dcinma

Not to be sarcastic, because I do take health seriously, but the odds are pretty good. According to the CDC, a 50 year old man has only a 1.9% chance of developing colon cancer in the next 20 years....that's 98% that won't. CDC - Colorectal Cancer Risk by Age Since I have been scoped twice, I would think it safe to say my personal odds are likely less. I have come to the conclusion that this particular procedure and many other preventative procedures are over done in this country. There is a strong profit incentive to keep everyone scared that they might possibly have an undetected cancer. Certainly lives are saved by colonoscopies. Every once in a while a symptomless cancer is found and removed successfully. That's a good thing. But many many more people are put through a very humiliating and painful procedure, often scared to death of what might be found. In my case, each time a millimeter scale adenomatous polyp was found. Perhaps these could have developed into cancer....some do....but the fact is that something like 20 - 30% of people over 50 have polyps...and the vast majority never present any danger. People should get screened if they really feel that they want to know...with a full disclosure of what the odds really are, what the experience is really like rather than having a doctor harping on you that your life is at great risk if you don't get screened. While I have incredible respect and admiration for medical professionals and have been well taken care of by some wonderful nurses...please don't assume it's a comfort to those of us with modesty issues to say something along the lines of "I see hundreds a week and it doesn't do anything for me." OK, I get it, seeing my private parts is no big deal for you. That's fine, you are comfortable with it....this kind of statement only goes to what your feelings are as the caregiver. It does absolutely nothing to alleviate the embarrassment and humiliation I feel when asked to expose myself. No big deal for you...it is for me...and having you tell me it is no big deal only dehumanizes me somewhat as if my feelings don't matter at all. A lot of medical professionals...well meaning I'm sure...use this kind of statement. Please rethink that, it is not comforting in the least and doesn't help. Again, I'm not likely to comply with my doctor's wishes to have me do this again in a few years. To me it was humiliating, I woke up during the procedure even under propofol and I felt like I wasted my time, my insurance company's money and my doctor's time that he could have used treating patients who actually did have a problem in that area. That said...I do highly respect the people in this profession and on this board and thank you for all that you do.

I seriously doubt I'll ever do it again. I had one in 2001 at the age of 40 due to some bleeding; woke up partway through the procedure and saw a polyp being excised on the screen. No pain and I drifted off again and awoke after to a great deal of confusion. At that time they had used the typical versed/fentanyl combination. The doc called later, said I had a tiny adenomatous polyp, acted rather like I'd wasted his time and then told me to come back in 3 years. Well that time went by and my PCP kept issuing referrals for the procedure which I kept running through my shredder when I got home (except once when my girlfriend found one on my desk and got on my case to schedule...which I didn't). Finally after a great deal of harping last year I at least agreed to see the gastroenterologist. The one I wanted to see, who'd done an upper GI on me a few years back, wasn't available, so I met with a newer doc. Nice guy, extremely persistent, made me feel like I was in a time share sales pitch. I told him that I have major modesty issues and really don't want to go through anything like this again, particularly if there is no good reason to do it but if I decided to, I'd insist on using propofol since I don't wish to experience this conscious again. He said he always uses propofol and would opt for it himself. I also preferred a same gender team since this is so humiliating of a procedure that I really don't want to be exposed in mixed company. He said "no problem". So I agreed to schedule the procedure for a couple months ahead although he tried to get me in the next week. I got to the date without cancelling, he told me to come in even though I was getting over a bad episode of bronchitis. We get in the procedure room, of course he had forgotten about the same gender request (the nurse was very kind and offered to switch with a young male colleague; at that point I said forget it, I was comfortable with her)...and they were going to start with the versed/fentanyl again. I reminded them and they checked the chart and found he had ordered propofol so they got the anesthesiologist, another woman, and we got underway. Of course I woke up halfway through the procedure again as he was working down through the descending colon. I remember talking to him, which he half acknowledged, and having a great deal of discomfort, feeling the whole thing. After we got back to recovery (which was much faster), he said he'd found a tiny polyp on the right side; later pathology reported a sessile benign adenoma and the doc requested a 5 year return, when I turn 56. From my point of view, I have no plans to return for this procedure again. Both times what was found was insignificant and the prep and procedure was embarrassing and uncomfortable and frankly not worth the time. Perhaps if I have symptoms of some sort...but this is really something I don't care to repeat a third time just to check on things.

