I had a colonoscopy today

[creekster]

I am going to need one soon. Talk about a club that you wish you never had to join.

[Surfah]

Colon cancer runs in our family. It claimed my maternal grandmother's life in fact. I do not look forward to my annual check ups that are rapidly approaching.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Colon cancer runs in our family. It claimed my maternal grandmother's life in fact. I do not look forward to my annual check ups that are rapidly approaching.

Once every five years if you have a family history. Once every three if you have a family history and they find some problems on the first one.

[Scott R Nelson]

Get it done. The unpleasantness of the prep experience is nothing compared to what a colonoscopy can easily prevent.

Not worth the risk. Buck up and get it done.

Absolutely true. Moreover, I have to confess that the horrors of the prep experience are overstated, mainly for dramatic and comedic effect. The beverage is awful, and the experience is, overall, an unpleasant one, but it's offset in part by the comedic elements. And it's certainly infinitely better than enduring months of chemotherapy, a colostomy or death. Git 'er done.

So... nobody has any numbers?

[PaloAltoCougar]

So... nobody has any numbers?

I could Google them for you, but will instead allow you to do so during my lesson this Sunday using my iPad (provided you covenant not to play Angry Birds during said lesson). I think the vast majority of health professionals have determined that getting a post-50 colonoscopy is statistically very much to one's benefit.

[Surfah]

Once every five years if you have a family history. Once every three if you have a family history and they find some problems on the first one.

Good to know. My mom has one annually I am pretty sure. But she has had polyps removed and some other related issues.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Good to know. My mom has one annually I am pretty sure. But she has had polyps removed and some other related issues.

I am just going on what they told me today.

[Clark Addison]

I'm no expert, but according to this site, the lifetime risk in men for developing colorectal cancer is over 5%. Since colonoscopies are very succesful in nipping thing in the bud (or polyp), I would imagine the odds are considerably worse for someone who is never screened.

Colorectal is the third most common form of diagnosed cancer.

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/colonan...key-statistics

I did some quick googling, and it looks to me (not a doctor, nurse, or anything mediaclly related), that, discounting age, cancer is generally found in about 0.5% to 1% of cases, and polyps are found 5% to 10% of the time.

Also, as PAC said, the prep miseries are not as bad as you may be fearing. My wife in no way enjoyed it, but she has had several procedures that have been worse.

[LA Ute]

Not worth the risk. Buck up and get it done.

Agreed. It's only 24 hours of of your life, beginning with one night of often-interrupted sleep. If you just have a sense of humor about it (I did; it really is comic, as PAC notes below - what else can a guy do but laugh?) it's not all that bad.

[SeattleUte]

So... nobody has any numbers?

This is a freebie. How many dreaded diseases can be erased as a risk with a high degree of certainty this way? I'd go through a great deal more discomfort than the colonoscopy prep to address Alzeimer's so effectively and efficiently. Fearing medical science is not rational. It's like nut jobs who eschew vaccinations. I've had this same talk with each of my kids at least once before their flu shots. Sometimes they say they'd rather have the flu. Oh yeah, I say. I've shown them the clusters of little head stones from back when there were no flu shots. Medical science is a wonderful thinkg; I always follow the consensus, the norm.

[LA Ute]

This is a freebie. How many dreaded diseases can be erased as a risk with a high degree of certainty this way? I'd go through a great deal more discomfort than the colonoscopy prep to address Alzeimer's so effectively and efficiently. Fearing medical science is not rational. It's like nut jobs who eschew vaccinations. I've had this same talk with each of my kids at least once before their flu shots. Sometimes they say they'd rather have the flu. Oh yeah, I say. I've shown them the clusters of little head stones from back when there were no flu shots. Medical science is a wonderful thinkg; I always follow the consensus, the norm.

Are you suggesting that fluoridated drinking water might actually be a good idea???

[SeattleUte]

Are you suggesting that fluoridated drinking water might actually be a good idea???

lol is there still not fluoridated water in Utah? I'm remembering what the Tribunes "Mike Waters" said about Mormons.

[statman]

So when you all did your prep - did the stuff taste awful or just have a horrible consistency (slightly diluted wall paper paste), or both?

There are two kinds of prep - one that is just as nasty thick liquid without any taste, and one that tastes horrible on top of it, that 'conscientious' doctors give you to replace all your electrolytes - in advance. Thanks for caring. My guess is the folks that say it wasn't so bad got the flavorless kind...

To me the 6 hours after drinking that horrendous swill wasn't nearly as bad as the hour spent forcing a gallon of it down. And each time my wife handed me another glass to drink, feeling compelled to add "don't throw it up or you'll have to drink more..."

The half gallon of "Berry-yum Smoothy" I had to chug for a test few weeks earlier was almost as bad. Not quite, but almost. And it made me just as sick...

[wuapinmon]

They should probably tell you that the IV contrast before a CT scan makes your butt feel like you just shit your pants, even though you didn't. I freaked out because, of course, they said, "DO NOT MOVE!"

[Jeff Lebowski]

So when you all did your prep - did the stuff taste awful or just have a horrible consistency (slightly diluted wall paper paste), or both?

There are two kinds of prep - one that is just as nasty thick liquid without any taste, and one that tastes horrible on top of it, that 'conscientious' doctors give you to replace all your electrolytes - in advance. Thanks for caring. My guess is the folks that say it wasn't so bad got the flavorless kind...

To me the 6 hours after drinking that horrendous swill wasn't nearly as bad as the hour spent forcing a gallon of it down. And each time my wife handed me another glass to drink, feeling compelled to add "don't throw it up or you'll have to drink more..."

The half gallon of "Berry-yum Smoothy" I had to chug for a test few weeks earlier was almost as bad. Not quite, but almost. And it made me just as sick...

I had to drink three bottles of magnesium citrate drink. They were 10 ounces each and I did 1.5 bottles last night and 1.5 bottles this morning. I chilled them and they were carbonated with a sweet lemon flavor. Not bad at all. It was the resulting fiesta in my GI tract that was the problem.