Time for your colonoscopy?

spitfirebill said:

KyAllroad said:

The new sedation they use (as opposed to what they used 10 years ago) is pretty awesome.   I took a nice nap and woke up feeling refreshed and alert.  Last time I was a zombie who lost a day.

It was that old sedation (Versed + fentanyl) that I loved.  I was in Lala land the rest of the day.  Now they use propofol and when I wake up I'm ready to go.  I get my next colonoscopy next fall.  

AIUI, it's not the versed or the fentanyl that does it, they usually give you benadryl as well.  That's what puts me out for the rest of the day.

While you're thinking about the occasion deep probe, don't forget the annual check-ups.  You know, pee in a bottle and get some blood drawn, that sort of thing.  In my latest they found a couple of pretty important things to work on.  

SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) said:

I have Crohn's.  They are part of my life.  The hype is so much worse than the reality.

Yup, that's why I get them.  I'm tired of hearing the whining.  

In reply to slantvaliant (Forum Supporter) :

Yep, just had my favorite appointment  o’ the year this morning.   Lol.   All good except I’ve gained few.  I miss having a metabolism.  

11GTCS said:

In reply to slantvaliant (Forum Supporter) :

Yep, just had my favorite appointment  o’ the year this morning.   Lol.   All good except I’ve gained few.  I miss having a metabolism.  

So much this.   Mid 30's has been kicking my ass. I legit have gained almost 20lbs since covid began. I used to struggle with being underweight and could eat whatever I wanted.

Apexcarver said:

11GTCS said:

In reply to slantvaliant (Forum Supporter) :

Yep, just had my favorite appointment  o’ the year this morning.   Lol.   All good except I’ve gained few.  I miss having a metabolism.  

So much this.   Mid 30's has been kicking my ass. I legit have gained almost 20lbs since covid began. I used to struggle with being underweight and could eat whatever I wanted.

You guys wait till you hit 60.  

In reply to spitfirebill :

Oh it’s coming at me pretty quick!   Can’t wait! 

In reply to spitfirebill :

Having two kids under four years old is probably making my energy, exercise, and general stress level throw all reckoning off for now. 

I was really looking forward to 2021, but as I look back now, I think that the colonoscopy in early January was the highlight of my year. 

Apexcarver said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

Having two kids under four years old is probably making my energy, exercise, and general stress level throw all reckoning off for now. 

Good Lord we have a 2 YO granddaughter that is wearing us out.  When she was taking her after lunch nap, everything was great.  Then she stopped, even though she still needs one.  When the 3 grandsons come over its chaos.    

Scheduled for one in three weeks.

I had my second one in 8 years this morning as an emergency following a presentation Tuesday morning. The prep didn't seem as bad this time around, though that could be because my caloric intake has been reduced the past week or so as well. 

I'm sitting in the hospital with my Mom  waiting for her to go in for her's. 

You can't wait here sir, Covid, you know. We'll call you when she's done.

But she has dementia.

That's fine, we'll call you when she's done. 

OK. 

Ten minutes later...

 Hello, Mr. P are you still in the hospital? Can you come back up, your mom is having a hard time answering questions. 

...

Well, I finally got in for mine and they found a "large" (2cm) polyp.  Going back in for minor surgery as soon as they tell me when.  

Thank God I finally have health insurance.

Glad this floated to the top again. (wink wink, nudge nudge)

Umm...guys, "ass cancer" is not a fun way to make a celestial transition. 

Sorry for the bummer, but really, it's easy and important. 

My GP deadpan told my "your colonscopy saved your life".   Had a big polyp that was going cancerous.

It doesn't suck that bad compared to the possible outcomes..

In reply to jwagner (Forum Supporter) :

So were you have any symptoms of anything before you went in or was that just your regularly scheduled checkup?

While I have health insurance again, I don't know what doctors I can use yet, but I've had lifelong issues. I'm hoping/wondering if I'll be able to talk them into a scope at 34 when I finally find a PCP.

