*** OFFICIAL *** Colonoscopy Thread

[Dan Druff]

I'm going the desertrunner method this time and buying this today. Blue one kinda sucked 3 years ago, so I'm trying this instead.

Yes! I do like the red, orange and yellow flavors.

Side note- Leaving for Vegas today, too bad we can’t meet up this trip.

Don't like the yellow.

I like the red and orange a lot, but you can't use those for colonoscopies. Yellow would work but I don't like it. So I'll try this frost one you recommended.

You should get a colonoscopy too, since you're over 50 like I am. It's less important if you don't have a known family history of polyps or colon cancer, but still recommended if you are over 50. I have a family history of it, and indeed I turned out to be very prone to dangerous colon polyps.

A radio listener got one at age 48, with no family history, and a precancerous polyp was found. He only got this done because I discussed my own colonoscopy on the radio show, so listening to my show might have added many years to his life!

[Sloppy Joe]

I am getting it with the same doctor, who unfortunately moved from a good facility to a crappy, disorganized medical group. Almost said fuck it and went elsewhere. Every time you call them, they transfer you to a "procedure line" where nobody ever answers the phone -- you just wait on hold endlessly until you hang up. Nobody calls you back if you leave a message. If you ask why this is the case, they claim "short staffed", but there are tons of complaints about this on review sites going back years, so it's bullshit.

Only reason I'm going to this place is because I liked the doctor, and also want the continuity of doing it with the same doctor as last time. Really wish she hadn't left the last group, which had a great facility with very nice staff. A little disorganized too, but nothing compared to this fail facility.

I got e-mailed the prep instructions today. Extremely different from last time, despite it being the same prep with the same doctor!

I called today for clarification, and they couldn't explain it. I got some office employee without real medical knowledge, and they couldn't transfer me to a nurse.

Most bothersome was the claim that you can't drink anything "after midnight", which is bullshit because my procedure is late morning. I asked how they can instruct "after midnight" when the premade instruction sheet doesn't know the specific time of my procedure, and they didn't have an answer for that (people can have them as early as 7am).

Finally I got out of them that you can actually drink up to 4 hours before the procedure, which is exactly what I was told last time, and consistent with other stuff I found online.

I'm basically trashing their prep instructions and doing the identical thing to last time, which worked great. I probably did over-drink water 4 hours beforehand last time, and apparently that's a little dangerous during the sedation to have done so, so I'll cut back this time on that. But everything else I'll do the same. It's the same doctor and the same prep type, and she was happy with my prep results last time, so why do anything differently?

My prediction is 3 polyps, 2 being precancerous, but none being large, and none being worse than low-grade precancerous (tubular). Last time two were mid-grade precancerous, one of which was quite large. But that had a lot more time to grow, as my last colonoscopy was 35 months ago, so they should be smaller this time.

Low chance they'll find it totally clear.

Lol being a scared faggot

[Texter]

Europeans and free healthcare.

It is just prepaid healthcare….the government there has done a great job convincing them how great they have it.

Even paying for healthcare my taxes plus healthcare are still thousands less than they would be in europe.

[Dan Druff]

About to go under, folks

I love you all

[Dan Druff]

That’s not a bedpan btw

It’s for my glasses

I don’t like being put under. Not looking forward to this!

[Tellafriend]

Good luck, brother.

[BCR]

Good luck. I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Maybe 30 more to catch up to me. Real vets alter diet for week proceeding, then finish with osmo prep. Hopefully you remain a rec player of colonoscopies and don’t need my advanced master course.

[Daly]

That’s not a bedpan btw

It’s for my glasses

I don’t like being put under. Not looking forward to this!

[Dan Druff]

Tom Petty said waiting is the hardest part. Today he was right. I had to wait 70 minutes to get started due to some issue with them running behind, and 30 min after to speak to doctor.

However, the procedure went fine, and shockingly I had no polyps this time.



Presently have abdominal pain like I did last time after the procedure. Took a week to go away last time.

The zero polyps buys me some time until the next one. Probably won’t do again until mid-2027.

[mickeycrimm]

I had two colonoscopies this year because they could see only 90% of the way up on the first one.

For prep I had to lay off the blood thinner (eliquis) for two days before the procedure. They don't want you susceptible to bleeding. Here, besides Miralax and Gatorade there are a couple of heavy doses of Dulcolax thrown in.

