Won't get a colonoscopy

[The Mystery Machine]

If the pill cam detects polyps, a "scope" is needed to biopsy them. That means a second prep . . .

True, however OP could at least rest assured that he or she did something to check for cancer and would have a stronger reason to take the risk of the colonoscopy.

 

[LiveYourLife]

I've had six colonoscopies all without any complications. The reason: both my Grandmother (age 62), and Father (age 49) died from colon cancer. When the colon cancer was found in both of them it was too late. My grandmother it had metastasized everywhere and she died a month after the diagnosis. My Father died 4 days after his diagnosis while he was still in the hospital.

Two years ago, my Mother had some other health issues, during that process, I told her she needed to go and get a colonoscopy done, as she never had one. She did and they removed a 10mm polyp, which is very large. The Doctor told me while she was in recovery that in another year, he would be coming out and telling me much different news. I am so thankful she listened to me and scheduled the screening.

OP, if you read back through the thread there are already more stories like mine above than the number of people you "know" who have died due to complications of a colonoscopy.

Like another poster stated previously the number of deaths due to a colonoscopy is very high for your area. Do your research and look for a reputable Gastro. Find one who does their procedures in a hospital, or a clinic that is attached to a hospital.

Don't let the "what ifs" about the prep/procedure stir up your anxiety and get in your headspace.

If you go to your appointment and the recommendations are an endoscopy and/or colonoscopy, do it, please. You've got this!

 

[kandb]

Thanks everyone for all the information, I do appreciate it. I am close to NYC and if I decide to get it done, I will go there to a very reputable doctor.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

People were wondering about death rates.

This is from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. I separated the paragraph out for clarity.

"MORTALITY

Death has been rarely reported in relation to colonos- copy, with or without polypectomy.

In a 2010 review of colonoscopy complications based on prospective studies and retrospective analyses of large clinical or administra- tive databases, there were 128 deaths reported among 371,099 colonoscopies, for an unweighted pooled death rate of 0.03%.

2 All studies reported mortality within 30 days of the colonoscopy, although some reported all- cause mortality whereas others limited their analysis to colonoscopy-specific mortality. Those reporting all-cause mortality include 116 deaths among 176,834 patients (0.07%).4,9,14, 49-52

Among those reporting colonoscopy- specific mortality, there were 19 deaths among 284,097 patients (0.007%).9,19,49-56"

So the mortality rates are very low.

I think, though, that we shouldn't sugarcoat it to make it out to be like there are no risks for complications at all. As with any procedure, there can be some risks, even if their potential is low. (And the person doing the procedure will go over those exactly with you when you sign the consent.) One always has to weigh the risks with the benefit of a procedure. Certainly any procedure will be riskier for someone who has medical comorbities to begin with, but that doesn't mean that complications can't occur with somone who is very low risk, either, or vice versa.

That said, here is the position statement: http://www.asge.org/assets/0/71542/71544/56321364-c4d8-4742-8158-55b6bef2a568.pdf

My personal feeling is that, I agree with this:
"Endoscopists are expected to carefully select patients for the appropriate intervention, be familiar with the planned procedure and available technology, and be prepared to manage any adverse events that may arise. Once a complication oc- curs, early recognition and prompt intervention will min- imize the morbidity and mortality associated with that complication."

I would undergo the procedure in a high quality facility where any complications that might occur will be recognized and acted upon quickly. I, personally, like to be at, or very near, an excellent hospital.

 

[leebee]

I've had 4 colonoscopies in 20 years and will continue to have them, as both my mother and my sister have had colon cancer. My mom was very lucky; she was 70 years old and her tumor type was so contained and small that basically even chemo was optional after the surgery to remove the tumor. She did the chemo and was fine. My sister? She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, with 7 nodes involved, at the age of 31. She had a weekend to determine the rest of her life. Her surgical option was to have her entire lower digestive system removed (about 3 feet of large intestine as well as rectum/anus) and wear a bag for the rest of her life, or have the surgery and spend her life incontinent. In addition, she and her husband needed to decide if she wanted to postpone surgery, take high doses of estrogen so that the doctors could collect ova, fertilize those ova and freeze them, if they wanted to ever consider having a family. That is a LOT for a 31 year old (and her 26 year old husband) to face and determine in a 48 hour time span, and they decided that she'd have the surgery and opt for the colostomy, and that they wouldn't be having children. Ever. Chemotherapy and radiation were brutal, and as she also has cerebral palsy, she was unable to walk for quite awhile due to the muscle wasting and not having the strength to manage crutches. Rehab also wasn't pretty, but PT was necessary to regain mobility. The upside? She's a 20 year cancer survivor- so it was definitely the right decision!

