Got mine last year. Do not remember a thing.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I got mine last year . . . and did my slowest 5k ever a day and a half later. Talk about running on empty. That crap you have to drink is much worse than the procedure.

I'm 60 on January 13 -- does that count?

Seriously, though, your post is timely as I just visited my doctor today and she gave me the materials for the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). I last had this done maybe 3 years ago, and it this time the Ontario Health Insurance Plan has formalized the ColonCancerCheck program as a government initiative. Below are some of the points from the written material that is part of the FOBT.

"The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario, has launched the ColonCancerCheck program to expand screening for colorectal cancer........The ColonCancerCheck program uses this information to identify individuals aged 50 and over who should be screened for colorectal cancer, invite them to be screened using the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), and, when the participant does not have a primary care provider, to provide the participant with his or her test result and with a follow-up referral, where required........If you take the FOBT test and the results is positive, your family doctor will refer you for a colonoscopy. If you do not have a family doctor, and your test result is positive, you will be notified and advised how to proceed by the ColonCancerCheck program. If your test results are negative, the ColonCancerCheck program will notify you and remind you to repeat the test every two years."

My doctor also said that she thinks that the period of re-testing will be reduced to every year, so this is a matter that the Ontario government is taking very seriously. So, I guess I should start the first of the three smears tomorrow....eh?

Did mine with pills.....something like 32 pills over a 4 hour period!

The really sad part is that Colon Cancer is very slow growing....there is absolutely no reason for anyone to die of this disease with early detection.

There is no need to HTFU, a thorough teeth cleaning is far more unpleasant. The liquids the night before do taste horrible but the drugs the next day really makes the whole thing a non event.

I fully second your advice, that and a PSA are the 2 easiest ways to greatly eliminate 2 possible cancer causes, or at least catch them early enough.

I second the issue with drinking the drano. That stuff is nasty! The only thing I rememeber about the procedure is the doctor telling me to relax. Apparently I didn't and he doubled the valium and that was that. Woke up in recovery and the wife drove me home. I think I slept the whole day.

Did it. I can tell everyone it's a lot of fun. ; )
By the way my Dr. had me take pills and dring ginger ale. Flushed me out and wasn't hard to do

My wife got colon cancer at 36 while pregnant
Still cancer free after 12 years
Daughter is same
Get checked

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Slowtwitch bitchist place on planet earth

Had my first one this past Aug at the age of 57. Dr. said I'm good to go for another 10 years. Clean as a whistle. He even gave me pictures. Worst part was the day before. I think I still have an implant of the toilet seat :-)

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18x Ironman, 3x Hawaii
US Army (Ret.), Vietnam Vet ('71-'72)

 
Excuse my ignorance, am I safe to assume they give you like very strong laxatives to clean you out? Can you still eat the day before?

I can thank triathlon and more specifically the TTT for my first colonoscopy at age 48. I got constipated in the days after the TTT last year and ended up visiting the doc. He recommended a colonoscopy. Thankfully, all clear down there.

I can thank triathlon and more specifically the TTT for my first colonoscopy at age 48.

Ha! As if we needed another reason to sign up for TTT, this one will put most people over the edge!!

I had my first one last year. It was probably the easiest medical procedure I've ever experienced and the knockout drugs were great. I went home afterwards and had the best nap I've ever had. I took a friends advice and I did the pills rather than the liquid.

Can you still eat the day before?

No.

This is a really important thing to do. Got mine this past spring at 52. Only one polyp and it was benign. I delayed this a couple of years because, after dealing with my wife's cholangiocarcinoma for more than a year, it took me a while to be able to go to the doctor again.

I remember everything before the procedure and nothing of it. I even remember that my blood pressure was different due to the use of an ankle cuff.

The only hard part was arranging transportation home. They wouldn't let me take a taxi. At the time, no one else in my house drove. I finally got it worked out so a friend could take me home at lunch.

My gf drove me home. I remember the ride but not specifically what we talked about. The next day she told me that I said funny things on the ride home.

Post-procedure don't pig out at Outback Steakhouse like my husband wanted to do--- The results: rapid lane change on drive home for him to vist the curb, puking his toenails up!

My turn is next year. But I had to have the bowel prep for an abdomenal radiographs this year, so I know what unpleasantness is in store there--- LOL at the above comment about the permament toilet seat imprint on the butt!

Don't forget, Katie Couric had her colonoscopy done on national TV, awake....

My wife made me do it :)
She got me a mountain bike for my 50TH birdhday and a colonoscopy for my 51th :)
Only unpleseant is drinking a gallon of water the nigh before and spend time in lavender room
Did it in Paris where we live now
got into op room at 8h00, got sedated at 8h01, woke up 11am, went home and had a good nap
Small begnin polyp was found
Glad I did it since I do not eat vegetables or fruits much\will do it again in 5 years if I get a roqd bike for my 55th

Do it !

Don't rely on fecal occult blood testing as a screening. Polyps and cancer sometimes bleed only intermittently so that you could have a large tumor and a negative test. Get the colonoscopy done.

There are a myriad of cleanout products available now, including the pills (Osmoprep), the liquid in either 2liter variant (Moviprep) or 4liter types (Colyte, Trilyte, Nulytely, etc.). Everyone is different and some people will drink a gallon without batting an eyelash while others will choke on the vitamin sized sodium phosphate pills so don't assume that because your friend, neighbor says pills are the way to go that it will work the same for you.

The procedure is short, easy and can be done with or without sedation. Just by odds alone, most of you will leave with a clean bill of health for 10 years, some require repeat in 3-5 years and occasionally, some will require surgical resection of an early cancer. This disease is notorious for not causing early symptoms. Completely curable in early stages, the odds of cure go way down with the size of the tumor and the extent of its spread.

Bottomline: Get the procedure, it could save your life.

Think twice!

My step mom just had one and they ruptured her splean and she almost bled out that evening at home.

Her neighbor just had one and got an infection in her heart and was in the hospital for almost a month.

Another neighbor also got one and they had some serious complications.

I think I'll hold off for now.

This is about as useful as telling someone to think twice about riding a bicycle because the neighbor fell and fractured his skull and so did the guy down the block. There are potential complications to all procedures; you are more likely to be seriously injured riding your bike than undergoing colonoscopy.

I turn 50 in June (January 1 by USAT age) so I will be up for that next year. My brother is 51 and he got his first last month. My wife's dad died of colon cancer so she will get hers next year as well.

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"Well, I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn't have anything to regret for the rest of their life." Lance Armstrong to Peter LeFleur