After reading this and doing other research about colonoscopy, I am now completely convinced to continue to avoid having this procedure again. I am 49 and male and had a colonoscopy in 2001 when I was 40 because of some bleeding. I did wake up during the procedure and watched the removal of a small (about 1 mm) polyp, but had no pain, and otherwise recall nothing of the whole thing. The polyp was benign, the bleeding, the gastro said, was due to "internal hemorrhoids" and he seemed to think that this was a waste of his time. Then he said that I should repeat this again every three years. A couple of years ago my then new GP asked where the results were for the '04 and '07 scopes. I told him I didn't do them, he referred me for one. I avoided scheduling it. Same in '09. Recently he tried to get me in for another physical which he's trying to get me to do annually ... which seems silly because as far as I am aware men only need to come in every 5 or so years since we don't need all the gyno checks. I decided to skip it since I do come in when I'm sick and for other problems...and with all of the visits involved with my recent shoulder procedure I've had about enough. Anyhow, I know since my 50th is coming up this year, he will once again try to get me to get scoped. And frankly, after doing some research, I think that I am going to continue to opt out. There seems to be a high risk of pain, there is apparently a 0.5% chance of perforation or other serious complication, there is a 100% chance of being humiliated and having to expose myself to a room full of people of both genders...all to see if there may possibly be a cancer that a 50 year old man, according to the CDC, has a 0.7% chance of having in the next 10 years and less than 2% chance of having in the next 20. Since I have no symptoms and the odds are so long...99.3% chance of nothing....I don't see that the benefits outweigh the risks and the humiliation. No thank you.

I'm pretty sure that they did use the LMA. I had both an interscalene block and general anesthesia for the operation. I'm hoping there's no next time! But I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with knee or hip work in the next couple years. I was very glad to wake up with my underwear still on and dry and all .... but then it was only a 1 hour or so procedure from what I was told. I would have likely been a hurting puppy if they'd forced a foley on me. I was mad enough at the nurse for trying to pull my underwear down in the bathroom without asking.

Canes - Subacromial decompression only...at the time it was unknown if there was a torn rotator cuff to repair also, but there wasn't. Just a bad bone spur, calcium and inflammed tendons to shave down. The OR apparently were OK with me leaving my shorts on. If a foley had been required, I would have respectfully declined the operation although my (now former unfortunately) girlfriend would have crucified me. I was having enough trouble with the idea of being intubated...I'd never consent to a catheter, especially since I have a hypospadia. I don't allow intimate exams anyway.

I'm a 49 year old male and I recently had shoulder surgery and was kind of upset when the nurse opened my gown when standing behind me and then told me to remove my underwear. I told her it wasn't going to happen and hopped up onto the gurney; frankly I saw no reason for that since they would be working on my shoulder and nothing below the waist. She apparently called down to the OR and they said it was fine because I never had to remove them and I woke up with my boxer briefs still on. Afterwards, when I needed to void before I could go home, the nurse followed me into the bathroom, which was helpful because of the nerve block on one side and the IV on the other and I was still kind of groggy. Once she hung up the IV bag, rather than leaving, she reached into my gown and tried to pull my underwear down without so much as asking, which really perturbed me. I grabbed them before they went down and told her that I could handle that and would ask for help if I needed it. She then left me to try to go. For the most part, the nurses were great, except for these couple of things I felt violated my privacy and were kind of rude. I'm not sure they should have left me alone with a cup of coffee as I was recovering; I guess I was holding on to the cup while it was sitting on the tray and staring into space for a while...good thing I didn't spill....