OMG. How did we survive without colonoscopies in the past. What people miss is that these treatments are invented by out of work surgeons. In this case, out of work surgeons who used to do open heart surgery but were obsoleted by catheters, statins, and blood pressure medicines. They had to find something to do to pay for the wife's Mercedes. Hey. Guess what we found. Colon cancer ! Anyway, by the content of this thread, everyone is more interested in the finest pain medication available by prescription.
Notes on My Colon Cancer
241–250 of 300 posts
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#242Earlier 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…
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…
I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here. We don't know the "precise mechanism of action" of ANYTHING related to consciousness or subjective sensations. We don't even know why Tylenol works. That's not a reason to avoid it.
For the overwhelming majority of patients, you simply fall asleep, avoid discomfort, and then go on with your life. Weighing that against the risks of a traumatic or very painful wakeful experience is not trivial.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#243Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is propofol not a general anaesthetic? That's what I was given for my colonoscopy. Totally knocked out, and when I opened my eyes again it was all over. Side note: I was never warned about a particular effect of propofol. They started pumping it in and told me to count down from 10. At about 5, I suddenly felt this horrible searing, burning pain in my IV-connected arm that I felt spreading throughout my body. Thinkin…
Propofol is definitely used as one of probably a cocktail of drugs required for various levels of sedation (AKA “general anesthesia” in this case). I’ve experienced the exact same pain you’re talking about but with IV antibiotics. No nurse or doctor could actually explain why it was happening to me, other than to say the IV had “gone bad.” Because I was in the hospital for so long, they eventually switched me to a PI…
There can be a number of things covered by the phrase "gone bad", ranging from phlebitis (inflammation of the vein) to infiltration (where the catheter becomes dislodged from the vein (or pokes through it)) and the IV fluid leaks into the surrounding tissue.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#244I’ve read that there are some emerging theories of a bacterial component of colon cancer, which I find interesting [1][2][3]. A friend, also in his 30s, recently was diagnosed with colon cancer and it seems like doctors are really noticing an increase in colon cancer among a younger population. It just seems so young to be dealing with it. Regardless, I’m glad the author is recovering and found it early enough! [1] h…
Just like covid-19 ... if you do more testing, you will get more cases. Obviously.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#245FWIW (and not to stop you from getting a colonoscopy—you should!), I have had symptoms like this on and off through adulthood (20 years or so). For this reason and a couple other IBS symptoms, I've gotten two colonoscopies, one capsule endoscopy, and one sigmoidoscopy in my day. And all have come back negative for anything whatsoever. Again, if you've got symptoms, see a doctor. But if you're like me and freak out at…
Thanks... I've had bloody stools before, (I'm 32), but when the doctor checked, they found a fissure, which I guess was good enough for them to explain the bleeding... Well, now the symptoms are back, and no fissure to be found, so I'm seeing a gastroenterologist tomorrow. Fingers crossed, but I'm thinking I'll get to find out how painless a colonoscopy really is.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#246OMG. How did we survive without colonoscopies in the past. What people miss is that these treatments are invented by out of work surgeons. In this case, out of work surgeons who used to do open heart surgery but were obsoleted by catheters, statins, and blood pressure medicines. They had to find something to do to pay for the wife's Mercedes. Hey. Guess what we found. Colon cancer ! Anyway, by the content of this thr…
Both grandfathers had colon cancer in the age before colonoscopies. One had the lower part of his colon removed, which he had to live with for decades afterwards. The recommendations for colonoscopies are not a joke or get-rich scheme - they save lives.
As for this comment:
What people miss is that these treatments are invented by out of work surgeons.
The technology was actually invented by a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan in the 1950s based on pioneering research of Narinder Singh Kapany on fiber optics. Ignoring the fact that there are very few "out of work" general surgeons, most colonoscopies are not performed by general surgeons but by trained GI specialists assisted by technicians and specialized equipment.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#247Fellow 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…
Colonoscopies aren't quite general anesthesia in the US (generally, I'm sure there are exceptions). General anesthesia as being completely unresponsive to external stimuli and potentially needing supportive measures to make sure you maintain your airway.
What they tend to do is "conscious sedation". Basically load you up with a sedative and painkiller - midazolam and fentanyl as an example. You're not completely out of it, you can breath on your own and will show some response to stimuli. But you won't remember any of it due to the amnesia from the sedative.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#248Fellow 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?
I'm in the US, and have had one colonoscopy at age 33 (to rule out cancer, I had rectal bleeding). It was hemorrhoids, but will have another any month now because of family history of polyps and colon cancer. And I'll have one every 5 years even if I have zero symptoms.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#249Earlier 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…
I had shoulder surgery a few years ago, and I had to argue with the doctor to get him to do a nerve block instead of general anesthesia. He never suggested it - I researched the options myself and found that patients who did the nerve block recovered faster and better, and yet right up until I rolled into surgery, the doctor was trying to convince me to do anesthesia. Sadly, I think the reason is that anesthesia make…
Some of that is just inertia. Things are done a certain way and everyone is comfortable with it. Throw in a new method and everyone gets nervous. You might even have trouble finding an anesthesiologist who has done enough nerve blocks to be comfortable with it. And even if you do, your doctor has maybe never worked with them before.
Re: Notes on My Colon Cancer
#250Fellow 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…
That prep is awful! I've had many colonoscopies. The procedure is fine, but oh! That prep tastes horrible!
tastes?!