Can't recall if it was my first or second colonoscopy, but just as the drug was taking effect one of the nurses said "didn't you represent my husband in our divorce?"
Years later I told this story as they were prepping me for my third. One of the nurses said "that was me!"
My husband died of colon cancer in November, and it was totally preventable. It was in his family, but I couldn’t get him to go get checked out even after he started having symptoms. It’s an awful way to die and I’m glad you got checked out and you are encouraging others to do so.
I have not read all the comments, so please excuse me for anything that has already been written below. As someone who is at risk and therefore is diligent about colonoscopies, I cannot agree more that the procedure is a whole lot of nothing as far as sensations go. In fact, I am very hard to knock out, and I tell them this at the hospital, at which time they consult the chart and sagely reply that I was not given anything special last time, to which my deadpan response is, "I Know!" Even so, I have fun watching the whole thing on the screen and talking to the nurses when they realize I am drugged but conscious.
For the squeamish, Dave Barry wrote a great colonoscopy primer many years ago that is tremendously funny, but also correct and useful (https://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1928847.html) . After my first colonoscopy, I was discussing it with my Mom when she got that glazed over 'I have no idea what you are talking about' look, and I found out that at age 70-something she was still putting it off. She died of colon cancer a year later. Get it done.
“ Spring Recess has nothing to do with Easter, it just always takes place at Easter weekend.)”
Of course, just like “BCE” replacing “BC” has nothing to do with Christ. It’s a “Common Era,” you see. Common with…the Jewish calendar? Muslim? Chinese? Mayan? Any freaking calendar except the one established by Christians? Well, no, but let’s pretend we’re being duly diverse. We don’t need no stinking intellectual consistency.
I’m 72. I’ve had half a dozen of these “family history of colon cancer. I do them without anesthesia. It’s not painful, and there’s zero recovery time. On the scale of f 1-10 discomfort it’s a 0.25. You can have an educational chat with the doc as he explains the journey. Besides, you get to ask him/her if business is looking up.
Re: early onset colon cancer. I was listening to a podcast today that briefly mentioned vitamin D and there being a correlation with latitude and some cancers including colon cancer. Basically less sun = more cancer. Made me wonder if there might be a connection between younger people getting less sun exposure due to spending more time on screens and less time outdoors and always being slathered in sunscreen. This article draws the connection between vitamin D and early onset colon cancer with the focus on dietary sources. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/08/vitamin-d-may-protect-against-young-onset-colorectal-cancer/
My first "Double Ender" came at about 60 when my father passed with esophageal cancer and a younger brother from colon cancer.
My doctor was an ultimate compartmentalizer...when I suggested that since my government insurance was parsimonious, if they only allowed one "probe" to be used, please do the upper first.
He said, without a smile, "we use two different probes".
Good on you, Glenn, for sharing this. I would just caution being quick to dismiss the stool DNA test. For much of the country, access to preventive colonoscopies is slim to none. Getting a positive DNA test helps prioritize those individuals and get their insurance companies to compensate travel to an appropriate medical facility.
Colonoscopies, like any medical procedure are not zero risk. In my last one the physician hit my appendix stub and that led to an infection and a close encounter with the grim reaper. Fortunately, my wife recognized my distress and got me to the emergency room in time. We're not sure what to do about the next one scheduled at 80. We agree that the risk reward trade-off strongly favors the procedure but my experience leaves me wondering about what is the right choice for me.
My grandmother died of colon cancer, back in 1974, when kids weren’t allowed in hospital rooms and even the word “cancer” was treated as a cuss word. As mom’s an (retired now) RN, she moved into our house for hospice care. Mom had to nurse her mother into the grave. And while “assisted suicide” wasn’t discussed in those days, the doctors made sure they both knew what a lethal dose of pain killers would be. Grandma, a Dutch Reform lady, waited on God.
But an awful way to go. An evening of prep time is nothing compared to that.
Big fan since Aug 2001, and a deep bow of respect with thanks.
You've been a role model on taking good care of oneself. Followed your advice on supplements during WuFlu and convinced its why I shrugged it off without vax, as a bad cold- while others my age didn't make it.
Did my every-five-year roto-rooter a couple months ago and they carved out 13, vs 5 before so I'm on the two year plan.
One of many takeaways is that a key to living longer is early detection, and some of the cheapest best early detection are colonoscopies. Worth your time.
