Colonoscopy: wanna talk?

Death Wizard · Apr 8, 2010

I'm 52.

I had a colonoscopy yesterday, just to make sure everything's okay. The day-before purging wasn't so much fun, but the actual event wasn't bad at all. Great drugs, at least. And pretty nurses (who winked at me afterwards and handed me phone numbers crumpled up on scraps of paper).

One thing that amazed me about the entire thing was how many people I know who also have had the procedure. They came to me in droves, sharing all kinds of amazing stories about loopiness and toilet seats and polyps. (The more you say that word, the cooler it sounds.) It's almost like a cult! There are the Colonoscopers and the ... others.

My group is fascinating! The others? Well, they're just kind of b-o-r-i-n-g.

Any other Colonoscopers out there?

megoblocks · Apr 8, 2010

Did you get a t-shirt?

Death Wizard · Apr 8, 2010

megoblocks said:
Did you get a t-shirt?

Shhhhhh .... the others aren't supposed to know about that.

rhymegirl · Apr 8, 2010

I had the test and lived to tell.

backslashbaby · Apr 8, 2010

Hee Hee. No, I had whatever the thing they do with no drugs is. Nobody told me they had cool drugs!

And I've had to poop barium.

That club doesn't sound as cool

Death Wizard · Apr 8, 2010

backslashbaby said:
Hee Hee. No, I had whatever the thing they do with no drugs is. Nobody told me they had cool drugs!

And I've had to poop barium.

That club doesn't sound as cool

You're so close to being one of us. Barium is only the beginning.

Death Wizard · Apr 8, 2010

rhymegirl said:
I had the test and lived to tell.

And truly, have you ever lived so well?

backslashbaby · Apr 8, 2010

I'll be one of y'all soon, actually. And I'm oddly excited about it now...

Death Wizard · Apr 8, 2010

backslashbaby said:
I'll be one of y'all soon, actually. And I'm oddly excited about it now...

As you should be! While your hunk doctor is abusing your most private of areas with 30 feet of tube, you'll be dreaming wild dreams about "dead people," or at least that's what my nurse told me I said when I first woke up.

See?

It's fascinating stuff.

Susie · Apr 8, 2010

Glad it wasn't bad and hope everything goes great and hope you call those gals up, if you're not married. LOL.

benbradley · Apr 8, 2010

An 'other' here - How much did the procedure cost? Who paid for it: you or your insurance?

CatSlave · Apr 8, 2010

First time around is awful.
Second time is a piece of cake.

You're right about the drugs.

Makes the fear and loathing almost worth it.

CatSlave · Apr 8, 2010

If you feel hands on both your shoulders during the procedure, the doctor is doing something wrong.

Yeshanu · Apr 8, 2010

deathwizard said:
I'm 52.

I had a colonoscopy yesterday, just to make sure everything's okay. The day-before purging wasn't so much fun, but the actual event wasn't bad at all. Great drugs, at least. And pretty nurses (who winked at me afterwards and handed me phone numbers crumpled up on scraps of paper).

Those must have been *really* good drugs.

Not in the group yet, but I'm turning 50 this year, and my doctor's given me a year to get my courage up... : tongue

Ambrosia · Apr 9, 2010

I didn't know I was part of the cool club. And no one told me about the t-shirt either. I want mine, NOW.

I will never have another barium enema. Ever. The pain was excruciating. Plus, if the doctor sees something on the barium enema, you just have to turn around and have the colonoscopy. What is the point? More radiation for what? If you have to go in and get your colon checked, skip the barium enema.

I will never have the new colonoscopy without the cool drugs either. If you don't get the great drugs, what's the use?

frimble3 · Apr 9, 2010

Your drugs put you out for the whole time? I had some kind of local drug, and was awake, didn't feel anything, but got to watch on this little monitor (it was, I believe, for the medical staff) Totally cool, like starring in my very own PBS special. 'Frimble and her Colon'. It was all pink and shiny, one polyp, quickly removed.
The gastroscopy was another story. There will be no more gastroscopies. Once is enough.

Synonym · Apr 9, 2010

Everything was fine the first time until they found a polyp. That woke me up and required more of those 'good' drugs in a hurry. Pain, uncomfortably deep. The second was a piece of cake. Except the purging. That's never good.

heyjude · Apr 9, 2010

Deathwizard, I'm so glad you brought this up, and I'm glad it went okay for you.

My dad put his off and put his off, until... guess what? Yep, Stage 4 colon cancer. Surprise! He survived. It was a miracle.

Don't put it off, people!

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Apr 9, 2010

Had mine at 50, due for another this year due to the polyp they found and removed. For those of you who haven't done it and are putting it off - the dread is far worse than even the cleansing beforehand.

Do it when it's time. Seriously.

Southern Girl · Apr 9, 2010

My husband's 45 and he had his last year. Wasn't a bad experience for him at all, except, like you mention, the roto-rooter part the night before. He was a bit out of it because of the drugs, but just for the day. By the next morning, it was business as usual.

deathwizard said:
And pretty nurses (who winked at me afterwards and handed me phone numbers crumpled up on scraps of paper).

This the funniest thing I've heard all week. :roll:

DeleyanLee · Apr 9, 2010

I had my first one at 36 because my dad's a colon cancer survivor.

Insurance paid for the whole thing for me both times. I'm supposed to have them every 5 years or so.

I heard there's something really special after the fifth one. I'll let you know what that's all about in a few years.

Haggis · Apr 9, 2010

Ol' Fashioned Girl said:
Had mine at 50, due for another this year due to the polyp they found and removed. For those of you who haven't done it and are putting it off - the dread is far worse than even the cleansing beforehand.

Do it when it's time. Seriously.

What she said.

I'll be going in for a double reaming in a couple of weeks--both the garden hose up the wazoo (Colonoscopy) and the garden hose down the throat (EGD). I wonder why they don't simply start at one end or the other and push the tube all the way through. :Shrug:

augusto · Apr 9, 2010

deathwizard said:
...polyps. (The more you say that word, the cooler it sounds.)

I've had two colonoscopies. No cool drugs, no phone #s, no t-shirts. Five polyps. (The more you say that word, the scarier it sounds.)

But, for most, it is a piece of cake. And certainly nothing to put off.

cray · Apr 9, 2010

colonoscopies are cool.

just do it.

Susie · Apr 9, 2010

They should have chocolate colonscopies. Then everyone would do it!

on the train pic. cray! Thx much. Kinda looks like choco.

Colonoscopy: wanna talk?

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