I have had two in my life time, soon coming upon my third.
I feel positive about having them and checking for issues
of any potential kind.

Anything about Colonoscopies both pros and cons.

I had one a number of years ago but now my fake doctor wants me to poop in an envelope and send it away to the lab.

Woody wrote: I had one a number of years ago but now my fake doctor wants me to poop in an envelope and send it away to the lab.

That is one option: I have done three of those you mention over the past 10 years. All ok, but it was only my
last Colonoscopy that showed I had one polyp, and so it was removed during the same single procedure at
that time. That is my concern mostly, is that the 'envelope' option would not reveal any polyps..

So my next Colonoscopy is scheduled for October. Have to arrange a driver of course to and from, have
that worked out I think for now..

My mother passed due to complications from chemo associated with her bowel cancer treatment so I am acutely aware of this aspect of my health. I do the annual bowel cancer screening and have had several colonoscopies, benign polyps removed and so far all clear of anything more concerning. The annual screenings are designed to detect cancer cells so as to avoid the intrusiveness of the physical colonoscopy.

The same as I have urine and blood tests tests to aid in the detection of other diseases., I have complete trust in all the technicians and medical staff who administer and report on my bodily samples. I have just completed my last 3 month cystoscopy and am booked in for the next. My only concern is that there is a resident who is looking to fill in a gap in his resume' and needs a cystectomy candidate, I'm avoiding him at all cost.

It is just part of life as you age.

I had the procedure multiple times and it’s no big deal.

I have not had a colonoscopy and they are not a routine thing here in Australia, only done if some reason.

The bowel screening kit ( poo in the post) or get a kit from your GP, is recomended 2 yearly from ages 50 to 75 and I do that when it is due.
So far,mine have all comeback negative and no family history so no need for any further investigations like colonoscopies.

ReturningLace wrote:

Woody wrote: I had one a number of years ago but now my fake doctor wants me to poop in an envelope and send it away to the lab.

That is one option: I have done three of those you mention over the past 10 years. All ok, but it was only my
last Colonoscopy that showed I had one polyp, and so it was removed during the same single procedure at
that time. That is my concern mostly, is that the 'envelope' option would not reveal any polyps..

So my next Colonoscopy is scheduled for October. Have to arrange a driver of course to and from, have
that worked out I think for now..

Had one a couple of years ago, I forget why now, but the doc was investigating something ... not done here only when they think it's needed, but I do think they should, they did find three polyps , I could see them on a screen being lopped off with a laser... they were sent away and tested ... all was fine ... Not a nice procedure though ...

Woody wrote: I had one a number of years ago but now my fake doctor wants me to poop in an envelope and send it away to the lab.

bit scathing that.....

here (UK) kits are automatically sent every two years for people aged 60 - 74 and are designed to detect tiny amounts of blood (not cancer cells as stated earlier?). The age range 50 - 59 is slowly being added to the scheme and over 75s can request a test kit.

Woody wrote: I had one a number of years ago but now my fake doctor wants me to poop in an envelope and send it away to the lab.

My understanding is the "poop in a box" is recommended for those of low risk. My family has a history of cancer, my mother had colon cancer, and I was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008, which turned out to be something else, and periodically I have to have one and because I am considered high risk, they would not have me do the "poop in a box" thingy. Another note, the "poop in a box" really only suggests if you should have a colonoscopy.

Two friends of mine have passed from Colon Cancer these past 5 years.
Neither of them had ever had a Colonoscopy, When they went in for a
different procedure (bowel resectioning), the cancer was found and
diagnosed. Both of them after that and with attempted treatments lived
3 to 6 months.