OT: Colonoscopy

Winding down colon cancer awareness month (March), I just experienced my second colonoscopy.
--clean as a whistle! Happy, happy. Not fun, but what a relief!
It doesn't have to be in March---just get checked.
Don't give cancer a chance--it won't give you one!

Me too

Painless, out-patient and saves lives... what more could you want? As a side note: the new bowel prep formulas are a lot more gentle than they used to be just a few years ago.

My dad died of colon cancer. Back then, colonoscopies weren't routinely done, so by the time he had symptoms and saw a doctor, he was already stage IV. He lived about 2 years with multiple surgeries, a colostomy, mets to the liver. I dreaded my first colonoscopy, but it was NOTHING compared to what he went through, and it was great to get a clean bill of health.

This is one cancer that can be caught early enough to make a difference. Worth it!!!

Piggybacking on JanKnitz's comments.

My sister-in-law was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer almost exactly 3 years ago. She had never had a colonoscopy done. She under went a semi-experimental surgery/chemo regime that is colloquially referred to as "Shake and Bake" several months after the diagnosis. That's the only reason she's still around. However, she has had a whole series of problems related to the surgery. And a relapse of the cancer in the last 8 or 9 months. And serious pancreatitis that has lead to permanent intravenous feeding. We recently got word that she and her husband have decided to call in hospice. Colon cancer is not a good way to die.

When she was first diagnosed, she encouraged *everybody* she knew to please, please, please get a colonoscopy. I had never had one at that point, and I listened to her. My first colonoscopy found a medium sized polyp and the biopsy on the polyp was that it showed pre-cancerous changes. So a second colonoscopy was done 6 months later just to make sure they'd found everything and that the polyp that was removed had not come back. That colonoscopy was "all clear". I'll be due for my next colonoscopy next January. Not looking forward to it, but I'm not dreading it the way I did the first two.

There are varying reviews on the preps, mostly positive about how well they work;
especially compared to earlier concoctions.---The reviews were mixed about the taste.
I treated mine like the world's weirdest jumbo Margarita, with a dash of lime juice on the side, and sea salt on my palm.

to chime in, the only bad part is drinking down that stuff that cleans you out -- it's nasty. Even the actual elimination process isn't as bad. However, my endoscopy place was so nice -- one of the nicest medical experiences I've had. So don't hesitate!

chunkyfrog wrote:There are varying reviews on the preps, mostly positive about how well they work;
especially compared to earlier concoctions.---The reviews were mixed about the taste.
I treated mine like the world's weirdest jumbo Margarita, with a dash of lime juice on the side, and sea salt on my palm.

No tequila I know how you feel... I was wracking my brain for anything to put in my Jello and/or prep mix to it make more enjoyable, however I couldn't come up with anything. The jumbo Margarita idea is the best I've heard so far.

I did NOT add tequila; but I pretended it was there.

That PEG stuff isn't that bad.

Make sure it's cold.
Drink it with a large straw.
8 oz glasses every 10 minutes = 16 glasses.
Drink each glass in one fast continuous "serving".

Sir NoddinOff wrote:Me too

Painless, out-patient and saves lives... what more could you want? As a side note: the new bowel prep formulas are a lot more gentle than they used to be just a few years ago.

Just had a colonoscopy a couple weeks ago... when the poop-drink hit, the family cleared the path from the man-cave to the man-bathroom.

Sheriff

Just the time when one reconsiders the advantages of a padded seat.

Kaiser makes you buy Miralax powder, it's pretty tasteless. They tell you to put it in Gatorade, but no way I was going to drink a buttload of sugar (sorry!). So I just drank it in electrolyte water--essentially plain water with added potassium and sodium. No taste. No big deal.

I pretty much ignored their suggestions for the liquid diet--mostly sugary crap with horrible flavors. I had bone broth, tea, kefir and kombucha, no sugar. It kept my blood sugar more or less even and helped my gut flora survive the trip. It really wasn't too bad at all.

I had my very first colonoscopy just two weeks ago. It really wasn't all that bad. Yes, the Colyte is gross but tolerable when cold enough. I washed it down with a sip of vitamin water to help mask the taste. At the risk of getting too graphic, I recommend two things: a petrolleum jelly protectant cream and flushable wipes (TP and bile stings).

The procedure itself was great - best 30 minute nap I've had in years. For me, the worst part was the clear liquid diet the day before.

- Flappy

Don't enjoy the prep stuff, but I can manage it about every 10 years or so. And it's only a day, not so bad. Worth it.

Just read a scary fact:
It is estimated that one in 17 people in the US will get colon cancer!
Dunno what the odds are for frogs.