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Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

@Bridgegal 

 

You are a wise lady to take @AspenGrove  post seriously, and deciding to follow up with a Colonoscopy. I want to thank once again for her story about Cologard and her decision to have a Colonoscopy.

 

I wish you well,

 

 

 

hckynut

hckynut(john)
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,994
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

@hckynut 

 

I did have a colonoscopy 10 years ago and he found nothing.  So, he said to get another one in 10 years.    That was last year so I did the Cologuard.   

 

I'll have the colonoscopy this time and at age 72 it may be my last, who knows.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,535
Registered: ‎10-05-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

My doctor said that it's the insurance companies who say to come back in ten years, but he thinks that is too long.  I had no polyps or anything, and he said to have another in 6-8 years.  

Valued Contributor
Posts: 716
Registered: ‎08-27-2013

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!


@Bridgegal wrote:

@AspenGrove 

 

 

Thank you for your post.   DH had one in early April and we were just talking about this.    I had a Cologuard last year.   No family history either and my then PCP said I was a good candidate for it and gave me the RX for it.  It too was negative.

 

Fast forward to my first visit with my new PCP and she really made a good argument for me getting a colonoscopy.   I've been waivering as to which way to go but after reading your post, I'm calling her tomorrow to get a colonoscopy scheduled.

 

 


@Bridgegal, I am so glad my post helped you make your decision.  I, for one, am really proud of you for making the RIGHT decision for your health. Chances are they'll find nothing, but if they do, they simply remove the polyps right then and there as they did for me. Talk about amazing preventative medicine!  Yay, you!!! Smiley Happy

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,612
Registered: ‎04-05-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

I'm joining this thread a little late, but keeping it bumped up won't hurt...it's THAT important.

 

My paternal grandmother was diagnosed with colon cancer at 83, my dad at 73, both had surgery, then no further treatment. My grandmother lived to be 90 (did not die from cancer), and my dad is still here at 87. This was the first colonoscopy for both of them and they were fortunate to be so easily cured.

 

In spite of the family history, I put my 1st one off until I was 53, thankfully just a couple of benign polyps, which were removed. But I did have very early uterine cancer 6 years ago, for which a family history of colon cancer is a risk factor--something I did not know at the time.

 

Last fall I had my 2nd colonoscopy at 63, they found 5 polyps, 3 of which were "pre-cancerous". They removed them with no issues, told me to come back in 3 years...which I definitely will!

 

People, this is the ONLY test for cancer that can actually PREVENT you from getting cancer by removing polyps before they become malignant! Please do it! It's not that bad, and once you have one, you'll probably never dread it again, it'll just be something you do. I actually wake up from it feeling like I've had a really good nap, lol!

Valued Contributor
Posts: 787
Registered: ‎10-16-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

Thank you for the wise words @vermint .

 

Like many I balked for years arguing that no one in my family had suffered colon cancer so I had no need to get tested. Then I learned that three relations did in fact have colon cancer and two had died of it. One aunt was said to have died of liver cancer--but that was after it had spread from colon cancer. Another was said to have died of "female troubles" but the reality was that it was colon cancer.

 

Family memories are highly unreliable when it comes to colon cancer. Even death certificates are not reliable as they may record simply the last illness the person suffered from and not the originating cause.  

 

So please folks get tested. Don't rely upon possibly dubious family memories to argue that you don't need to be tested. 

 

Thank you to all who have shared your stories and encouragement. 

 

And honestly the test is not that bad. I say that as the world's biggest wimp. 

Super Contributor
Posts: 429
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

I think I am the world's biggest wimp and I'm going next week.  I dread the fasting day and no water 4 hours before the procedure.  I'm bad at fasting and I'm worried I will throw up the Suprep.  I'm afraid they might find something, and I'm mostly afraid of the nasty liquid you have to  drink gallons of.   I'm very shy and uptight, so the entire thing is embarrassing to me.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,612
Registered: ‎04-05-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!


@Helen Bach wrote:

I think I am the world's biggest wimp and I'm going next week.  I dread the fasting day and no water 4 hours before the procedure.  I'm bad at fasting and I'm worried I will throw up the Suprep.  I'm afraid they might find something, and I'm mostly afraid of the nasty liquid you have to  drink gallons of.   I'm very shy and uptight, so the entire thing is embarrassing to me.


@Helen Bach  If your Suprep is the same as mine, it's NOT "gallons", it's just 2 16 oz. bottles. Not the best-tasting stuff, but not horrible...just drink it down as fast as you can. Using a straw helps me, because then I can get it a little further back in my mouth so don't taste it so much! Watch TV or something while you drink it--it helps keeps your mind off what you're doing.  

 

If by "fasting day" you mean the day before, there are things you can have. I ate a lot of Italian Ices...lemon is good. Whenever I felt hungry, I would have one. Just make sure that you don't eat anything that isn't on the instructions they should have given you. 

 

If there IS something there to find, it's best to find it as soon as possible...with cancer, earlier is always better. And they can remove any polyps so they won't become cancerous.

 

You should be completely out of it by the time anything that might embarrass you happens. Both of mine, they told me to turn on my side, and that's the last thing I remember. I woke up refreshed, feeling like I'd had the best nap ever!

 

It'll be OK...and once you're done, hopefully that will be it for another 10 years!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!

 

@Helen Bach 

 

If you are talking about the Go/NuLytely prep, it is only 1 gallon, not gallons. Now I have downed 20 gallons of the stuff since 2008. Now that IS gallons.

 

The less you think(worry) about it the better as it only exacerbates the procedure. Kinda like a job you don't  like, it's worse thinking about it than "getting to work".  Hope all goes well for you, and easy does it, eh?

 

 

 

hckynut

 

 

 

 

hckynut(john)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,580
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: My First Colonoscopy is Under my Belt!


@Helen Bach wrote:

I think I am the world's biggest wimp and I'm going next week.  I dread the fasting day and no water 4 hours before the procedure.  I'm bad at fasting and I'm worried I will throw up the Suprep.  I'm afraid they might find something, and I'm mostly afraid of the nasty liquid you have to  drink gallons of.   I'm very shy and uptight, so the entire thing is embarrassing to me.


@Helen Bach, my word of advice to you on prep day/fasting day is to make sure you drink lots of water along with your Suprep.  That isn't the prep I had to drink so I know nothing about it.

 

The fasting honestly wasn't that bad because I was so nervous about the test, I didn't have much of an appetite anyhow.  I had a cup of black coffee for breakfast and for lunch I had some chicken broth and a popsicle.  I'm not a jello, popsicle, etc. fan but if I do eat them, the only colors I like are red, purple and blue, which are the colors that have to be avoided.  LOL

 

But I really didn't drink much else besides my Gatorade for the prep and a few sips of clear pop.  The next day when they went to start the IV, they had a very hard time because they said I was very dehydrated.  She asked what I drank the day before.  She told me in the future to make sure I drink lots and lots of water.  For me getting the IV was the worst part of everything.  The third time was the charm with that thing.  LOL