Whoopie - here we go again - Colonoscopy...!

I agree with your comment, thank you. But there is, in my opinion, a difference between heart disease and colon cancer: you can yourself prevent of heart disease - at least to a pretty remarkable extent - by avoiding risks like smoking, drinking too much alcohol and eating too much and too fat. (Moderate nutrition is of course important in order to prevent of colon cancer as well...)
 
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I'm 53 and in good physical health and condition. Don't and haven't smoked. Not overweight. I'm stage 4 colon cancer. Have been doing chemo since October. Don't be afraid to get looked at, even before 50..... Upside for me is, my body is handling the chemo well. Two weeks ago I went snow skiing in Copper Mountain with a group of friends I've been skiing with for 30 years. Still had a great time and skied for 2 days without a problem. The long term prognosis isn't great, but I feel good today and that's what counts!
 
Hello dontmindme! Thank you so much for your contribution to my thread. Any cancer is unpredictable, our life in general is unpredictable. I hope so very much that there will be a happy ending for you, despite of the term prognosis.

Christoph
 
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I just want to thank the OP and everyone who replied to this thread. I'm a prostate cancer survivor (15 yrs now...). I've had one colonoscopy and my doc wanted me to have another. My dad had survived both prostate and colon cancer.

I've been putting it off for over a year... this thread reminded me how important it is! I just called and scheduled my doctor appointment for the consultation before the exam.

Hope the OP has no problems with the prep and exam!
 
I dodged a bullet. Ended up in emergency room puking and very sick due to colon blockage. They pulled a big ole tumor out and removed just enough so I don't need a bag. Lymph node tests all came up negative. That was three years ago. My colonoscopy schedule has just been extended to every 5 years which is normal for someone my age. Don't be an idiot, like I was. Get it done. I was extremely fortunate, not everyone is.
 
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This thread is another fantastic AK experience, for two reasons. One reason is that your contributions - the serious ones, but the funny ones as well - made the examination easier for me, and the other reason is that it is helpful and useful for others, for example as a reminder or as a source of information on the topic.
 
Good to hear of the positive outcome! Too many of us guys ( Most AKers are guys) put these and other important health check-ups off - sometimes with sad results. See your doctors, folks!
 
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Good comments, and thanks for sharing, and reminding me of my good fortune.
CC runs in my family, and the very first colonoscopy I had found (and removed) quite a few non-benign polyps (8, I think).
2nd one 3 yrs later found 1 non-benign.
3rd, 4th and 5th ones (at ~5yr intervals) all came back clean, and down to only one (benign) polyp last time.
The procedure is not entirely without risk, of course, so you have to weigh those factors, too.
But for me: Stay living...get tested.
CC is a horrible way to go.
 
You are an actual insider, needseg, so I'm sending a warmhearted Welcome to our community! :)
 
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Thanks for the update Chris.

The thing I don't understand is that the #1 killer is still heart disease, which can be detected by a $400.00 Plaque test that shows how much blockage there is in which arteries. But colon cancer makes up only 8% of all cancers and is the first thing they want to check you for. This doesn't make logical sense. But it is clear that most countries don't practice preventive medicine.

I think the difference is that the colonoscopy is relatively low-risk and the removal of polyps is very effective at preventing cancer, whereas, knowing that there is some coronary plaque does not give a precise prediction of the progress of disease vs. the risk of remedial procedures. For example, placement of a stent may result in long-term improvement, or may be followed by renewed blockage after an indeterminate period. Determining that you have plaque may only result in getting the same advice regarding diet and exercise that would be given if you didn't have the test. I think medical knowledge in this area is in the same stage as it was for stomach ulcers at one time. Once it was discovered that many cases of ulcers were caused by bacterial infection, all of those cases could be cured. The proximate causes of plaque buildup, if any, have not been determined, as far as I know.
 
Oh - almost forgot, while going off-topic:

Congratulations, Chris, on your good news, and thanks for reminding us all to get checkups.
 
As my doctor said after the bum probe and a fissure fix i am now a perfect a**hole!The nurses were scandalized and were twittering amoungst themselves until i surprised them by being awake and telling them to get a sense of humor.
 
Chris, I'm glad you started this thread as it really does bring up the importance of taking care of yourself. What would AK do without you!! I'm on the 3-5 year plan and will have my third next year. The procedure really isn't that bad, and I usually have them sedate me just enough so I can watch on a monitor (that was one of the options). That really sounds creepy, but I did find it fascinating to be able to watch them snip the polyps out, but not feel any pain. It was explained to me there are several types of polyps, and one of them is much more likely to turn cancerous. That type of polyp is usually the type I get, so I feel it's important to get checked when recommended. One thing I find humorous is I can't wait to find a place to eat when I get out of there. As for the ones not sure about getting a colonoscopy when recommended, Just do it!
 
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