They knocked me out with Michael Jackson Juice (propofol). I felt a little fuzzy then boom it was lights out. When I woke up it felt like I had dozed off for only a minute or two. I didn't feel any pain. It didn't feel like I had something shoved up my ass.

So the doc comes around and tells me they found one non cancerous polyp but could see only 90% of the way up so I would have to reschedule and take longer prep. Another one was scheduled for six months later.

So in the 2nd one I had to do two days prep. They removed a precancerous polyp. But the doctor cleared me for not having to take another one for 7 years.

I learned some things from the first prep so the second prep I had lots of towels on the bedsheets. My brother told me to wear a diaper I said fuck you.

[Sloppy Joe]

I had two colonoscopies this year because they could see only 90% of the way up on the first one.

For prep I had to lay off the blood thinner (eliquis) for two days before the procedure. They don't want you susceptible to bleeding. Here, besides Miralax and Gatorade there are a couple of heavy doses of Dulcolax thrown in.

They knocked me out with Michael Jackson Juice (propofol). I felt a little fuzzy then boom it was lights out. When I woke up it felt like I had dozed off for only a minute or two. I didn't fell any pain. It didn't feel like I had something shoved up my ass.

So the doc comes around and tells me they found one non cancerous polyp but could see only 90% of the way up so I would have to reschedule and take longer prep. Another one was scheduled for six months later.

So in the 2nd one I had to do two days prep. They removed a precancerous polyp. But the doctor cleared me for not having to take another one for 7 years.

I learned some things from the first prep so the second prep I had lots of towels on the bedsheets. My brother told me to wear a diaper I said fuck you.

You would know...

[mickeycrimm]

You would know...

Only a mental midget would turn a thread like this into a troll.

[Dan Druff]

I had two colonoscopies this year because they could see only 90% of the way up on the first one.

For prep I had to lay off the blood thinner (eliquis) for two days before the procedure. They don't want you susceptible to bleeding. Here, besides Miralax and Gatorade there are a couple of heavy doses of Dulcolax thrown in.

They knocked me out with Michael Jackson Juice (propofol). I felt a little fuzzy then boom it was lights out. When I woke up it felt like I had dozed off for only a minute or two. I didn't feel any pain. It didn't feel like I had something shoved up my ass.

So the doc comes around and tells me they found one non cancerous polyp but could see only 90% of the way up so I would have to reschedule and take longer prep. Another one was scheduled for six months later.

So in the 2nd one I had to do two days prep. They removed a precancerous polyp. But the doctor cleared me for not having to take another one for 7 years.

I learned some things from the first prep so the second prep I had lots of towels on the bedsheets. My brother told me to wear a diaper I said fuck you.

Fortunately I did not have an issue either time with shit leaking from my ass during the prep. I feared it happening, but it didn't.

The propofol did not feel like a 1-2 minute doze-off for me. Felt like an hour both times, and pretty much was around that (a bit shorter this time, because no polyps had to be cut).

Last time someone woke me up. This time I woke up myself in the recovery area to the sound of machines beeping. I was confused at first where I was, and then thought maybe they hadn't started yet, but then realized it must be done, especially because it felt like I had been asleep an hour. I actually had to get their attention to let them know I woke up. Then I had to wait for like 30 min for the doctor to get to me to talk. Must have been some issue there today. My dad went to same place 2 months ago, and there was no waiting issue.

[Dan Druff]

I will say that the propofol worked great for me both times. Knocked out quickly, stayed completely unconscious during the procedure, had no dreams or any awareness I even existed during the procedure itself, and woke up feeling like I slept an hour.

I didn't even get the burning sensation upon injection that many people get (this appears to be hereditary, as nobody in my immediate family has ever gotten the burning either).

Only downside is it makes me very tired for the remainder of the day, and also very dizzy for the first hour after I wake up.

[Sanlmar]

You really are probably gonna save someone from an ugly bout of colon cancer. That is good stuff on your part.

What was the first meal?

[Kalam]

I recently had a colonoscopy. I am 44 so a little early, but I have chronic heartburn and getting an endoscopy, so figured why not take care of the other end at the same time.

Nothing remarkable. I drank all the horrible laxative, had a bunch of horrible diarrhea, had the procedures which I remember none of because of the anesthesia, woke up and continued to have diarrhea for a day or so, and that was that.

I haven't even gotten any results yet. My HMO is super slow to do anything (I had to schedule the surgery 5 months in advance). I have a phone appointment sometime down the line after the holidays, so we will see when we see.