In reply to RevRico :

Nothing significant, it was a surprise to me.  Had to go back in to get the area cleaned up, then a followup to make sure everything was OK.  Should have had it done about 18 months earlier when I turned 50.  Doc said my kids should start at 40 - there's a hereditary link.

A friend from high school got hers last fall and they discovered colon cancer in her.  Completely symptom-free; just her first routine 'scope came back positive in a fairly big way.

She's since had surgery to remove and resect part of her colon, and she's a little way into chemotherapy now.  Her prognosis is good but it has not been easy.

GET CHECKED.

I should do this. I'm a few years past due. 

I was initially scheduled for December, but sick kids has pushed me back 3x, so later March now. I'm planning to chart my overnight weight loss while prepping, lol

On this theme though, I went to a dermatologist to get some moles looked at and they took two for biopsy. One of the biopsies came back as in a state of change that could become precancerous, so I get to go back for them to take more flesh and remove the thing completely. It had a dot in the center of a different color and no other real concerning signs. Basically caught it at the earliest signs of possible trouble. Get things checked. 

Had an odd thing happen to me after a colonoscopy a couple of months ago.  I was lucky to get an appointment as soon as I did.  Someone canceled and I was able to squeak in there.  They gave me the propofol-fentanyl cocktail as they were wheeling me in to the surgical area.  I was out soon after.  I woke up during the procedure and started talking to the doctor and the techs.

"So, where are we now?"

" We're just about to knock out a polyp.  You had three of them.  This is the last one."

"Great.  How's it going?"

"Just fine.  They all look benign.  Can you see the monitor?  Let me turn it towards you.  Here's the polyp.  In front of it is a diverticulum.  I'm gonna get the little lasso around it.....there.  Done.  We're just gonna take some pics on the way out."

There was a guy in the room who had 12 feet of wire spooled out in my ass but I didn't even give it a second thought.  I must've conked out again because a nurse was waking me up in recovery.

My wife took me home and I had some food.  Spent most of the day recovering, eating, and hydrating.  Felt a little chilly which I attributed to the lack of calories.  Went to bed wrapped up in my bathrobe.

After 90 minutes I woke up and was freezing cold.  My teeth were chattering hard.  At first I thought it might be a calorie deficit but got up and took my temperature.  It was 103.4 degrees F.  Took two Tylenol and got into a sleeping bag.  My teeth chattered so hard, I was afraid I would break the thermometer.  About 45 minutes later, I checked my temp again and it was 103.8 F.  It's still going up.  We had a rapid COVID test and I burned it.  Luckily I was negative.

Then I peed and it felt weird so I thought I had a UTI.  We had some cranberry extract so I drank some.

My temp started coming down about an hour later.  At 8:00 am, I called the doc at the colonoscopy center and told him my symptoms.  He told me this:

"Look at it this way.  You starved your body for 36 hours, eating only lemon jell-o and drinking Gatorade.  Then you swallowed the equivalent of 18 doses of laxative and pounded a couple gallons of water.  After that, we loaded you up with hard drugs which could easily feel strange when peeing them out.  You're also running a huge sleep deficit because you didn't get any the night before and it certainly sounds like you didn't get any last night either.  Adverse reactions to the procedure are rare but certainly not unknown."

I was back to normal temp by 2:00 pm and felt almost human by suppertime.

This stuff happens but it needs to be done.  I have to go back in three years.

I have crohn's disease.  I get poked up the butt every 5 years.  Colon cancer is a very real issue for me to be scared of with my disease.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I think that this thread is one of the most important things that has ever happened on the forum. 

Thank you. 

Just had mine today.

I charted my overnight weight loss at 6.3lbs while doing the prep. 

Came back no trouble found.

Honestly the prep didnt involve cramping pains, just needing to be a few steps away from the toilet for 12 hours or so. Aside from getting an IV no pain involved in the procedure whatsoever. Just farty afterwards and wanting to nap from the anesthesia.

If you are on the fence, go get one.