Colonoscopy

ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
One wonders if Dr. Mercola pulls statistics out of his ass the way he'd pull a colonoscope out. He cites a mortality rate of 1 in every 1,000 procedures, mostly due to perforation. Studies in medical literature I saw cite a mortality rate ranging from as high as 1 in 5,000 to as few as 1 in 200,000 procedures. (The risk of perforation is greater in those with inflammatory bowel disease). The good doctor does, however, conclude that the procedure may be worthwhile unless your diet, like his, is so exceptionally healthy that you can be confident you'll never have colon cancer.
 
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S

Soul

Semi-Pro
I've had a number of colonoscopies in the past due to developing an IBD condition. I agree, they can be tough. The last one I had was a number of years ago, and while I'm not sure if it caused the problem or not, I don't lay blame with it, but it wasn't long afterwards that I began having some devastating gut issues that I don't feel I've ever fully recovered from. Hard to saw though what brought that about as I was doing poorly to begin with. Might have just been timing. I've known of some that sail through colonoscopies without a problem, and others like me where they don't sit well with and it takes me a long time to recover. I know of a neighbor friend experienced a perforation, and ended up in the hospital for weeks recovering too.

As mentioned in the article diet seems to help with avoiding polyps. On the IBD sight I visit I've seen others comment that polyps all but stopped developing after avoiding grains such as wheat, taking vitamin D3 aiming for a testing level around 50g/ml, and taking some magnesium. Haven't heard of turmeric helping with the gut but I've been taking that also so hopefully it is doing me some good in that area.

I was reading on the WheatBelly sight another testimonial of someone that found relief from IBS. IBS problems and IBDs seem to improve and sometimes go away after avoiding wheat and other grains, so I figure if having that kind of gut problem it might be worth a trial of changing ones diet to see if that resolves the issue before having a lower GI scoping done.

Melissa’s Wheat Belly transformation

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2015/12/melissas-wheat-belly-transformation/
 
H

HouTex

Rookie
Wow. The only bad part for me was the prep as stated by dgold.

During the time I was under the general anesthesia I had the best dreams I've ever had. Hard to describe and I can't remember the details, but I woke up with a feeling of total bliss. I wanted to go back to that place. I can't wait for next one in a few years.
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
comeback said:
I know some of you get Dr Mercola's newsletter..Here's one i got today..I had my first colonoscopy at age 60 and i vowed i would never get it again as the whole procedure was just terrible.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/12/09/colonoscopy-pros-cons.aspx?e_cid=20151209Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20151209Z1&et_cid=DM92058&et_rid=1256242129
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what about those non-invasive colonoscopy ? where they don't have to stick anything in ? are those good ?
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ not sure if you mean the large capsule-with-a-camera that you swallow, or a very comprehensive series of MRI images of the colon. Both have the disadvantage that you can't do a biopsy of a suspicious area, or remove polyps, something very routinely done with a colonoscopy.
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

Legend
HouTex said:
Wow. The only bad part for me was the prep as stated by dgold.

During the time I was under the general anesthesia I had the best dreams I've ever had. Hard to describe and I can't remember the details, but I woke up with a feeling of total bliss. I wanted to go back to that place. I can't wait for next one in a few years.
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Did you expire on the table and have an outer body experience? Humanoids don't dream while under anesthesia.
 
H

HouTex

Rookie
Mr.Lob said:
Did you expire on the table and have an outer body experience? Humanoids don't dream while under anesthesia.
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I wonder about that. They didn't say anything unusual happened during the procedure. It may have been the time when I was coming out of the anesthesia that I had the dream. I'd like to think I was a little closer to death and I got a glimpse of heaven. It was an unbelievable feeling and I immediately told my wife I wanted to go back under.
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

Legend
HouTex said:
I wonder about that. They didn't say anything unusual happened during the procedure. It may have been the time when I was coming out of the anesthesia that I had the dream. I'd like to think I was a little closer to death and I got a glimpse of heaven. It was an unbelievable feeling and I immediately told my wife I wanted to go back under.
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Very interesting. Thx for sharing.
 
C

comeback

Hall of Fame
HouTex said:
I wonder about that. They didn't say anything unusual happened during the procedure. It may have been the time when I was coming out of the anesthesia that I had the dream. I'd like to think I was a little closer to death and I got a glimpse of heaven. It was an unbelievable feeling and I immediately told my wife I wanted to go back under.
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Many adults don't sleep soundly as they age. Getting anesthesia probably put you in a deeper sleep than usual; which accounts for the euphoria;)
 
WildVolley

WildVolley

Legend
Odds that I'll ever get a colonscopy, without having serious problems up there already, approach zero.

