That Procedure A Man Needs after the Age of 40

[Old saw fixer]

Just think about how good the greasy cheeseburger you are you going to get on the way home!  That's always my first stop, lol!

[HemlockKing]

Just think about how good the greasy cheeseburger you are you going to get on the way home!  That's always my first stop, lol!

A rotten ronnies stop! 

[firefighter ontheside]

Well, I'll be on the way home by 9am, so I'm not sure a cheeseburger will be the ticket, but maybe.  I guess McD's will make a cheeseburger at any time of day.

[Magicman]

I am usually content with a milkshake. 

[doctorb]

While FDA approved, (and often not paid for by insurance) there's a new prep for colonoscopy that involves just pills and water. Sutab is the brand.  I tried it last spring for my procedure and found it much easier than the others.  I hated the syrupy sweet liquids you had to gag down. While you drink a lot of water, it was much more tolerable than the other two preps I had experienced.  The results of the prep were as expected.  ;D  There's no escaping that.

[firefighter ontheside]

Interesting @doctorb im guessing it often depends on the doctor you have at the time.  This has been better than the last time.  I had to drink a whole gallon last time.  As it is, I had 64oz and I'm already done with it. I told myself last time that I would just mix the miralax with water instead of gatorade and then I went and did the gatorade again.  Now, tomorrow morning I have to drink the Mag Citrate.  I've never had that.

[Don P]

I had the same, not completely out when the doc started. I was just quietly waiting for things to begin, watching the monitor when I realized things were coming into focus and the TV show was starting. I piped up real quick and said "That's a view I've never seen before  :D" I've never seen a camera zoom out so fast. Next thing I was waking up afterwards.

On the other old man test, I went in for my annual a few months ago and he did a prostate PSA test with the bloodwork and the red flag went up, it went from around 4 to 11. He called me back in for an extensive finger wave and another PSA. While I was leaning on my elbows he asked if I had been riding a bike or driving a heavy truck on rough roads. "No but I'm digging out a basement with a bobcat and getting slammed pretty hard" "Ahh, that probably explains it". As we talked his dad had been in construction and he had his Dad's old skidsteer so he knew all about the pounding it can give you. I came back from that blood test with a 6 but told him I had ridden the bobcat that morning before seeing him. He sent a note with the results to come in when I was done with the bucking bronc. Anyway, for you guys running heavy toys if you pop up with a sudden high PSA number that can be the cause.

Good luck in the morn!

[Chuck White]

Back in January I had the prep (2 Gatorades w/prep added), wasn't too bad!

I just hate the thick/syrupy mix, then trying to get rid of that after the bottle is gone!

The worse prep I had was my first one, 8oz every 15 minutes until the gallon was gone, it was called "Go Lightly"!

Absolutely yuk!

They've come a long way since then!  

[firefighter ontheside]

I'm all done and back home.  One small polyp again that was removed.  Doctor said they would let me know about the biopsies.  They also scoped my esophagus and biopsied that.  Come back for a check up in a year and 5 years for another scope.

[Tacotodd]

FFOTS, I'm glad for you that you're DONE. We'll here back from you about it when you get your results, I'm a guessin  :D

[Don P]

I hope they stuck the camera down your throat first instead of later.

[firefighter ontheside]

Lol, they did SAY they were gonna do that...

[Tacotodd]

I asked them that SAME question, but my doctors don't seem to think thats a funny question. I'm just a cutup and the caregivers that I see on a regular basis (hematologist and the underling of them for checking my INR, which (while not accurate) I relate to viscosity) know me & my antics. Every time that I go in for a blood draw I joke with them about putting the tourniquet around my neck, or at least the sphygmomanometer instead, BTW, that's just the PROPER name for a lowly blood pressure cuff. After the first time of my encounter then they realize that I'm just playing. After all, if you can't have fun then what's the point?!

Like my new saying is to lots of people, LEMONADE. Cause that's what you make when you're handed lemons, right?!

[DMcCoy]

My biggest fear is that it won't be clean enough and I have to go through it all again.  I'm VERY careful to do exactly what I'm instructed to do.
My first trip through, 20 yrs ago, they pulled out a small carcinoid cancer.  To which the DR said "we freak out when we find these but what ever you do don't go look on the internet".  Ha, yeah right, first thing I did....
Carcinoid cases where you wait until you have a problem - you have about 5 yrs max.
I've been clean ever since.  Grateful I went in.
The drugs are the highlight of the whole thing, for the 30 seconds I feel them.
They now such the air back out of you instead of making you fart which is nice if the nurses are cute.
Good on you for going in!

[Tacotodd]

Nurses are professionals and KNOW that everyone has done & will do that farting sooner or later. That's another part of life. I think that's part of why US young (redneck) guys find so much humor in it but only when it's done at the proper times ;)

[Ed_K]

 Well it's my turn for the great clean out ;D. Tue night and Wed off to the clinic to see what they can see, hope with now getting tumors they find nothing.