If you need a colonscopy, please have one. Don't let the statistics scare you. Don't let the idea of discomfort or embarrassment deter you. What convinced me, finally, to have the first colonoscopy? I just couldn't figure out how I'd be able to look my daughter in the eye and say, "Sorry, mommy's going to die because she was afraid and embarrassed to have a simple test."

 

[GaryDis]

Thank you, I appreciate the information.

Another option, if you haven't already seen it from some of the research or links, is a flexible sigmoidoscopy. It only inspects the last part of the colon, but as far as I know requires less prep and has lower risk, partly because anesthesia isn't necessary and partly because there's less twisty navigation to do. Obviously it also has the risk of missing a significant problem further up in the colon.

 

[mom2rtk]

Another option, if you haven't already seen it from some of the research or links, is a flexible sigmoidoscopy. It only inspects the last part of the colon, but as far as I know requires less prep and has lower risk, partly because anesthesia isn't necessary and partly because there's less twisty navigation to do. Obviously it also has the risk of missing a significant problem further up in the colon.

I'm not so sure about that "less prep" thing. I know I had one a number of years ago and did the same sort of prep I did for a colonoscopy.

 

[Christine]

I'm not so sure about that "less prep" thing. I know I had one a number of years ago and did the same sort of prep I did for a colonoscopy.

I had one and I definitely remember having less prep. It was also pretty uncomfortable--whew!! But a guy I worked with had one and said it was a breeze. Everyone has different sensitivities, though, and generally if you are a person that suffers IBS, a flex sig is probably going to bother you. But most (not all) colon cancers occur in the "left" colon so, if you didn't want to do the full one, you are covering yourself pretty well with a flex sig.

 

[mom2rtk]

I had one and I definitely remember having less prep. It was also pretty uncomfortable--whew!! But a guy I worked with had one and said it was a breeze. Everyone has different sensitivities, though, and generally if you are a person that suffers IBS, a flex sig is probably going to bother you. But most (not all) colon cancers occur in the "left" colon so, if you didn't want to do the full one, you are covering yourself pretty well with a flex sig.

Well now I feel cheated. I definitely remember doing the full prep. And it turns out they couldn't even get as far as they wanted to, so there really wasn't much payoff. I don't remember too much of the procedure though. They gave me some sort of light sedation.

 

[Christine]

Well now I feel cheated. I definitely remember doing the full prep. And it turns out they couldn't even get as far as they wanted to, so there really wasn't much payoff. I don't remember too much of the procedure though. They gave me some sort of light sedation.

I remember not being able to eat the afternoon/evening before and then having to you a regular Fleet Enema twice. Mine doctor did try to go higher up but I had to tell him to stop due to the pressure. I had no sedation and I was so flipped out from the unexpected pain that I had a hard time settling myself down and driving home. I wasn't doing this for a colon cancer screening. I was having some after effects from having giardia so he just wanted to get a quick view of that part of the colon.

 

[mom2rtk]

I remember not being able to eat the afternoon/evening before and then having to you a regular Fleet Enema twice. Mine doctor did try to go higher up but I had to tell him to stop due to the pressure. I had no sedation and I was so flipped out from the unexpected pain that I had a hard time settling myself down and driving home. I wasn't doing this for a colon cancer screening. I was having some after effects from having giardia so he just wanted to get a quick view of that part of the colon.

I wasn't doing mine for colon cancer screening either. I had other issues and they were just ruling out a variety of things.

It's been a while, but I vividly remember meeting friends for lunch after and not wanting to eat anything after working so hard to clean it all out the night before. Eventually the hunger won out.