Not that age yet anyway. But as a routine inspection on the small chance there might be something wrong. No way.

A less invasive and troublesome method of doing the same thing needs to be invented.
 
C

comeback

Hall of Fame
WildVolley said:
Odds that I'll ever get a colonscopy, without having serious problems up there already, approach zero.

Not that age yet anyway. But as a routine inspection on the small chance there might be something wrong. No way.

A less invasive and troublesome method of doing the same thing needs to be invented.
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Many people say that but a lot of doctors say you "must" have it; then all the famous people who died from it
http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-who-died-of-colorectal-cancer/reference?page=3
Then you end up feeling guilty and go along with it
 
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ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ It's certainly imperative if you have any family history of colon cancer; if not, the absolute minimum somebody over 50 should do is regularly test stool for occult blood; kits are available at drug stores. If blood shows up, the colonoscopy should be done.
 
H

HouTex

Rookie
Insurance will pay for me to have one every 5 years. I lost my Godmother to colon cancer. That's no way to die. I'll gladly do it again.
 
D

dman72

Hall of Fame
Colon cancer runs in my family so I had one at 40. Due for another one..had a polyp removed. It was the best sleep I've had in a long time.

However, someone I work with was nearly killed because of a perforation during the procedure....so...yes, it has it's risks.
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
If your colonoscopy was normal you can do an annual FIT test (fecal specimen similar to occult blood testing) that serves as a screen for when you need another one. Only do another colonoscopy when the FIT test is positive. Dr. Mercola is a self promoting quack IMO.

And i agree with others. The only awful part of the procedure was the prep. Drinking 2 litres of PEG is noxious. If you had trouble with the procedure find a better gastroenterologist.
 
sureshs

sureshs

Bionic Poster
HouTex said:
Wow. The only bad part for me was the prep as stated by dgold.

During the time I was under the general anesthesia I had the best dreams I've ever had. Hard to describe and I can't remember the details, but I woke up with a feeling of total bliss. I wanted to go back to that place. I can't wait for next one in a few years.
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I was under GA for a different surgery and don't remember anything. What kind of dreams did you have?
 
D

dman72

Hall of Fame
I was feeling great. I woke up and hit on the nurse....a few minutes later I said.."did I just say that?". She was like "yes you did". I said "I bet you get that all the time..." she said "yes I do!" Very nice looking blonde.

She went out and told my wife "your husband was really sweet when he woke up...." My wife was like "I'll bet he was!" rolling eyes.
 
H

HouTex

Rookie
sureshs said:
I was under GA for a different surgery and don't remember anything. What kind of dreams did you have?
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It wasn't a normal dream. It was more of a feeling. It's hard to put into words, but it was probably the best I've ever felt. It was a feeling of total bliss and contentment. It was like I was in a perfect world.
 
norcal

norcal

Hall of Fame
Dartagnan64 said:
The only awful part of the procedure was the prep. Drinking 2 litres of PEG is noxious. If you had trouble with the procedure find a better gastroenterologist.
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Agreed. Even drinking the prep wasn't that bad, just flavor it and watch football all afternoon. After the procedure I had no clue they had even done anything. Maybe you guys had lousy Dr's...or it wasn't a colonoscope they were putting up there!
 
sureshs

sureshs

Bionic Poster
HouTex said:
It wasn't a normal dream. It was more of a feeling. It's hard to put into words, but it was probably the best I've ever felt. It was a feeling of total bliss and contentment. It was like I was in a perfect world.
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When did you feel this? Just before you dozed off, just after you woke up, or did you really experience this when you were under?
 
n8dawg6

n8dawg6

Legend
nothin to it. i got one when i was 35 due to chronic, ahem, pooping. sucked drinking that whole bottle of stuff but the procedure was absolutely harmless and confirmed there was nothing seriously wrong like crohns. no cure for IBS related to anxiety, but its nice to know you dont have anything that will kill you in a hurry.
 
H

HouTex

Rookie
sureshs said:
When did you feel this? Just before you dozed off, just after you woke up, or did you really experience this when you were under?
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Not sure exactly. They had me count back from 100 and I think I made it to 98. Then I recall having the feeling immediately prior to or perhaps during the time I was waking up. I came out of the anesthesia and I immediately wanted to go back under.

And like Norcal, I woke up and I could not tell that they had done anything. This is not like a prostate exam. That's about the worst thing I have to endure every two years. I hurt for about two days.

edit: And they removed two small polyps and I still didn't feel anything.
 
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sureshs

sureshs

Bionic Poster
ollinger, is death something like that? I mean like going under general anaesthisia and then never waking up? I have been curious about that since my surgery. If it is so simple, then I don't mind dying.
 
Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

Legend
sureshs said:
ollinger, is death something like that?
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Ollinger typing from the great beyond? How would he know what death is like?

I suspect some day, when you're gone, you'll come back to haunt all of us at Talk Tennis... maybe you'll let us know then how death has worked out for you.;)
 
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sureshs

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Mr.Lob said:
Ollinger typing from the great beyond? How would he know what death is like?

I suspect some day, when you're gone, you'll come back to haunt all of us at Talk Tennis... maybe you'll let us know then how death has worked out for you.;)
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ollinger knows his stuff. I want him to tell me how death feels like. Is it like permanent general anaesthsia? Anyone here died recently who can post about this?
 
mmk

mmk

Hall of Fame
I had my second colonoscopy in 2009, it was at the end of the day on a Monday, and the doc was anxious to leave afterwards, but told me he'd removed a polyp but it was probably nothing to worry about. Three days later he calls and asks if I'd be available for surgery that afternoon, as the biopsy showed cancerous cells. Turns out after further examination by another doc with very specialized equipment (and it was quick enough that there was no pain meds given during his exam, a literal PITA) that the polypectomy had removed all the cancerous cells, but I had to keep getting checked on a regular basis for almost a year. Earlier this year I had a benign polyp removed during my latest colonoscopy. I hate the prep, but after watching my grandmother die of colon cancer, I'll keep getting scoped.
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ Death, a patient of mine once surmised, feels like a cold heat. Or maybe, as Woody Allen suggested, it's just a really good way to cut down on your expenses.
 
M

Mac33

Hall of Fame
I did hear a funny and true story many years ago.

Went something like this.....

My friends brother is a doctor at a public hospital in Australia.

We were at a restaurant discussing funny happenings with other doctors from the same hospital.

A older patient around 65 came in for a colonoscopy.

The procedure was performed.....and later it was discovered there had been some sort of botch up.

He was there for some matter totally unrelated.

Don't think it ever was reported on the record. Hilarious in a sort of way!
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^ Reminds me of a most unfortunate patient who had the wrong leg amputated (there are over 300 such "right-left" surgical errors reported in the US each year). The hospital spokesperson actually told the newspaper reporter that the hospital did not intend to bill him for the procedure.
 
S

scotus

G.O.A.T.
ollinger said:
^ Reminds me of a most unfortunate patient who had the wrong leg amputated (there are over 300 such "right-left" surgical errors reported in the US each year). The hospital spokesperson actually told the newspaper reporter that the hospital did not intend to bill him for the procedure.
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Had an eye surgery done recently.

Afterward, I noticed that the pre-op nurse had written "Yes" on my forehead over the eye that was to be operated on.

Got a chuckle. Better to look stupid for a day than be sorry for life.
 
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sureshs

sureshs

Bionic Poster
ollinger said:
^ Reminds me of a most unfortunate patient who had the wrong leg amputated (there are over 300 such "right-left" surgical errors reported in the US each year). The hospital spokesperson actually told the newspaper reporter that the hospital did not intend to bill him for the procedure.
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I had a mark put on me before my hernia surgery.

I guess colonoscopy does not cause any ambiguity.
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ they usually won't even let you drive home (though they're on shaky legal ground preventing you unless you're truly blotto); you need somebody with you or the Uber app
 
S

Soul

Semi-Pro
My father has a somewhat humorous story about a colonoscopy. For some reason the knock out medication does not effect him all that much. After a GI scoping he is often wide awake. As a result he and mom will typically run chores around the area after the procedure. One time dad was feeling hungry so they stopped off at a Mexican restaurant. At some point while there, dad realized all the air pumped into him had not evacuated. So naturally he got up from the table and went to the restroom. To his surprise it wasn't just a little bit of air remaining in him, it was an atomic level release. As Saddam might say, it was the mother of all farts. There was one other guy in the bathroom with him at the time that quickly scampered out of the room.
 
mmk

mmk

Hall of Fame
Soul said:
My father has a somewhat humorous story about a colonoscopy. For some reason the knock out medication does not effect him all that much. After a GI scoping he is often wide awake. As a result he and mom will typically run chores around the area after the procedure. One time dad was feeling hungry so they stopped off at a Mexican restaurant. At some point while there, dad realized all the air pumped into him had not evacuated. So naturally he got up from the table and went to the restroom. To his surprise it wasn't just a little bit of air remaining in him, it was an atomic level release. As Saddam might say, it was the mother of all farts. There was one other guy in the bathroom with him at the time that quickly scampered out of the room.
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I had to take a flight a few hours after my last one. Captive audience.
 
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