[nativewolf]

I have to start the prep on Wednesday afternoon at 2.  Dulcolax, Miralax, and then magnesium citrate the next morning.  Its a fun time.  You know what I'm talking about if you're doing what you should at your age, assuming you've reached that age.  My wife is bringing home all those presents when she gets home from work today.  Plus she's bringing me my diet for Wednesday, jello, juice and broth.  I can't believe its been 5 years.  I remember the last time so vividly.

There are better prep procedures than that in my opinion.  Then also better after colposcopy meals.  See if you doc can get you
 https://www.clenpiq.com/hcp/#:~:text=Take%20the%20first%20dose%20(1,5%20hours%20and%20before%20bed
Its better than straight mag citrate.  
Drink lots, lots during the day, all the clear stuff you can get.  
I find that it helps to significantly reduce physical activity the day of the prep (I am very skinny).  Helps me recover faster as I lose less weight.  It also helps to rachet down the food consumption so that there are no fiberours foods the days before.  Go to junk food and avoid meats and fruits and veggies for a couple of days.
I find it best to have the procedure first thing in the morning, it just means the day before strategy is simple and you spend less overall time fasting and fits into the daily routine and sleep schedule.
After the procedure I like to do a lot of probiotics, Kiefer , active yogurts, things like that.  Your gut is all funny because during the procedure you've not only been flushed out but they inflate the colon with CO2 to enable the camera to look at everything.  So, that stretching and balloning of the colon takes a bit of time to get over and for the colon to function properly.  
IT WORKS.  If you get the colonoscopy you will almost have no chance of colon cancer, they will catch it.  Two days of discomfort every 5 years is not a big deal.   Sure fire way to keep that cancer at bay.  Much harder to keep the other cancers at bay (skin, etc).  Some of us need one more often.  
I have a genetic defect which requires I have an endoscopy and colonoscopy every year.  So I'm on my 12, soon to be 13th.  Without this I'd be dead.  As it is even I might live to be 80.  With my genetic defect colon cancers are so aggressive that waiting for 5 years would be too late.  For most people though they grow slowly and any problem areas are removed during the colonoscopy and biopsies are done.  if you have a history of colon cancer discuss getting tested for Lynch Syndrome with your gastroenterologist.  Painless swab that could save your life, not expensive either.  

[kantuckid]

In 2019 I got a "bad result" from a home stool test for occult blood in my stool. I was 77 back then and well past the age for regular procedures. I had been previously diagnosed as having a acid reflux with a hiatal hernia so my gastro doc went in both directions.
What he found was zero wrong on either end! It was a clean bill of health on both ends! I'll never trust that home stool test again! Neither do i have the hernia thing, but I do have acid reflux still yet but controlled. 
Just sharing some thought that I was proactive but got no negative results in doing so.
 I ask the question if I took a risk that was worth if overall? Doc said yes.  

[firefighter ontheside]

I don't believe I ever reportied that my biopsy was negative, so yearly check up with gastro and another scope in 5 years.  I do have a minor hiatal hernia and something called an inlet patch in my esophagus.  The figure I've had that since birth.  It's essentially a little area in my esophagus that makes stomach acid.  I take protonix every morning, which is a proton pump inhibitor like nexium, prilosec and others.  This one is just prescription and I guess a little stronger.  They want me to take it every day forever I guess.  It's to hopefully keep me from getting Barrett's esophagus, which can lead to cancer.  Next month I get my physical which includes a cancer screening.  They will do the fecal occult test.  Fun.  Last year they found cancer in one of our guys and he had part of his liver removed.  It was the first year we added that screening.  Glad we did, or he may never have found it until it was too late.  

[kantuckid]

My acid reflux "fix" is one 10mg omeprazole each a.m. which is 1/2 dose of the OTC version. Keeps me OK. The incorrect diagnosis of my hiatal hernia that was wrong-it was via an local x-ray, not a scope job or another throat look/see like endoscopic or CD scan. 
Not sure I'll ever have faith in those take home poop test again. 

[Ed_K]

 I made it thru the awful drink they sent me and got real lucky that they didn't find any polups or bad things they did mention that there was some pockets but I'm going to have to ask my VA Doc what that means.

 I have been on the 10 mg omeprazole also been eating them for 15yrs or so.

[Don P]

Pockets are diverticulosis, think of a moon crater in your intestine. Seeds, corn, nuts, stuff like that can get stuck in there, cause discomfort and possible infection. The discomfort... think holding the world and trying not to pass out from the rocking going on in your gut is called diverticulitis. I have severe pockets but they don't often cause problems. I've got fresh pics if you are curious. He cut out 8 polyps yesterday, and I think sucker punched me for good measure, it was a slow day today. Needless to say my first email was to my sisters, don't skip that appointment.

[Ed_K]

 Thanks for the info Don. I'm glad you went and had the procedure, even if it was bad as mine for drinking that awful mixture. Sounds like they saved you from some problems down the road. Have a great day.