The Final Colonoscopy - not a movie title.

[cougar14]

Had a colonoscopy on Wednesday, only a couple tiny polyps, no cancer. Good news. Doc says never again, something else will get you before colon cancer, you're too old (76) to risk (????) another procedure. Mixed feeling about this, hate this procedure, but being reminded of my mortality is a little disconcerting.

 

[jdlii]

Maybe your Doc is right and maybe not. If it were me, I would consider it good news.

I had a colonoscopy after consulting with my Doc. I became short of breath and discovering blood in my stool. A tumor was discovered and removed. The lab results were positive for cancer but, it had not spread. The 27 lymph nodes removed from the same area tested negative.

There is another colonoscopy in my future and I will abide by the doctor's orders. Something will get us all since nobody gets out alive.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Well at least the older that we get the more likely we are to get still older.

 

[URIT]

Many HMOs have a cut-off age for the colonoscopy procedure. There are variables that need to be considered, e.g., patient history, current health and physical condition, family history for CRC... There are other ways to detect CRC.

If my doctor told me that he found small polyps, I'd ask him to write up the findings and his recommendation for present and future care in a letter to me. I'd also tell him that I'd want to revisit the issue shortly after my 80th birthday. Your in the driver's seat whether he wants you there or not.

Here is a good article on CRC: Colorectal Cancer Screening in People Over 75 - NCI

 

[llowry61]

Well at least the older that we get the more likely we are to get still older.

I did not realize they stopped doing them at certain ages until I had one scheduled and mentioned it to my mom. She told me they had stopped for both her and my dad mid 70's.

As Rick says the one thing we can depend on, time will pass regardless of what we do, and life spans are increasing.

 

[NYlakesider]

I did not realize they stopped doing them at certain ages until I had one scheduled and mentioned it to my mom. She told me they had stopped for both her and my dad mid 70's.

As Rick says the one thing we can depend on, time will pass regardless of what we do, and life spans are increasing.

Of course longer life spans make us eligible to contact more medical problems. Something out there has our expiration date on it. No one leaves this place vertical all go horizontal!

 

[SMSgt]

Just think of all the guys who died of prostate cancer while waiting for "something else" to kill them, and it didn't. Poor guidance if you ask me.

 

[TJm15.38]

My last one was in 2018. I'm 72 now with no family history of colon cancer and three previous colonoscopies found nothing. The doc said next one would be in 2028. I'm thinking I'll just say no and take my chances.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I was sent home with a kit for a stool sample that was sent in for testing.
No more colonoscopies for me at my age it looks like.

 

[CH4]

I was thinking, “Fantastic Voyage: a homecoming.”

I am due next year again when I hit 60. The first one was clean, so hoping this one is too. Thought about trying Colo-Guard between now and then.

 

[WardenRoss]

"Threescore and ten."

Something to ponder.

Thinking of Leon (Ole Joe Clark).


,

 

[Kinman]

Just think of all the guys who died of prostate cancer while waiting for "something else" to kill them, and it didn't. Poor guidance if you ask me.

Had my prostate removed twenty years ago, had a Gleason score of 9 and a highly virulent form. Been a 0.0 since, my Doc told me that if nothing else kills a man it will probably be his prostate, even if its just because he tripped over the cat in the middle of the night and broke his neck.
Colon cancer killed my dad, I've had somewhere around five or six colonoscopy's, I still get knocked out. The VA does something a little different, if they find any serious polyps or large ones they will put you on a two to three year schedule. If they don't find anything out of the ordinary they put you on a five year plan. This past season I got put on the five year plan which is just fine with me, but to never get another procedure I'm not to sure I would be a fan. I could see it if your heart was ready to give out and his statement about something else getting to you is in my opinion poor taste. For some people getting knocked out for the procedure can be a problem, they just put me in twighlight state, not quite totally out but I don't remember anything including putting my close back on sitting on the end of the table waiting for my wife.

 

[Jebus35745]

Have to schedule my final one, sounds scary using the word final. Larry

 

[fiasconva]

I think Medicare cuts you off at age 75 so that's probably the case, unless they find polyps during your last one. Then it's another one in 3 yrs. I had my last one this spring. I am not going to miss that prep one bit.

 

[UncleEd]

One factor is that after a certain age it is
easier to be injured by the procedure
than for what good it might do a patient.

 

[Imissedagain]

Post #12 is the way they treated family members who had
non-cancerous polyps removed.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Two months ago I had my annual wellness check. There was no spelunking involved this time. When queried about this my PCP said: "have you bothered to read your medical history?"

 

[grover99]

I think Medicare cuts you off at age 75 so that's probably the case, unless they find polyps during your last one. Then it's another one in 3 yrs. I had my last one this spring. I am not going to miss that prep one bit.

I had one at 78. The one before that was 10 years earlier and that one was clear. Medicare paid just fine. DR did tell me that one would be the last.

 

[dave1918a2]

Had one last Sept. 11 polyps, all benign. Next one scheduled for 2 years. This is the VA way I guess.

 

[raljr1]

Colon cancer killed my dad. Contracted it at 58. Had a colostomy and used a bag until he died at 62. He had cancer in several areas after the colon.

Got my first colonoscopy at 45, and have had a total of six so far. Only found one polyp a few years ago, clean on the last one.

Pain, but not worth risking.


Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760