As a nurse, however, I know way TOO much about certain medical procedures, and I wish I didn't. The conversation with my doctor that I've been dreading for months happened this morning: having attained the magic age of 50, I am supposed to have a screening colonoscopy. I refused. He said I was being a baby. I said, I'm walking around in the same body I had three months ago when I was still 49, and nobody was talking colonoscopy then:rolleyes:
Seriously........I can't wait NOT to do this. I've put far too many patients through the prep, and I'm sorry, but starving for two days, consuming a gallon of nuclear laxative solution, plus having nonstop explosive diarrhea is my idea of hell on earth. I don't mind the idea of the actual procedure---I've seen a couple of them done, and I can attest that they give you really good drugs so you don't care that they're running a garden hose up into places you didn't know you had. I have, on the other hand, no desire to be miserable for forty-eight solid hours beforehand WITHOUT the benefit of Versed.......and when you get right down to where the cheese binds, I really don't think I'd want to know if I had some horrible kind of GI cancer.
I've thought about it at some length, and I've made up my mind that I wouldn't do anything about it anyway---oh, I'd allow some surgery, and wear a bag if I had to, but chemo is not an option. Why would I put myself and my family through that, just so I can have a few extra months of throwing up and feeling like something the dog found under the house? Nope, I've lived a good life and done most of what I wanted to, and I'd want my family to remember me the way I am, not somebody who spent their last months in utter misery. I don't want to be a burden. I don't want to leave my family in debt. Besides........I'm not experiencing any symptoms. So why in the world should I undertake the hassle and the expense of a colonoscopy?
I think what I'm trying to do here is justify excuses to myself that I would dismiss if it were anyone else. So I'm going to ask: if you were in my place, would YOU have the scope on general principles? There's no other reason for it than the fact that I've reached a certain point on the continuum of life that somehow requires that we go in more often for maintenance. I don't wanna play........but maybe what I'm looking for are some really good reasons to take the time off work, incur expenses not covered by my insurance, and put myself through two days of torture as well as the procedure itself. TIA.
Specializes in Recovery (PACU)-11 yrs, General-13yrs.
I also have to say, you're 50, you know life isn't always fabulous, just suck it up, and move on.
I have a family history going back at least 4 generations of bowel cancer-from my father back. One day of staying at home with an easy to read book, and one day of scope every five years is a much better option. The prep isn't that bad, much better than having an abcessed tooth I promise you.
You just gotta be a grown up & do it!
You know you'd be frustrated by any other family members or patients who did not look after their own health responsibly.
Do I sound unsympathetic to all your reasons/excuses-yes I am because yesterday I looked after a 54 yr old woman (4 months younger than me) who had a bowel resection, hysterectomy, oopherectomy due to ca, and that can all be avoided so easily these days.
After all that, the decision, and the responsibility, is all yours.
(Yeah, and growing older just sucks, but the alternative is worse! )
When I was a teenager, my dad had a colonoscopy and had polyps removed, some of which were cancerous, then a bowel resection.
I might not still have him to be my kids' grandpa if he hadn't.
I am adopted, in the middle of searching for my birth parents. A potential half-sister just found me. Her mom (possibly my mom!) died from colon cancer when she was only 56. If she turns out to be my sister, believe me, I'm getting my first screening colonoscopy ASAP! I want to be around for my kids and grandkids.
I've taken care of lots of patients over the years with different cancers. Many are very curable if found early. My brother in law passed away last year from ependymoma (brain/spinal cord cancer). He was only 38, but he'd been diagnosed when he was 30. He had surgery and radiation and 8 more years with his wife and kids, 6 of which were quite pleasant. My sister-in-law, despite having to care for him completely at the end and then put him first in a nursing home and then hospice, was devastated when he died. She's still having a hard time adjusting. But she had 8 more years with her soulmate. You can't trade that for anything.
I've thought about it at some length, and I've made up my mind that I wouldn't do anything about it anyway---oh, I'd allow some surgery, and wear a bag if I had to, but chemo is not an option. Why would I put myself and my family through that, just so I can have a few extra months of throwing up and feeling like something the dog found under the house? Nope, I've lived a good life and done most of what I wanted to, and I'd want my family to remember me the way I am, not somebody who spent their last months in utter misery. I don't want to be a burden. I don't want to leave my family in debt. Besides........I'm not experiencing any symptoms. So why in the world should I undertake the hassle and the expense of a colonoscopy?
I think what I'm trying to do here is justify excuses to myself that I would dismiss if it were anyone else. So I'm going to ask: if you were in my place, would YOU have the scope on general principles? There's no other reason for it than the fact that I've reached a certain point on the continuum of life that somehow requires that we go in more often for maintenance. I don't wanna play........but maybe what I'm looking for are some really good reasons to take the time off work, incur expenses not covered by my insurance, and put myself through two days of torture as well as the procedure itself. TIA.