Mine is Friday, and also a spit-roasting. Glad it all was good, Glenn. Enough things can kill you that you can't control that it's silly to avoid things like this where we have some control.
Dear Professor, I've had the experience twice, most recently this year. The Prep was not necessarily easier but certainly shorter. First one was pre-ObamaCare and because of prior cardiovascular issues, the GI doc said it needed to be done in a hospital setting, full anesthesia. I remember speaking with the anesthetist about her being from New Orleans and taking her daughter back from Denver to Mardi Gras. She said she knew what was great to see and what to avoid. Then I asked her when the procedure would begin. She said "We're done". Longer time to recover from anesthesia, but never knew it happened. Second colonoscopy, United Medicare Advantage (AARP advantage is a better name for it but that's all my primary takes) wouldn't approve the hospital procedure and I had to go to a "run-em-In, rune em out" center in a strip mall. Very efficient, cheaper conscious sedation was used and I walked to and from the procedure room down the hall with my form fitting and privacy sensitive hospital gown that has to be tied in the back. Procedure itself was different, I could kind of feel something moving inside, before the walk back. Thankfully, only one small polyp was found and removed each time. Just think of it as one prep day of discomfort for a potential years more of life. Kind of like life insurance. You'd rather not but what if.
I had a friend, a few years older, who went through an experience similar your friend Joel. My friend is OK; sorry your friend is not. But I was a bit over-indexed on the matter when I was 49 and I called my insurance carrier to find out if the colonoscopy was covered if I had not yet turned 50. The kid on the other end of the phone had no idea what a colonoscopy was and dutifully tapped at his keyboard to look up the answer to my question. After a moment of searching, he chirped, "Oh - those are free any time you want to have one."
Guess no one in America's health care system is too concerned about people over-using their access to "free" colonoscopies.
Had my last colonoscopy last fall (I'm 83 and they told me I wouldn't get insurance to pay for another. Another life milestone achieved. Polyps removed again and as a bonus brought back home covid to share with my wife. Sometimes you wonder if going to the hospital is worth doing.
Can't recall if it was my first or second colonoscopy, but just as the drug was taking effect one of the nurses said "didn't you represent my husband in our divorce?"
Years later I told this story as they were prepping me for my third. One of the nurses said "that was me!"
My husband died of colon cancer in November, and it was totally preventable. It was in his family, but I couldn’t get him to go get checked out even after he started having symptoms. It’s an awful way to die and I’m glad you got checked out and you are encouraging others to do so.
I have not read all the comments, so please excuse me for anything that has already been written below. As someone who is at risk and therefore is diligent about colonoscopies, I cannot agree more that the procedure is a whole lot of nothing as far as sensations go. In fact, I am very hard to knock out, and I tell them this at the hospital, at which time they consult the chart and sagely reply that I was not given anything special last time, to which my deadpan response is, "I Know!" Even so, I have fun watching the whole thing on the screen and talking to the nurses when they realize I am drugged but conscious.
For the squeamish, Dave Barry wrote a great colonoscopy primer many years ago that is tremendously funny, but also correct and useful (https://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1928847.html) . After my first colonoscopy, I was discussing it with my Mom when she got that glazed over 'I have no idea what you are talking about' look, and I found out that at age 70-something she was still putting it off. She died of colon cancer a year later. Get it done.
“ Spring Recess has nothing to do with Easter, it just always takes place at Easter weekend.)”
Of course, just like “BCE” replacing “BC” has nothing to do with Christ. It’s a “Common Era,” you see. Common with…the Jewish calendar? Muslim? Chinese? Mayan? Any freaking calendar except the one established by Christians? Well, no, but let’s pretend we’re being duly diverse. We don’t need no stinking intellectual consistency.
I’m 72. I’ve had half a dozen of these “family history of colon cancer. I do them without anesthesia. It’s not painful, and there’s zero recovery time. On the scale of f 1-10 discomfort it’s a 0.25. You can have an educational chat with the doc as he explains the journey. Besides, you get to ask him/her if business is looking up.
Re: early onset colon cancer. I was listening to a podcast today that briefly mentioned vitamin D and there being a correlation with latitude and some cancers including colon cancer. Basically less sun = more cancer. Made me wonder if there might be a connection between younger people getting less sun exposure due to spending more time on screens and less time outdoors and always being slathered in sunscreen. This article draws the connection between vitamin D and early onset colon cancer with the focus on dietary sources. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/08/vitamin-d-may-protect-against-young-onset-colorectal-cancer/
My first "Double Ender" came at about 60 when my father passed with esophageal cancer and a younger brother from colon cancer.
