Highly technical medical summary:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEp9oi1LVXw

If you learn nothing else, learn this.

I applied Vaseline after my first of many, many trips to the toilet. Use it before you need to. Your rear end will thank you.

I felt like a million bucks after my colonoscopy. I’d would have been okay to tackle any workout the day of my procedure following my colonoscopy. If you can, schedule the procedure first thing in the AM.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

Mine was simple and fast and I only didn't train that day.

Generally, even if there's history in your family, there's nothing to fear. There's no history in my family and I was clean. My wife has a history and they found a couple of things that they removed right there. I didn't need to return for 10 years. She was on a 3 year schedule for the follow - nothing found. Then to 5 years and again, nothing found.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

Why wouldn't you want to be completely under?

Its simple....you will miss the day before and the day of. The day before is the worst part. The day of is easy but you will be too tired to train. So you will miss 48 hours'ish

I thought you were going to ask how to make flat coke.

The $7000 deductible certainly discourages you from using it!

Healthcare and insurance are rackets. My premium for shitty insurance like that (at 59) has gone up to ~$800/mo. Pre Obamacare I paid <$100/mo for $10k deductible insurance, and the average healthcare expense (at point of service) for someone my age is ~$6k/yr, so I'm not seeing the value in it. So I quit buying. I'll go to Mexico or some other poor country if I need something done (like I do for dental!). Wish there was some way to buy just accident insurance but that doesn't seem to be an option. Never had a colonoscopy, BTW.

Because it's not necessary and it poses additional risks over sedation.

dunno, I'm pretty happy to get my shot of propofol (the "milk of amnesia") and then just wake up and go home. Of course I don't know how sedated sedated means. Are we talking Katie Couric style where you narrate your own colon tour?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adMfyB-eHoI

Of course I've got so much scaring from where they cut out a section and sewed it back together that they sometimes use the narrower pediatric scope. Maybe I'm just real happy to let them do their work without me asking questions.

Worse part for me was three days of low fiber diet before the prep even began. Not used to that at all -- I don't know how most people only eat 15 or so grams a day!

I've had a colonoscopy and a few endoscopies. I just take that opportunity to get some extra rest. I doubt it'd be an issue getting in an easy workout the morning of the day before. Day after procedure should be fine. I'd just take 2 days off. I doubt you're losing fitness in 2 days

When I see Americans discuss health insurance I'm always shocked.

Single payer universal care FTW. My marginally higher taxes in Canada are way less than any insurance premiums.

On my third one I stopped getting any anesthesia meds. The procedure is mildly uncomfortable, but I don't have any nausea afterwards, I can drive myself home, and I am feeling back to normal in a few hours.
The prep is the worst part.

And Canada probably has the 2nd worst system among developed countries.

What makes you say that? I've seen two things lately ranking Canada as the best. (And I haven't seen anything remotely as positive about healthcare in the U.S.)

"Probably" = you have no idea.
We do have a bunch of numpty politicians who want to make it more American style though.

This is where google doctor sucks.
I am an anaesthetist.
Sedation is not general anaesthesia.
Both are very safe when performed by trained competent people (ie not the person also doing the colonoscopy).
<1% of patients would require actual general anaesthesia for a colonoscopy, most of the time what we are providing is sedation. But the general public often do not understand the subtle differences between them along with what took 6 years of medical school, two years as a junior doc and the five years of specialist training to be allowed to perform...

Just what I've read regarding cost/benefit of different HC systems across the globe. This isn't that recent, but...

Cool. I still don't have to pull out a credit card or insurance when I get treated.

I notice chronic conditions that exist in the USA just aren't a problem elsewhere because treatment is available for free to everyone.

I had one last Summer (following repeat illnesses leading to blood tests leading to finding low haemaglobin and next to no Ferretin =iron reserves).

The proc wasn't a problem. I had a sedative (as a was having a camera down my throat immediately before). But wasn't 'out of it' , i was still chatting the nurse that was at the talking end of the procedure throughout. And could ask things of the doc doing the inspection too get the screen turned so you can see the images- its fascinating !!

Worst thing by far was the laxative the night before. 2 litres of what was like very overly strong high 5 lemon favoured energy drink.
Shiiiiitting through the eye of a needle doesn't reflect it. Get the toilet paper in the fridge before !!

I’ve had 2 and don’t have much difference to add from other posters, other than I felt pretty low energy for about 2 days after each time, but still ran and biked.
I was given Versed each time and slept through the first, woke up during my 2nd (I had requested 10% less medication than my first one. Maybe back to normal dose next time, no one needs THAT much introspection in high-def)

The other thing I didn’t see written was that “clear” liquids meant no red coloring in my Gatorade or jello, so maybe read your ingredients during prep.
Have fun!

Thanks again for everyone's inputs. I had the procedure this afternoon so I wanted to post a quick follow-up for anyone that stumbles across this thread down the road. It was a total non-event. The prep was a bit of a hassle. I'm sure we all have our routines and favorite things to eat and drink. For me it was not being able to have my couple of cups of coffee with hazelnut creamer in the morning. Overall the prep was no big deal, and the procedure itself was very straightforward. I was awake but relaxed the whole time and it was all over in less than 30 minutes. Clear bill of health so I don't have to repeat that for 10 years.

Anyone that's reading this that's been putting it off out of fear... just do it. It's no big deal and could save your life.

I asked my Dr if I should have one.

He said first I need to do a stool test. He said they is new research which shows colonoscopies do unneeded damage and detect only 90% of colon cancer (the same as a Stool DNA test) He said that Colonoscopy testing companies spend millions of dollars a year convincing Drs like him to state anyone 50 years old needs a colonoscopy

He believes that in the near future will no longer be performed without a stool sample test turning up something

Sounds strange to me. Anyone else hear anything like this?

I did a fair amount of reading on colonoscopy vs. stool tests. This article sums it up pretty well.

https://www.digestivediseasescenter.com/...ive-as-a-colonoscopy

In short, stool tests generate a significant number of false positives which will result in having to do a colonoscopy anyway. Even more importantly however, stool tests do a terrible job at detecting precancerous polyps.

No way would I trust a stool test over a colonoscopy.

I am in the industry and stuff like this gets stated all the time at the fringes of medicine in a lot of different areas. Certainly some of the time it can be the rest of medicine catching up with where the cutting edge practice is, but in this instance I would certainly personally err on the side of caution and not trust a negative stool test. The science behind effective screening tests (and the statistic involved) makes assessing power files after a race childs play....it really is a complex area....