Colonoscopy

This is a disgusting topic, but ever so crucial to our health! We all need to heed our doctor's advice and have one after age 50.
I recently had one, and learned something very important from the nurses! To have one, you have to drink a gallon (16 cups) of the nastiest stuff in the world! I thought I'd throw it up, more than once.

The test itself is a cake walk. However, when I got to the hospital and talked with the nurses they asked me how it went, drinking the junk.

I told them how awful it was, and here comes the great advice: don't opt for the gallon of stuff to drink. The nurses told me that there is another option that you can request, where you have to fast a bit longer, but only have to drink one glass of something nasty! After having the other way, I can only say plan B is the way to go!!!!!

When Daddy has his right mind, he had these test and was told to drink the stuff too. It was called "Go Lightly" of all things. Daddy called it "Go Quickly." It could stop wars if we made the enemgy drink that stuff as punishment...eeek!

Hi Seth...great to see you again. Please tell us about your test results. Is everything okay?

Attention Ladies
.......GREAT NEWS.......

There is a new procedure available for detecting colon polups or colon cancer. The name is;

VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY

It is simple, painless and takes less than 10 minutes. You drink nothing and don't need to fast before hand. You don't even take off your clothes. This in brand new technology offered in Las Vegas by WEST VALLEY IMAGING @ 702/222-3544.
In case you or your doctor wants more information.

My results were fine. They found 3 polups and
removed them.

Re. the virtual colonoscopy. You still have to go through the nasty prep, and if they find something, you have to go back in and go through the prep all over. I was going to do that, until I found out that you still have to "clean out", so I decided to do the whole nine yards, and I'm glad I did!

Seth and Ladies, I have to apologize for the post on Virtual Colonoscopy. I was badly mislead by the advertisin I read. This mrning I drove across town and spoke directly to the physicians at the clicic and Seth is completely correct. Unfortunately I was mislead as apparently were many others coming in for this NEW procedure. There is at times "truth in advertising" I gav that doctor a huge piece of my mind. Again, I apologize. Its all no fun, no matter what they do to us.

"NO truth in advertising" is what I meant to say...

Seth, glad to hear things went well. thank God for all this preventive medicine!

AS I understand it, if you have your colonoscopies done on a regular basis you will never get colon cancer because it won't have time to grow!

[ April 29, 2004, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

I had that test about 10 years ago and am overdue for another.

GoLightly had a 15-second BarfLife in my system, which means it made me throw up in 15 seconds or less. Tried it twice at home and realized it wasn't going to stay down. Next day I told the Doc I couldn't take that stuff. He said "Let me see what happens" so I drank it and SPLAAAAAT. Then I got the other foul-tasting drink. A nurse told me to water it down with ice cubes so it wouldn't taste as bad. Unfortunately, I also had to redo the fasting and um, cleaning.

The whole experience was pretty horrible. I've gone as far as getting the approval for the next test entered in the HMO computer.

I haven't had one of these yet, but I understand they work miracles by preventing cancer. I'd say vomit for a day to stay away form the big "C" is worth it. What do you think?

I too, have not had to undergo a colonoscopy and do not look forward to it!

But I agree, from this side of the fence, a day of vomit is better than a month or year of vomit!

My husband has had several of these tests and he has not had any vomiting problems. I wonder what stuff he drank.

Lynn

Lynn, I also know a couple people who breezed right through the test. They even had pollups removed which is a great feeling to know you no longer have precancer cells growing!

There's supposed to be a blood test coming kind of like a PSA which would eliminate a lot of discomfort, but it could take years for approval. I certainly wouldn't advise waiting.
smile

I hope all you ladies are thinking about or have had a colonscopy done by age 50. It can save your life! Insurance will pay for it at age 50, or sooner if you have a parent die of colon cancer. The prep is worse than the test, and you are put under completely....you should be anyway. They do have pills you can take instead of the big jug of go-lightly. But, there are alot of pills to swallow going that route also. I drank the go-lightly AKA go-quickly. Not pleasant, but I sucked on peppermints between each glass, and that helped.

I say this because my dad died 6 years ago this month from colon cancer at the age of 73. I miss him so much! He never had a colonoscopy and we catch ourselves saying all the time, "if only..." He was so heathly, never got sick, did not take medication of any kind, had more energy than any of us, and still worked. After dad's emergency surgery, the colon-rectal surgeon told us that dad had a very strong heart and healthy lungs and he was a strong man. Again, the words, "If only". He was so strong that he lived with a perforated colon from the cancer for 36 hours before he had surgery. We brought him home from the hospital and took care of him as much as he would let us. He refused to be a burdon to his kids. We made the most of time we had left. We laughed, cryed, remembered days gone by, and left nothing unsaid. He lived for 8 weeks and died at home. I was in the room with him when he took is last breath. My dad would be here today, "if only"...

