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Are colonoscopies worth it?

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Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#171

Post by crimony »

stuckkeys wrote: post #93
sillysaurusx wrote: post #58

It’s time to share something personal again. When I was 20, I vividly remember being in the bathroom at my workplace when a large amount of blood started coming out. I did what any smart, effective 20yo would do: ignored it because I was embarrassed. Fast forward 10 years, and I’d been ignoring it for a decade. It had continued to happen every few months. Sometimes the blood was so bad I’d have to wait up to 20 minut…

Lucky you. I am color blind. I cannot see certain hues which in poop is very critical. Although once I did drink prune juice and I freaked the hell out after going to the bathroom (I had forgotten I had taken few cans) The color was so strong. But yeah, I think men in general like to postpone having to bring this to anyones attention and it sucks.

My dad was also colourblind, and it was only when my mum saw the blood in the toilet that he got tested (at 57). Stage 4 metastatic bowel cancer. He got 8 more years of life but I wouldn't say they were all good years. He died nearly 20 years ago now. Mum is still in good health at 81. I'm 53 now and have had 5 yearly colonoscopies since I was 35, I'm not taking any chances. I don't mind the prep, and don't feel a thing or remember anything about the procedures themselves.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#172

Post by Obscurity4340 »

szundi wrote: post #121
antoniuschan99 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s also good know that if you’re seeing bright red blood then it’s a higher chance it’s hemorrhoids whereas dark red you definitely should get it checked because it’s coming from inside your colon. Also there’s supposedly a poop test called fecal occult blood test that has a high rate of detecting colorectal cancer that you do over the course of 3 years. I saw this on nhk Doctor's Insight: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nh…

Advice too simplistic, end of colon can emit blood also and then it’s brighter

Just get ur ass checked, end of story. Medical emergency or not. You're paygrade is way to low to make that call (fuguratively speaking)

Edit: i can only lead an ass to the proctologist, i cannot make it "drink" ;)

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#173

Post by Arch-TK »

surfsvammel wrote: post #106

I do regular colonoscopies because of a condition. People are worried about the procedure, as I was my first times. Here are some things that I wish someone had told me: - Taking the meds for cleaning out your system the day before is far worse than the procedure itself. - Have a lollipop to stick in your mouth after Each time you take a shot of the laxatives. It helps with the vile taste of it. - If you need relaxin…

Moviprep doesn't taste that bad. The results are more unpleasant than the taste.

Regarding pain, can confirm, it felt incredibly unpleasant for a short initial time but wasn't exactly painful.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#174

Post by Obscurity4340 »

stuckkeys wrote: post #93
sillysaurusx wrote: post #58

It’s time to share something personal again. When I was 20, I vividly remember being in the bathroom at my workplace when a large amount of blood started coming out. I did what any smart, effective 20yo would do: ignored it because I was embarrassed. Fast forward 10 years, and I’d been ignoring it for a decade. It had continued to happen every few months. Sometimes the blood was so bad I’d have to wait up to 20 minut…

Lucky you. I am color blind. I cannot see certain hues which in poop is very critical. Although once I did drink prune juice and I freaked the hell out after going to the bathroom (I had forgotten I had taken few cans) The color was so strong. But yeah, I think men in general like to postpone having to bring this to anyones attention and it sucks.

There might be "apps" for that although you should heartily review their privacy policy and alway have internet off for it

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#175

Post by Obscurity4340 »

theodric wrote: post #158
polotics wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am really curious as to why you enjoy propofol: is this in any way producing euphoria? Normally you should just feel really sedated then pass out, with little difference between this experience and being just tired then asleep. is the large-ish quantity of white fluid getting into you not off-putting?

Nah, it's fine. At colonoscopy doses, if you fight it, you can remain semi-conscious, and the process of coming out from sedation is pretty trippy as bits of your brain that have been muted come back online at different rates. It's unique, it's legal, it won't show up on a drug test, and it's as near to 100% safe as any drug use can be. (You're in a hospital, for crying out loud!) (Plus I like watching the video feed…

Cartoons are amazing in this context ;)

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#176

Post by crimony »

Zanfa wrote: post #164
collinstevens wrote: post #161

If you're worried about getting a colonoscopy, don't be. I got one last year and it was the best sleep I ever got. It was two days of the prep stuff you drink to shit your brains out which is a little rough, but I have a bidet, no big deal. Then you go to the hospital, you dress down into a gown, nurses come in, they put some things on your chest, you get a little cold, they put a nice warm blanket on you, they start…

Honestly, even without any anesthesia or sedatives, the worst part is drinking the laxative for prep. If you can sit through a visit to a dentist, you can likely handle the procedure itself without any meds. I was actually surprised they even do general anesthesia for it in the US.

Honestly the picolax part of the prep is okay for me, I hate the low fibre diet of the prior 3 days. White bread, boiled skinless potatoes and chicken breast. Nothing with any colour or texture. Blech.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#177

Post by BrandoElFollito »

pasc1878 wrote: post #154
BrandoElFollito wrote: post #80

This is very common in France. I think all my 50+ acquitances had one. There is a national screening campaign based on sending a sample of your stool, but getting a colonoscopy is a matter of asking your doctor. It is true that colonoscopy is not the first mine of prevention but anyone who asks will get one. Free of charge.

This is also they way in the UK. A large screen of everyone over 60 via stool sample. Then ONLY if that shows issues then a CT scan and then a colonoscopy.

In France you can ask for a colonoscopy and your MD will order it (and if they are reluctant or want to have a string reason you just say that there is family history).

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#178

Post by crimony »

XorNot wrote: post #143
dkarras wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have not had one but closely monitored people that had a colonoscopy. The prep looks like worse than the colonoscopy itself.

I was under general anaesthetic for mine. But also smart phones and bidet toilet seat made the prep no problem as well.

They use Midazolam in Australia, which is great as it's very sedating and causes anterograde amnesia, so you don't remember a thing.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#179

Post by sokoloff »

Zanfa wrote: post #164
collinstevens wrote: post #161

If you're worried about getting a colonoscopy, don't be. I got one last year and it was the best sleep I ever got. It was two days of the prep stuff you drink to shit your brains out which is a little rough, but I have a bidet, no big deal. Then you go to the hospital, you dress down into a gown, nurses come in, they put some things on your chest, you get a little cold, they put a nice warm blanket on you, they start…

Honestly, even without any anesthesia or sedatives, the worst part is drinking the laxative for prep. If you can sit through a visit to a dentist, you can likely handle the procedure itself without any meds. I was actually surprised they even do general anesthesia for it in the US.

I ended up declining general anesthesia at the last moment when the doctor offered a consent doc to using my data in the training set for ML detection, leading to a quick discussion of being in the computing field, and he offered that I could stay awake and watch the video feed instead. Hell yes, I’d prefer that!

So, I got some kind of pain relief or relaxant but no anesthesia and it was really interesting and enjoyable to watch the procedure.

The prep was only slightly inconvenient and the overall process didn’t come anywhere near to how people talk about or build it up.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#180

Post by Zanfa »

balfirevic wrote: post #167
Zanfa wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, even without any anesthesia or sedatives, the worst part is drinking the laxative for prep. If you can sit through a visit to a dentist, you can likely handle the procedure itself without any meds. I was actually surprised they even do general anesthesia for it in the US.

> If you can sit through a visit to a dentist Do you mean with local anesthetics?

Yes, dentist with local anesthesia is worse than a colonoscopy without meds.
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