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Notes on My Colon Cancer

charlieharrington.com

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Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#231

Post by purple_ferret »

cameldrv wrote: post #73
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…

Second this. There is evidence that anesthesia causes brain damage. This shows up in the data most for babies and small children, and the elderly, where you can see it on IQ tests and chance of dementia. It's more pronounced with multiple surgeries. It may be that it's damaging everyone's brains, but it's just not as noticeable for adults. One study with twins showed about a 1.5 point IQ loss from a major surgery. Of…

AGAIN, these data points apply to using something like a fluorinated gas, which is what you'll get for major surgery, not Propofol, which is what they'll give you for a colonoscopy.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#232

Post by _0o6v »

This was a good read.

I have Crohn's disease and in 2015 had 5 ft of small intestine and half of the adjoining colon removed.

Unfortunately my insides were so fucked up that they had to properly open me up (i.e. not keyhole, more doorframe). Then I got sepsis after the operation and was in the high-dependency unit (US equivalent is ICU I think?) for a bit. That was fun. I was there for a few days, but remember about 2 hours of it. My family visited apparently, I had no idea, but I was talking to them, so I'm told.

I couldn't walk for weeks, other than staggering around (which they encourage you to do otherwise the scar tissue will heal too tight). The wound took about 3 months to properly close up, I had a nice deep hole in my abdomen for much of that, you get used to the gory stuff.

I'm generally better now though. Crohn's still dictates much of my daily life though, but you learn to live with it.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#233

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

arcbyte wrote: post #226
marvin wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Do you have other reasons, perchance?

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#234

Post by _0o6v »

geerlingguy wrote: post #62

Colonoscopies are both terrible and awesome at the same time, but you can make it go a lot smoother (pun intended) by avoiding tons of hard to digest food in the two days leading up to the prep, and being very hydrated on prep day. Alas, I don't have a colon any more, but when I did, I wrote: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2017/colonoscopy-or-mount-...

Hey Jeff. Your blog's great and I can relate to a lot of it. I somehow avoided an ostomy after having a vast amount of my guts removed, but I sometimes wish I did have one. Do you think your quality of life has improved since having one?

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#235

Post by ryaan_anthony »

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…

The prep juice tastes so nasty but you are right about feeling refreshed. After the colonoscopy I had intense cravings for a cheeseburger and milkshake, but let me tell you that was a mistake! It gave me the worst acid reflux. Keep in mind your insides are virgin again after the prep juice. It causes you to shed the lining of your stomach, I'll be smarter next time.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#236

Post by m463 »

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…

I had one a few years back and it was amazingly painful. Nonetheless I would choose it over getting knocked out.

This may sound like a strange sentiment, but years ago I broke a bone on a weekend and they put my arm in a sling at the emergency room. I got to see a doctor on monday and he said - you have to move your arm. "Move it every day, otherwise you will lose your range of motion. Let pain be your guide".

Completely different advice than I expected (I expected to keep it immobilized as much as possible until fully healed)

So I wonder if I was knocked out - would they damage something while they're looking around without my hints?

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#237

Post by thaumasiotes »

rob74 wrote: post #150
Cthulhu_ wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I recall correctly, "general anesthesia" is actually a combination of multiple drugs with different purposes; some that inhibit memory formation, another to put you to sleep, and another to I guess relax the muscles etc?

Not sure about the drugs, but during anesthesia , you will be completely unconscious, and inhibiting memory formation is a side-effect of that. Sedation is when you are still (more or less) conscious, but relaxed. But between these two terms there are several levels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedation#Levels_of_sedation

> during anesthesia, you will be completely unconscious, and inhibiting memory formation is a side-effect of that. Sedation is when you are still (more or less) conscious, but relaxed.

The concept of anesthesia is that you don't feel pain, not that you're unconscious. If you're unconscious, it's "general anesthesia"; if you're not, it's "local anesthesia".

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#239

Post by skrause »

bitcoinmoney wrote: post #229
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?

You should specify where.

For example in Germany you can get a colonoscopy paid by the health insurance without any specific reason every 5 years from the age of 50. You can always get one at any age for no reason if you simply pay yourself.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#240

Post by tlamponi »

arcbyte wrote: post #226
marvin wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Socialized healthcare systems often have room for a private sector, so you can have both.

You can also go to other doctors in a socialized one, if their treatment (style) does not fit your cause.

Also, in my experience there's lots of choice in most socialized health care systems.

I had a gastroscopy in Austria, the Doctor asked me if I'd like a general anesthesia or rather a local, nerve blocker - mostly to avoid the gag reflex.

He said that it may not be as pleasant without the anesthesia, but I still opted for it and am really glad I did. While it really was not pleasant, I was up and going again in about half an hour.

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