Well, we haven't one of these threads for bit. :innocent:

Had mine done three years ago. I'm good for seven more. They do put you on some good drugs. The doctor who did mine said we conversed during the procedure, but I have no memory of this at all. Heck, I could have gone and hung out with the kids in "the pit" at Harvard Square. I would have fit right in.

As for the nifty picture, mine just reminds me of Boston's Blue Line subway. Nothing to see, really.

50 and up, get it done folks.

Possibly Midazolam, (aka "Dormicum", "Hypnovel", "Versed").
I've had if for a couple medical procedures.
Really weird to wake up sitting in a chair, when the last thing you remember was sliding onto the OR table.:twitchy:

I utterly disagree. The fast was nothing for me - I went close to 48 hours without eating due to scheduling of my procedure and when I could get out to eat. Even then, I wasn't exactly ravenous; I could have gone a few more hours without stress.

For me, it was the laxative. Imagine the look on my face when I was handed a FOUR LITER container with a layer of powder on the bottom and told to drink 8 ounces every ten minutes. By the half way point, I was gagging on the stuff. :twitchy:

If your PCP refers you to a gastro doc, ask what the laxative will be. If it's Nulytely, ask for a different doc referral who will use something more palatable. This stuff tasted oily. Find a doc who will use the stuff you can mix with Gatorade. Honestly, that's what I'm doing next time.

As for the procedure itself, don't worry about it. You won't feel or remember a thing about it. I had about 4 seconds between getting the sedative injection into the catheter in my arm until I was out cold. Best half hour nap of my life!

Recovery was pretty funny. In my case, I recovered my ability to speak before I could process things into short-term memory. I kept asking my wife the same questions over and over, with about thirty seconds between asking.

Oh, they found one polyp and nipped it out. So I'm good to go for a while longer.

Yeppers, just got the reminder to get the upper and lower done - hopefully by April....

I'll agree with that. It was no big deal for me. Loved the drugs they gave me. Don't remember anything.

The wife saw how much fun I had with mine so she went and had one done too. The night before her procedure I was refering to her as "My Flushing Bride". She wasn't amused.

We both were fine and are on the 10 yr. cycle.

ck mds well
 

need to ck md out well my colonoscopy was terrible the md didnt use enough drugs and the pain was horrible even tho i told the md all along it was hurting ---next wife got hers --different md punctured colon and she almost didnt make it --took emer surgery and weeks recovery--many mds are not qualified only like the practice-and it is a great money maker

LOL! I'll keep that one in mind for when my wife goes.

Probably not the first time the phrase "waxing that rim" was used in a conversation about colonoscopies...

Ugh.. I've been getting scoped topside every other year for the last 10 years. Both top and bottom ends was scoped couple of years ago for the first time.
I'm probably due sometime early this summer for both ends.

I've had the good old barium milkshake once when I was about 30. I could see the radiologists screen from the corner of my eye.. looked like a living ad for Gaviscon.

And I'm not looking forward to spending an evening on the Great White American Standard throne either.

Had mine done in '07. Came up clear for ten years. The procedure itself is quite simple. The prep the day before is just something you have to be ready for. And do make sure you have a good supply of nice, soft, toilet paper. :eek:

Had one done in '05 and am scheduled to get one before this year is out. Why do they advise having one every 10 yrs. rather than shorter intervals?

thanks for the reminder. good luck

It seems to be dependent on family history and what the saw the last time you had one done. I am on a 10 year schedule, my wife was supposed to be 5 years until they found she was completely clean this last time, and they changed her to 10 years, also.

It depends on how many risk factors there are. If any members of your immediate family has had any form of lower GI cancer then you have to be scoped more frequently. I have to have an upper endoscopy done every two years because I've lost a brother, father, uncle and grandfather to esophageal cancer.

I know somebody that has to have both an upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy done every year for similar risk factors.

Another factor is that if the family history shows that family members died of extremely agressive forms of cancer as mine did, then the scoping frequency stays the same.

^^^This. I'm considered a "high risk" candidate due to a "hereditary predisposition for colo-rectal cancer" -- my Dad got colon cancer in the 1980s when he was in his mid-40s (and survived, minus about 10" of intestine), his father and two aunts all died of colon cancer when they were in their 40s. So I started doing the 'Oscopy Every Five Years routine when I was 30 years old, and when I turned 45 and some benign growths were spotted we moved to the Every Three Years plan. Doc sez if I can get through three of those with nothing remarkable we'll go back to the Five Year plan, but I'll probably never be on the Ten Year cycle.

Time to lighten this up a little...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_43f9RzAqMM

Great video, and it did make me smile.

Had my first one at 55 no problems, 2nd at 60 several large pulps. Now get one every 2 years and all is fine.
My last 2 were done about 8:00 AM, I managed to get a ride in the afternoon.
I would love to ride to the colonoscopy appointment.

Hi everyone. I just officially became eligible for this forum in Jan. I have my first colonoscopy scheduled for the end of the month at 7:00 am. I have gotten a prescription for Suprep, apparently a fairly new kind of prep. It is more expensive, so I need to see if my insurance will cover it. I read through the instructions quickly, but I think you drink one 16 oz. mixture followed by 32 oz. water and then repeat later. Not looking forward to it, but thankful that I have the means to get this kind of screening done.

I joined the colonoscopy club today. The prep wasn't that bad, and the procedure was a snap. I remember the nurse anesthetist saying "You should start to feel this pretty soon" as she injected my IV, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room.

Tee hee! Ain't this a fun topic!

Had mine Tuesday. Unfortunately, the pregame activities lasted a day into postgame, so the whole routine took three days. Was REALLY nice to go to work today.

Sorry to say my first one was a nightmare. I wanted to choke the doctor while demanding that he remove the scope. He just kept telling me "just a little more". Now I have them put me out and except for the prep, which keeps you running for the toilet, there's not much to it.

Listen up! Do this to avoid colon issues! EAT YER DAMN FIBRE!!

It is our low fibre diets that lead to diverticulitis!!

I've had 8 colonoscopies and one endoscopy. I have the colon from hell. Diverticulitis is when a low fibre diet causes the colon to grow pockets into which various food items such as popcorn kernel skins (truly an evil food item for someone who suffers from diverticulitis) to get caught in said pockets and cause a potentially lethal and phreaking painful infection. I was in the ER five times a year until I was referred to a gastro surgeon.

I eventually had 12 inches of my colon removed. I've since suffered from complications from that surgery. Some days I'm fine, other days SUCK.

Please my fellow cyclists, EAT YER DAMN FIBRE!! I think most of us who lead active lives do indeed eat a healthier diet than the average western diet. But eating enough fibre can literally save your life!! Fibre from whole foods (not the Whole Foods grocery store, which I really like shopping at...), not processed foods is best. At the least take fibre supplements.

Trust me you really don't want to go through what I do week in and week out. This started in my late 40's and I'm a week away from 52.

Fibre is the broom in our digestive system. It clears out the bits that would otherwise cause issues. So EAT YER DAMN FIBRE!! And get a colonoscopy once a year if you are 50 or over or as directed by your PCP. Colonoscopies are a non event these days.

Don't delay that which can save your life!! And EAT YER DAMN FIBRE!

Phew, I'm off my soap box now...