Well, this will be "the unpopular" decision, but I'm not doing it either. I've watched more than a few and I am not impressed. I have taken care of too many ICU pts with perfed bowels secondary to colonoscopy. My Dr. "pooh-poohed" my decision saying the complication rate is
I have been thinking of getting the test for 3 years now. I may do it at some time in the future if:
* I find a brilliant GI doc.
* If I can have Propofol (Diprivan) for sedation
* If I can put an NG tube in myself to flush the disgusting Golightly or what ever is prescribed to drink for the prep. And, yes, I am serious!
I went through a three-day prep- the GoLytely made me throw up, so the prep took extra long. Finally got it done and went in for my scope. I saw that the technologist was some one whom I had briefly dated a few years back.:imbar
I turned right around and walked out. All that prep for nothing.
for you guys who don't wanna do golytely (and i've done it--it's nasty!), this is the pill prep. it's 32 pills, about the size of a vitamin, taken 20 the evening before and 12 the day of 5 hrs prior to procedure.
it beats the alternative. the pts i have had to give this prep to have tolerated it extremely well. it's supposedly tasteless and you can take it with any clear liquid.
flightnurse2b - i love the lemon jello shot idea -of course in my house they'd have to be well marked or someone would end up with a horrible surprise from their dessert!
I say scope. If you had a patient lying in one of your beds that was making the same statements you were making, I would be willing to bet that you would educate them to all the things that everyone else is posting.
Could not ask for a different tech at the time? I understand walking out otherwise. The would be about my worst nightmare. Way to intimate for my tastes.lol
Don't forget the people you put through the prep were probably already sick. I just took a book into the bathroom. I followed my friends advice and started early - that way you get to "finish" sooner and can sleep.
I didn't fast for 48 hours either. I saw the doc at 2pm, he had an opening for the following day, so I went home and started the prep. The prep was the worst part, but not nearly as bad as I had been expecting.
Could not ask for a different tech at the time? I understand walking out otherwise. The would be about my worst nightmare. Way to intimate for my tastes.lol
Your choice - of course. However, it could be viewed that you are taking quite a bit for granted. You are blessed to live in a society that has such technology available. You are blessed to have insurance coverage to pay for a portion (or most) of the financial expense. You are blessed to have the option to screen and catch disease in the early stages where it is probably manageable or outright curable. Billions of people on this Earth have no such options.
I confess I don't understand looking at all these blessings and rejecting them. Sorry, I know I sound like "the heavy."
Just Do It!!!! Prep now days not as bad or harsh as they used to be. Had 1st colonoscopy because of having breast cancer. Nothing seen. Five years later had a couple polyps removed, who knows if in 6 months ,or few years they could have been cancer. Had prep of Miralax with a jug of gatorade. Was over pretty fast and worked pretty fast. Don't remember anything about the actual test. Slept most of rest of the day at home and that was that.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I want to thank all of you for your input here.....even those of you who pointed out what a wimp I am.:wink2:
I think what I needed was to hear the truth from other nurse-patients. I'm a very good nurse, but I stink at being a patient ,and I don't take nearly as good care of myself as I do of other people. (I know, where have we heard THAT before??) I have no desire whatsoever to leave this life anytime soon, however, and if I were to have any issue with my plumbing, it would be better to find out sooner rather than later.
So........I'll think about it. I really will. My husband is having one soon, and they're making him starve for two days (full liquid diet one day, clear liquids the next, NPO after midnight the night before the procedure) PLUS drink a gallon of GoHeavily. I don't think I can deal with that, not with my hypoglycemic episodes and my IBS, but maybe there's another way. Guess I'll have to check it out, eh?
HelenofOz
84 Posts
I also have to say, you're 50, you know life isn't always fabulous, just suck it up, and move on.
I have a family history going back at least 4 generations of bowel cancer-from my father back. One day of staying at home with an easy to read book, and one day of scope every five years is a much better option. The prep isn't that bad, much better than having an abcessed tooth I promise you.
You just gotta be a grown up & do it!
You know you'd be frustrated by any other family members or patients who did not look after their own health responsibly.
Do I sound unsympathetic to all your reasons/excuses-yes I am because yesterday I looked after a 54 yr old woman (4 months younger than me) who had a bowel resection, hysterectomy, oopherectomy due to ca, and that can all be avoided so easily these days.
After all that, the decision, and the responsibility, is all yours.
(Yeah, and growing older just sucks, but the alternative is worse!
)