatbelt on toilet).

Colorectal surgery #1 in 2008/2009 - didn’t see any polyps and prep was better than 10 years prior.

Colorectal surgery #2 in 2014 - doc temoved 2 unexpected polyps further back than the planned surgical area. Still had to prep but much improved in 5 years. Requested 2 year follow-up.

Colonoscopy #2 in 2016 - easiest prep yet and doc found nothing so put me on 5 year schedule. My procedure was delayed an hour because they found nearly 100 polyps in person before me

I had one at 40 because the Doc ordered it. Prep was annoying but the procedure was just a propofol-induced nap. IF you haven't read Dave Barry's colonoscopy column it's one of his best - here's an excerpt:

.... I called my friend Andy, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis . Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'

I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America 's enemies. I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.

Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor.

Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon. The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: Have you ever seen a space shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.

After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.

At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked. Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down.

Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.

When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by Abba. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate.

'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like. I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, Abba was shrieking 'Dancing Queen! Feel the beat from the tambourine ...'

... and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that it was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

I'm also in the multiple colonoscopy camp do to Diverticula, as in I have had seven or eight since having colon resection surgery 20 years ago.

It never gets easier, or more pleasant, but if they find you have colon cancer early, you have a better chance of surviving it.

I'm middle aged and overdue for my first colonoscopy. I've been experiencing some new health issues over the last few months and my docs. and I both agreed that now was the time.

When the scheduler asked me whether I wanted to choose a location or date, I thought for a moment and said "first available", but the problem I've encountered is that there is an over 2 month backlog to get in. I scheduled mine back in the middle of July and I'll be going in for the procedure in 3 weeks. I think the whole COVID-19 lockdown deal has created a huge backlog...so my advice is to start the scheduling process before you think you need to because there could be a significant wait time to get in. Especially when considering that some states are proposing new Delta lockdown restrictions.

My youngest brother just had his first one at age 48 to help diagnose some digestive issues, and a couple of the polyps they found were normal and benign, but there was one that the doc said was of a type that was a little more questionable.

While researching the cost of colonoscopy, the place my brother had his done at gave significant cash discounts, and his was $1300. His procedure was done inside an old house that had been converted into a clinic, so he didn't have to pay for the additional hospital infrastructure and overhead costs. In my case, they scheduled me for a colonoscopy in a local hospital.

What we're figuring out is that those patients with relatively healthy uncomplicated medical histories will likely qualify for the "clinic" type setting, but those with more complicated health histories like myself, will likely be scheduled for a colonoscopy in a hospital.

Git'r'done...and fingers crossed.

No, you shouldn’t.

Everybody hates the prep, but on a 1-10 scale of bad medical procedures, it’s about a 3 at worse.

I’ve had a 3, maybe 4, and had just one benign polyp removed this last winter. I think that’s enough for a 5 year return.

I worked for a Forest Supervisor who died from colon cancer. She was just in her 40s, perhaps even younger than 45, but it was too late when she was diagnosed. If you neglected the first, or extended the interval, better go get one. We’d hate to lose you.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I have used Cologuard, so no probing, but do something to avoid dying from colon cancer, you mooks.

I have done that as well, this time they saw something so the Colonoscopy is the next step.

Good timing on this thread - I turn 50 this month, doctor last annual checkup said you need to get it scheduled but since then had been on the fence about having it done anytime soon - I'll take it as a sign

Those who are wary of getting a colonoscopy might want to look into a non invasive alternative:

https://www.cologuard.com/

Also, there seems to be a recommendation for stopping getting colonoscopies at age 75.

https://www.health.harvard.edu...0a%20small%20benefit.

A recent study examines this issue for colonoscopy. Currently, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends stopping at age 75. For older ages, “selective” testing may be considered for what is likely to be a small benefit.

But, isn’t it possible adults older than age 75 derive benefit from colonoscopies? After all, a colonoscopy is somewhat unique among available screening tests. Not only can a colonoscopy detect early colorectal cancer while still curable, but it can also detect polyps and remove them during the procedure before they have a chance to develop into cancer.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1.3 million people ages 70 to 79 and compared how well colonoscopy delivered on its promise to detect colon cancer over a period of eight years. These findings were compared with rates of colon cancer diagnosed in people who did not have colonoscopy. The study found that

For those aged 70 to 74 who had colonoscopies, the eight-year risk of colorectal cancer was 2.2%; in those who had no colonoscopy, the rate was 2.6%.
For those aged 75 to 79 who had colonoscopies, the eight-year risk of colorectal cancer was 2.8%, and about 3% in those who did not have colonoscopy.
The risks of colonoscopy were low. Fewer than six out of 1,000 people had any significant side effect in the 70 to 74 age group, and about one in 100 in the older group.

As I review these findings, I think there are at least two ways to interpret them: 1) colonoscopy is helpful at detecting colorectal cancer in elderly people, but the effect is quite small; and, 2) this study supports the recommendation to stop performing routine screening colonoscopies in the elderly, though it’s unclear whether the “stop time” should be age 70, 75, or some other age.

What’s your situation?
If you’re 70 or older, this new study about colonoscopy may be of particular interest to you. For younger people, the benefits of colonoscopy are clearer — this includes healthy people at average risk, as well as those with risk factors for colon cancer. Those include people with a prior history of colon cancer or certain types of colonic polyps (called adenomas), a strong family history of colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Complications of colonoscopy (such as bowel perforation) are rare, but they are more common in the elderly. The prep alone can take a toll on older individuals, especially if they are already frail or ill.

quote:

Originally posted by tiwimon:
Good timing on this thread - I turn 50 this month, doctor last annual checkup said you need to get it scheduled but since then had been on the fence about having it done anytime soon - I'll take it as a sign

^^^^^^THIS! I have achieved my goal by starting this thread....I was hoping to encourage someone that was on the fence....thank you tiwimon.... good luck....it’s really not horrible

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I'm up for my third (or is it the fourth?) this fall. Last one found some benign polyps and bumped me to the "every 5 years" schedule.

Same here- it’s not such a big deal considering the potential alternative. Early detection is paramount.

DO NOT WAIT!!!!!

My BIL died at age 46 of Colon cancer. He left behind a beautiful family who misses him every day.

When caught early, colon cancer is very treatable.

I am turning 60 in a couple of months and will be preparing for my 5th colonoscopy.

I have learned to back off the solid foods a couple of days before the prep. I also learned to pat, not wipe.

quote:

Originally posted by DaveL:
I had one at 40 because the Doc ordered it. (snip)

That was an awesome writeup!


That said... don't wait. Just get it done, y'all. Ain't nothin' but a thing.
Drink, squirt, excellent nap, wake, eat like Starvin' Marvin, regular nap, resume life. Nothin' but a thing.

My middle boy had is first at 4 years old. I had mine at 36. He had a massive polyp removed and went to basketball practice that afternoon. I had a small one removed.
I am on the 3 year plan so am due for one next June.
The worst part of the prep is actually drinking that crap. I envisioned awful stomach cramping and the like to get cleared out.
Not a lick of discomfort to my surprise just a weird feeling of ohh, I need to go.
Had about 4 wash outs over a few hours went to sleep got up and went to the hospital.
Had a great nap and they got rid of a polyp.
The issues that got me there have been pretty much non existent since.