Wellness

[lovesrecess]

My health insurance does a home visit and the nurse left me a Cologuard test to do when am not scheduled for a colonoscopy. The test did not say Cologuard on it because it had the insurance companies name plastered all over it, but it was the same thing and was mailed to same place. Simple to do and I had negative result, confirmed when I had a colonoscopy 6 months later.

[hckynut]

@Still Raining 

I think your chart is accurate and very educational. What I will add to those stats and percentages is this. 

2 of the top 3 on this chart are considered as very preventable cancers. Breast cancer does not fall into that category ti my knowledge.

Unlike prostate cancer with men which is a preventable type of cancer. Men are much less likely to have annual digital prostate exams along with PSA tests. As my hockey players got older, I didn't keep my soapbox unused much when it came to prostate and colon procedures.

To me it is a shame that anyone, men or women, are hesitant to have these procedures done as recommended. A day or 2 of watching what and when you eat, pales in what a person and/or family goes through when a loved one finds out they have cancer.

Appreciate you posting this chart, and a similar one for men can be found easily on google.

hckynut 

[Still Raining]

@hckynut 

For me, screening can also be a preventative.

I watched an uncle by marriage die with colon cancer.  He was a great big German farm boy, 6'6" and like brick *****.  Left at about 120#.

It was also interesting to see how the family divided on hospice and stopping treatment after the second big round.

Stay well!

[Lipstickdiva]

There was no one that was a bigger wimp about having a colonoscopy than me.  I started to get worked up about it when I turned 49!  I hemmed and hawed and my 50th birthday came and went and I did nothing.  My doctor told me I needed it done and I told her I'd do it and never did.

The following year when I went for my annual wellness exam, my doctor brought it up again and I told her to just get me in with whoever she recommends.  They sent the order over to the gastroenterologist, I went in for my initial visit and walked out with a date and prep instructions for my colonoscopy.

It wasn't even 2 full days of inconvenience.  I did have to cut certain things out of my diet the week prior but they weren't foods I ate on a regular basis anyhow.  The day before my test I had to be on all liquid and it definitely wasn't the worst thing in the world.  I worked until 4:00 when I had to take the 4 dulcolax they gave me.  I went home and lounged around until a couple hours later when I had to mix up my Miralax and Gatorade combo. About 3:00 a.m I had to drink more of the Gatorade combo and then at 7:00 I had to make my way to the clinic for my test.

My stomach was slightly uncomfortable after the test from the air pumped in it but nothing crazy.  DH and I went to breakfast after my test was over.  LOL  Everything came back clear and I don't go back for 10 years.

When I was having a fit initially about the test and asked my doctor about cologuard, she said if I absolutely was not going to have a colonoscopy, it was better than nothing but she did not recommend it.   

[hckynut]

@Lipstickdiva 

People here, and everywhere, need to read more stories exactly like yours. Many hear the horror stories, which I think are mostly exaggerated, from ones that want you to think they went through holy he!! with it.

I have mentioned my number of Colonoscopies here many times, but stories just like yours, I think are much better at getting more people to schedule a Colonoscopy. Even if a story gets only 1 person from this forum to schedule an important procedure such as this, it just might save one life.

Glad yours came up clean and you now have that piece of mind for 10 more years. That has to be a great feeling for you and your loved ones.

hckynut