 

[Tjap]

I've had 3 in 8 years
I never will have one again
I get deathly Ill from the prep
I'm not afraid of dying from the procedure but They aren't effective for me
I can't keep the prep drink down so it does me no good

 

[minnie56]

It is ghastly ..a friend can't tolerate it so also no use for her

 

[longboard55]

The idea is not just to see if you have cancer, it is to remove polyups so you do not get cancer. I had like 8 polyups last time so I need to go every 3 years. My grandfather died of colon cancer, so if I never went I am sure it would kill me too.

We have a friend who refuses and refuses physicals, so who gets to take care of her when something bad happens that could have been avoided

 

[manning]

I have them every year with no issues. Have many family and friends have them with no problems. My dad didn't want one either til he started bleeding so bad and found out he had incurable colon cancer. I'll take my chances and continue to be proactive.

That's the problem. When you start to bleed it is usually at stage 3/4. I had it at age 50 i 1993. I got lucky and survived. it was stage 3. It shakes you to the core when the doctor tells you you have a 35% chance to make it to 5 years.

Hell, there is always a chance of dying when procedures are invasive. I'll take that chance any day over getting colon cancer. If you don't have any polyps your good for 10 years until the next one.

the key is catching it early. Even then it won't be 100% you'll get it. You're survival rate may be 99 %. Hell a lot better than 35 or lower.

Be smart.....GET ONE!!

 

[manning]

Have you had a stool sample tested? That would be the logical first step before a colonoscopy. If not, insist on it. They can test for bacterial infection that way, since you could have something like C. difficile.
Have you been taking probiotics?

They look for DNA in your stool for cancer.

At least get a stool test. If it comes back positive GET A COLONOSCOPY

 

[Nancyg56]

The idea is not just to see if you have cancer, it is to remove polyups so you do not get cancer. I had like 8 polyups last time so I need to go every 3 years. My grandfather died of colon cancer, so if I never went I am sure it would kill me too.

We have a friend who refuses and refuses physicals, so who gets to take care of her when something bad happens that could have been avoided

I am deathly afraid of medical procedures, but I still follow through with the colonoscopy. I have polyps and while cancer is not an issue in my family, I choose not to be example of why you still get screened.

I cannot tell anyone else what to do, but it makes me cringe when I hear stories of the "old days" and how those who eat well and exercise are going to be safe. We live under different conditions than our grandparents lived, and have many factors that are out of our control. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat is impacted differently so while good habits make a difference, they are not fail safe.

 

[Klayfish]

This was a zombie thread from a year ago revived, but sure, I'll add in.

I have Crohns. Not going to lie and say that I look forward to having one. Who would? But the trade off of prep and the procedure (they usually sedate you anyway) for the benefit the test gives is well worth it. It's not all that big of a deal. Prep sucks, the test sucks, but you get over it and it's part of what helps keep me as healthy as I can be.

 

[LouChris]

My ex had severe anemia for 3 years and he kept putting off a colonoscopy. One day he was so severely constipated that he was in severe pain enough to take us to the ER. We got there and they did and MRI. Long story short. Later that night they called my colo-rectal surgeon in a he was in the operating room for Stage 3 Colon cancer and they saved his life as he was on the verge of perforation. He has had several since then. At the time he was in his early 40's and they said his cancer had been growing since his 30's. Due to his age his brother and sister who are both younger had to have colonoscopy's. Both of them had polyps removed. His brother's were of a pre-cancerous nature. My 16 year old daughter has to have her first colonoscopy at age 25 due to family history. Talk to your surgeon find out how many he has done. His personal stats. Like many posters have said you have more risk getting killed in a car accident. If you don't like the prep ask for a new prep called "Prep-o-pik". two 8 oz glasses of the nasty stuff and the rest normal fluids. It's your choice but it's a risky one to take.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I've had 3 in 8 years
I never will have one again
I get deathly Ill from the prep
I'm not afraid of dying from the procedure but They aren't effective for me
I can't keep the prep drink down so it does me no good

You need a different prep. They exist.

(Throwing my hat into Hades here, lol.)