[Dan Druff]

I recently had a colonoscopy. I am 44 so a little early, but I have chronic heartburn and getting an endoscopy, so figured why not take care of the other end at the same time.

Nothing remarkable. I drank all the horrible laxative, had a bunch of horrible diarrhea, had the procedures which I remember none of because of the anesthesia, woke up and continued to have diarrhea for a day or so, and that was that.

I haven't even gotten any results yet. My HMO is super slow to do anything (I had to schedule the surgery 5 months in advance). I have a phone appointment sometime down the line after the holidays, so we will see when we see.

A few things:

1) Don’t do the laxative drink method. Ask for the Gatorade/Miralax prep, which is way easier and doesn’t taste bad. Only downsides are you’re drinking twice as much, and it can cause nausea in some people (including me). Still way better.

2) HMOs suck. Cheap and sometimes more convenient, but they suck. You’re getting to around the age that you shouldn’t have one anymore, unless you have no choice. My rule of thumb is, “Don’t have an HMO if over 45!”

3) Wait for colonoscopy is always long, even on a PPO. My wait was especially long because I choose a preferred doctor. You can get in faster (with a PPO) if you accept any doctor.

[Dan Druff]

You really are probably gonna save someone from an ugly bout of colon cancer. That is good stuff on your part.

What was the first meal?

A radio listener got a colonoscopy only because I talked about it on radio.

They found an adenoma in him, and removed it.

When I tweeted about my first colonoscopy, and the 3 adenomas found, with urging for others my age to get one, Jennifer Tilly quote tweeted it. Her ex-husband (Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon) died of colon cancer, partially due to not getting these screenings. Tilly and Simon had stayed friends after the divorce, so his death really affected her.

[Dan Druff]

I considered cancelling the colonoscopy because I fucked up some things on the prep.

Last time I was very diligent and followed all the rules. But here's some things I did wrong out of carelessness:

- On Friday night, I had a horrible tension headache and took aspirin. You aren't supposed to take aspirin or Advil for a week prior to the colonoscopy, as these can cause bleeding when polyps are cut

- On Friday night, I drank a milkshake and ate two tomato slices. You are not supposed to have milk or anything with seeds for at least 3 days prior (this was 2.5 days prior)

- On Saturday morning, about 48 hours prior, I had an orange soda. You are not supposed to have anything red, orange, or purple for at least 3 days before.

- Late Saturday night, about 32 hours before the colonoscopy, I had some gummy bears. Those are fine, but I ate some red and orange ones.

- Amazingly on Saturday night, I almost fucked up the milk thing again, as I got two ice cream cups for both me and Ben. However, I did myself a favor by forgetting them in the car, and I only discovered it hours later, and threw them away. Only shortly after that did I realize it was a fortunate thing that I forgot them.


Upon consulting with some doctors, I was told that the only real concern was the aspirin, but it only brought on a small additional bleeding risk. I was told to proceed, as the change of harmful bleeding was less than the chance that possibly precancerous polyps could cause an issue by having to wait months to get a new appointment.

At the colonoscopy itself, they were not concerned about any of this. Oddly they were concerned that I drank water 4 1/2 hours before the procedure (which became 5 1/2 because they were running late), because their instructions said "not to drink after midnight". However, they both told me on the phone that I could drink up to 4 hours beforehand, and their afternoon colonoscopy instructions also state you can drink up to 4 hours before. So it made zero sense why they were annoyed. My guess is because they were running behind, they didn't want another thing to worry about.

They said they would "empty my stomach" while I was knocked out, in order to prevent aspiration of the water in there. Transparent to me because I was asleep for it.

Not sure what I'll do next time, as I really don't want to go an absurd number of hours with no water. I was already thirsty as it was.

Anyway I'll worry about this in 3 1/2 years when I do my next one.


Now onto the fun part of battling with my insurance about what they're willing to pay.

[tigerpiper]

Druff, I am 53 and will get my third in 2025. This thread made my go back to look at the notes from the second one in 2022 (2 small polyps, 3mm and 4mm, "benign appearance.") I guess I didn't get more details because they didn't send them off.

As with you, my second prep was suboptimal- I drank all the stuff in one go, and later read I was supposed to split it in half 4 hours apart or something. Ooops. I was like, what could be left in there, but in the notes "Bowel prep was suboptimal. Recommend repeat colonoscopy in 3 years for surveillance." Sorry Doc.

Thanks for the detailed thread.