Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Notes on My Colon Cancer

charlieharrington.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

221–230 of 300 posts

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#221

Post by meheleventyone »

tidenly wrote: post #138
Cthulhu_ wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cannot confirm; my girlfriend had a sigmoidoscopy (similar) and she experienced it as traumatizing and violating. I don't believe she got any anesthetics admitted; pretty sure it's not standard. Please don't romanticize invasive diagnostics. If you want to advocate for the occasional bowel purge or using anesthetics to sleep have at it though. But also, general anesthesia should be avoided as much as possible, it's n…

I really did not need to read this the week before I have a camera put in my stomach. Crap.

I’m about to have it done in a few weeks. Hope yours goes well.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#222

Post by JacKTrocinskI »

pmiller2 wrote: post #185
JacKTrocinskI wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does this include the anesthesia given to us at the dentist? The one they give you in a shot to numb the tooth. I couldn't live without that.

No. That's local anesthesia. It's called a "nerve block". The anesthetic is injected right next to a nerve. If you imagine pain as starting somewhere, then, "travelling" upstream to your brain, the anesthesia basically interrupts signals from the point where the injection takes place.

Awesome, thanks for the explanation, that makes me feel better about going to the dentist.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#223

Post by JacKTrocinskI »

tinco wrote: post #177
JacKTrocinskI wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once had an endoscopy without any sedatives or anesthesia and that really sucked. The doc stuck a large tube down my throat and had me gagging for what felt like an eternity. After the procedure I needed a few minutes to wipe the tears that started forming from my eyes and gain some composure. This was done in Poland. If a colonoscopy is anything like that then not sure I'd want to be doing them regularly.

I was offered anesthesia for the endoscopy as well and I was glad I refused. The whole thing was over in 10 minutes, the actual endoscopy was about 2 minutes of serious discomfort. I gagged a couple time, the rest of the time I held steady, but the nurses also complimented me for powering through so I don't think it's expected to be easy. It was a weird and humbling experience. If you feel like you're relaxed enough…

Yeah, I didn't have my throat sedated, that might have helped. I was able to go on with my day shortly after the procedure as well but the 5-10 minutes it lasted wasn't the most pleasant for sure.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#225

Post by cstross »

Starwatcher2001 wrote: post #178
graeme wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Recommend anyone considering this to ask your doctor about using a sedative instead of general anesthesias. As best I can tell general anesthesia for colonoscopy for low risk appears to be a cultural custom especially prevalent in the northeastern USA. Anesthesia has many more possible side effects than sedatives and ought to be avoided unless needed (this applies to any unneeded treatment). Plus if you’re awake you…

I had a colonoscopy five years ago here in the UK without any anesthesia and it was perfectly fine. Walked into the theatre wearing a gown and a pair of shorts with a flap at the back, and hopped up onto the bed. Somewhat embarrassing with a half dozen nurses standing around various bits of kit and more monitors than NASA. They asked me if I wanted to watch, then angled one of the monitors so I could see what they we…

Same. Had one under light sedation a few years ago (switched to biannual stool screening for occult blood subsequently) and I'd say the discomfort was similar level to having a tooth filled under local anaesthesia. Not fun, occasional moments of mild discomfort, outweighed by the novelty/this is cool factor of getting to see the inside of my own guts.

I will note that general anaesthesia generates lots of extra billable hours (anaesthetist! extra nurse/assistant anaesthetists!), which might be why US hospitals are so keen on it and NHS hospitals are less so.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#226

Post by arcbyte »

marvin wrote: post #192
seehafer wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We badly over-use general anesthesia. Next to antibiotics it might be the most over-used thing in medicine. When you scratch the surface of the neuroscience of general anesthesia you will never want to experience it in your life if you can help it. It's effectively a controlled coma, and though we can control it, we don't know the precise mechanism of action. (Like so many things with the central nervous system it wa…

Meanwhile, up here in Norway you have to beg and grovel and almost pretend to have a panic attack in order to get a one-off benzodiazepine-based IV sedative while taking a gastroscope down your throat. An acquaintance of mine with Down's syndrome, no less, couldn't do a gastroscopy to investigate a quality-of-life issue that was assumed to be benign, due to this. Boggles my mind, honestly. General anesthesia might be…

One of the vast number of reasons to prefer a nonsocialized Healthcare market: choice.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#227

Post by purple_ferret »

graeme wrote: post #31
stevecalifornia wrote: post #5

Fellow readers: Do not be afraid of a colonoscopy. Do not avoid it-- in fact, look forward to it. They are easy and painless. Waking up from the anesthesia I felt more relaxed than I ever have in my life. Also, the prep of clearing your system will reset your digestive system and you'll feel like a new person. I think the prep cleared out whatever it was that was causing us to investigate my digestive system in the f…

Recommend anyone considering this to ask your doctor about using a sedative instead of general anesthesias. As best I can tell general anesthesia for colonoscopy for low risk appears to be a cultural custom especially prevalent in the northeastern USA. Anesthesia has many more possible side effects than sedatives and ought to be avoided unless needed (this applies to any unneeded treatment). Plus if you’re awake you…

They regularly use Propofol which is not the same as general anesthesia. I've waken up (in pain) on Propofol. Pretty much impossible with a GA fluorinated gas. General Anesthesia is a very monitored situation as it's potentially very dangerous (you have to be put on a ventilator).

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#229

Post by bitcoinmoney »

stevecalifornia wrote: post #5

Fellow readers: Do not be afraid of a colonoscopy. Do not avoid it-- in fact, look forward to it. They are easy and painless. Waking up from the anesthesia I felt more relaxed than I ever have in my life. Also, the prep of clearing your system will reset your digestive system and you'll feel like a new person. I think the prep cleared out whatever it was that was causing us to investigate my digestive system in the f…

Can you get colonoscopy without any symptoms for family history of colon cancer?

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#230

Post by bitcoinmoney »

nerdbaggy wrote: post #2

I feel you on this. I found out I had kidney cancer after my appendix decided it was time to go. I only had 3% of my left kidney removed and that is it. No chemo or anything just sore for a few weeks. And man do I have guilt and felt like a fake cancer survivor. My experience was so minimal compared to a lot of people. But I realized I am a cancer survivor because of all the mental anguish cancer puts on me. It’s not…

How did they find out?
Post reply on HN