Oh Cookie, Your story is so sad but very common I am sure. Yes, I have had 2 colonoscopies so far at the age of 58. One was in my late 40's when I had a gastro problem and the other was simply because it had been 5 years after and I was over 50. You are right, the prep is worse than the test. I was "out" and it was done in the office. Got up, had my hubby drive me home and then had a wonderful late breakfast (after the day before of fasting on clear liquids). My gastro dr. is in the business because his dad died at the age of 42 from colon cancer. He became driven and is one of the finest gastroenterolgists in our town. My daughter, at the age of 28 had one last year for a history of IBS and had a horrible time with the prep. She could barely keep it down. But in the end, it worked out and we were happy to find there was nothing serious. It is so very important to have this test. If only people would realize it could happen to them or to a loved one. Thanks for re-enforcing the message.

After hearing Katie Couric speak on this and how she lost her husband, I decided it was time.

I had to have a liquid diet the day before and that afternoon, took some pills with a liquid that tasted like lime-aid. Yes, you spend most of the night in the bathroom but I've already done that with my colitis so it was nothing new and not really that bad.

They found polyps and removed them and now, I must have this procedure done every three years. I was just filling out my paper work for the upcoming one in Sept.

They put me on a drip and I slept through the entire procedure and I thank God this test is available because more women die from colon cancer than men and it kills more women than breast cancer. A night of discomfort and being hungry is nothing compared to fighting colon cancer.

I urge all of you to get this done. I'm so glad I did.

I'm so glad you ladies have had it done!! According to my dad's doctor, my dad had colon cancer for years. I believe the doctor said that it takes about 3-5 years for a polp to become pre-cancerous, 10 years to become cancer, and not long after that it can move out of the colon into other parts of the body. Therefore, a routine colonoscopy procedure could save your life. I got a little tired of eating/drinking jello, broth, and popsicles, but it was for only one day and worth it. My tests turned out good....no polps. If you are deciding upon having this procedure done, here's a little hint ladies, you might want to buy a pkg. or 2...or 3 of those wet wipes. They are easier on the.... bum.

Been there, done that and I have no regrets. Yes, I had to drink that nasty stuff, but like everyone has said, it's worth a little discomfort to have the peace of mind that you carry NO CANCER. I highly recommend having this test!

Cookie, I'm so sorry. It was so sad to hear about your sweet Daddy. I do understand!

JJ

Still trying to get up the nerve...

chatty, get on with it girlfriend!

cookie, so sorry to hear about your dad. My family went through something similar, but it was with Mom and lung cancer. Aren't you glad you had those weeks of knowing he was leaving so you could love the heck out of him?

I'm 48. I should have two years before this nice birthday present my doctor gives everyone, but due to the e.coli poisoning from Mexico which cuased the diverticulitis...I will be having one in September or October. Geez Dianne, maybe we should schedule them on the same day.

They have girlfriend Botox parties so why not colonoscopy girlfriend parties? It would sure make it more fun.

Chatty, get your behind in for this test before I fly to Vegas and drag you to the doctor! In reading Sharon Osbourne's book and since Ozzy is a hypocondriac, she would have most likely died if he hadn't made her go in for the test. He is always worried about health issues (except drugs in his earlier years) and this worry saved her life.

Chats...nutin' to it. You're asleep the entire time...When I woke up my doc said, "Hey there sleepy head, know what I have to tell you?" And I replied, "Yeah, Gee Georgia, I've never seen this side of you before..." The recovery room erupted in laughter...

Go honey...it really IS painless. The only reason people don't do it is because of the stuff you have to drink before hand. ONE DAY of discomfort for your life? Me thinks its a pretty good trade...eh?

JJ

I wasn't as lucky as you who went under when you had the procedure.
I was given medication by mouth that made me sick.
The prodecure was pure h***!!!!!
I had the nurse and the doctor's elbows pushing on my abdomen to get my intestines to move so the doc could get the scope to move thru.
I'm being honest with you all because it can hurt.
But Chatty........request that you be put out and they will do that for you.
I didn't request it because I believed my doc when she said it would be fine.
SURE!!!!!!!!!!
Lynne

testing, this wasn't working a minute ago. I could not submit a reply.

Oooooh, have 'em, girls. Mom had early stage colon cancer, a good polyp gone bad. They did the surgery, a re-section and no chemo, no radiation since it had not penetrated the colon wall. Ten years later, she is healthy and, at 81, gets a regular colonoscopy. She, too, decided against the less invasive test--if they see something, you have to return for the regular test.

My husband has to drink more than the gallon since it is hard to clean him out. He never gets sick--I know that I would be heaving with each dose. I wonder why? Body mass, maybe?

me trying to get the nerve too. I'm such a chicken poop when it comes to surgeries. I'm 52. My mother had her first one last year at age 76 or so. and she said all she had to do was take a little pink pill and drink some stuff for a little bit.
I know I should. I will....some day ....soon...I will. Yes, I'll do that. Yes, I will...

Jama

I will keep doing it even if it did hurt!
I have to.......we all have to so we know that we're ok.
I can tell you there's a lot more painful tests out there.
I've had them done to me, and I've watched them being done on other people.
My theory is if I want to stay well after 17 surgeries, I'd better do what's best for me.
So........please get the test done.
Lynne