My doctor was an ultimate compartmentalizer...when I suggested that since my government insurance was parsimonious, if they only allowed one "probe" to be used, please do the upper first.
He said, without a smile, "we use two different probes".
Do not procrastinate. Get the procedure done ..
It may save your life!
Good on you, Glenn, for sharing this. I would just caution being quick to dismiss the stool DNA test. For much of the country, access to preventive colonoscopies is slim to none. Getting a positive DNA test helps prioritize those individuals and get their insurance companies to compensate travel to an appropriate medical facility.
Colonoscopies, like any medical procedure are not zero risk. In my last one the physician hit my appendix stub and that led to an infection and a close encounter with the grim reaper. Fortunately, my wife recognized my distress and got me to the emergency room in time. We're not sure what to do about the next one scheduled at 80. We agree that the risk reward trade-off strongly favors the procedure but my experience leaves me wondering about what is the right choice for me.
My grandmother died of colon cancer, back in 1974, when kids weren’t allowed in hospital rooms and even the word “cancer” was treated as a cuss word. As mom’s an (retired now) RN, she moved into our house for hospice care. Mom had to nurse her mother into the grave. And while “assisted suicide” wasn’t discussed in those days, the doctors made sure they both knew what a lethal dose of pain killers would be. Grandma, a Dutch Reform lady, waited on God.
But an awful way to go. An evening of prep time is nothing compared to that.
Thanks, Blogfather!
Big fan since Aug 2001, and a deep bow of respect with thanks.
You've been a role model on taking good care of oneself. Followed your advice on supplements during WuFlu and convinced its why I shrugged it off without vax, as a bad cold- while others my age didn't make it.
Did my every-five-year roto-rooter a couple months ago and they carved out 13, vs 5 before so I'm on the two year plan.
Happy Easter-He is Risen!
Dr. Peter Attia was interviewed by Jordan Peterson
https://open.spotify.com/episode/23IxMKDiA2Xehf1AShuQC8
One of many takeaways is that a key to living longer is early detection, and some of the cheapest best early detection are colonoscopies. Worth your time.
Mine is Friday, and also a spit-roasting. Glad it all was good, Glenn. Enough things can kill you that you can't control that it's silly to avoid things like this where we have some control.
Dear Professor, I've had the experience twice, most recently this year. The Prep was not necessarily easier but certainly shorter. First one was pre-ObamaCare and because of prior cardiovascular issues, the GI doc said it needed to be done in a hospital setting, full anesthesia. I remember speaking with the anesthetist about her being from New Orleans and taking her daughter back from Denver to Mardi Gras. She said she knew what was great to see and what to avoid. Then I asked her when the procedure would begin. She said "We're done". Longer time to recover from anesthesia, but never knew it happened. Second colonoscopy, United Medicare Advantage (AARP advantage is a better name for it but that's all my primary takes) wouldn't approve the hospital procedure and I had to go to a "run-em-In, rune em out" center in a strip mall. Very efficient, cheaper conscious sedation was used and I walked to and from the procedure room down the hall with my form fitting and privacy sensitive hospital gown that has to be tied in the back. Procedure itself was different, I could kind of feel something moving inside, before the walk back. Thankfully, only one small polyp was found and removed each time. Just think of it as one prep day of discomfort for a potential years more of life. Kind of like life insurance. You'd rather not but what if.
I had a friend, a few years older, who went through an experience similar your friend Joel. My friend is OK; sorry your friend is not. But I was a bit over-indexed on the matter when I was 49 and I called my insurance carrier to find out if the colonoscopy was covered if I had not yet turned 50. The kid on the other end of the phone had no idea what a colonoscopy was and dutifully tapped at his keyboard to look up the answer to my question. After a moment of searching, he chirped, "Oh - those are free any time you want to have one."
Guess no one in America's health care system is too concerned about people over-using their access to "free" colonoscopies.
Had my last colonoscopy last fall (I'm 83 and they told me I wouldn't get insurance to pay for another. Another life milestone achieved. Polyps removed again and as a bonus brought back home covid to share with my wife. Sometimes you wonder if going to the hospital is worth doing.