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Notes on My Colon Cancer

charlieharrington.com

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Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#201

Post by jac241 »

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…

I'd love to see the study for this and how they controlled for the fact that being sick enough to require general at a young age probably will ding your IQ a couple points. I'm guessing they didn't do a randomized controlled trial.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#202

Post by Erwin »

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…

Interestingly, colonoscopies here in DK are mostly without anesthesia. I prepared by looking at mostly-American sites where some doctors said 90% of patients prefer full anesthesia, and the rest some other sedative drugs.

The procedure was 20 minutes, painless and slightly uncomfortable where the nurse had to push on my stomach to help the probe round the guts, that was like some brief constipation. You get to your appendix from the inside and physically realize how much the colon takes up in your body.

BTW, in Denmark, a 40+ yo patient with rectal bleeding that cannot be physically confirmed as hemorrhoids by the GP would likely be referred to the emergency cancer track, with I think, 2 weeks before all the tests have to be finished.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#203

Post by Shoue »

ljf wrote: post #170
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…

Here in the UK you just get pain relief, and are generally conscious for the procedure - though gas and air is available if it is uncomfortable. It caused me no pain at all, was quick and easy and I'm pleased I went ahead with it. My father found he had bowel cancer from a routine fecal occult test they were sending to all men above 65 in my area. He took some convincing to do the test, but found he had cancer and wa…

> Here in the UK you just get pain relief, and are generally conscious for the procedure - though gas and air is available if it is uncomfortable. It caused me no pain at all, was quick and easy and I'm pleased I went ahead with it.

Not necessarily, you can get the Good Stuff that knocks you out during the procedure in the UK (I have), but I'm not sure what the criteria are for getting it, if any.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#204

Post by DanBC »

Shoue wrote: post #203
ljf wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in the UK you just get pain relief, and are generally conscious for the procedure - though gas and air is available if it is uncomfortable. It caused me no pain at all, was quick and easy and I'm pleased I went ahead with it. My father found he had bowel cancer from a routine fecal occult test they were sending to all men above 65 in my area. He took some convincing to do the test, but found he had cancer and wa…

> Here in the UK you just get pain relief, and are generally conscious for the procedure - though gas and air is available if it is uncomfortable. It caused me no pain at all, was quick and easy and I'm pleased I went ahead with it. Not necessarily, you can get the Good Stuff that knocks you out during the procedure in the UK (I have), but I'm not sure what the criteria are for getting it, if any.

For England the Bowel Scope Screening Standard Operating Procedures are here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bowel-cancer-scre...

> Entonox pain relief should be available at all sites where bowel scope screening is provided, as the procedure will be performed without sedation, unless a decision was made and documented at a best interest meeting about the appropriateness of performing the test with reasonable adjustments.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#205

Post by aalhour »

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 please describe in more detail how you did the prep to clear your system before the operation?

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#208

Post by whatrocks »

Google234 wrote: post #98

Is it ever appropriate to start the chemotherapy every if you are pretty sure it’s only stage 2 like in this case? I feel like I would be paranoid enough to not risk it.

Not sure. My meeting with the "survivorship" clinic is coming up, and I'll be discussing that with them, among other things I'll need to do to stay on top of this. Obviously there is a physical cost to chemo, and they don't want to overprescribe if not needed. So, in my case, I don't think I'll be getting it, but that may change over time.

Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer

#209

Post by whatrocks »

johnnyAghands wrote: post #38

Glad you're doing well man, and thanks for sharing your experience with us. As someone who has never liked anyone near his butt -- I feel like I should get over it and get tested on a regular basis -- and will remember to take book. Also will make sure it's real god damn book -- I mean how bad ass is that, reading about the exploits of the world's most famous samuarai while waiting for surgery. Wishing you good healt…

MUSASHI is so good! I'm still about 3/4 of the way through it. It's so heavy to carry I was worried it would be over my 10 lb limit during recovery haha, but I'm all good.
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