I’m 52, so I should have done this two years ago. But, more urgent medical issues intervened. So, I decided not to put it off and get it over with.
On the “hole” it wasn’t too bad. The worst part was the prep. Nothing solid to eat after breakfast yesterday, started on the laxative at noon, and on the toilet from 1:30 p.m. until midnight. Then, nothing to drink from midnight on. Got to the hospital at 9:20 a.m., but didn’t go in for my procedure until 11:50. The staff had gotten a little “behind” in their work. Some of the patients were getting a little unhappy and were being abusive. I don’t know how the staff put up with those “a$$holes.” The doctor must have been a golfer because he said he was going to get in 18 holes this afternoon. Finally discharged at 2:30 p.m.
The good thing was they found and removed two small polyps, so I guess it’s good I got it done. The bad part is, because I had the polyps, back again in 5 years.
Anyway, if you’re putting this off and you are over 50, call your doctor and get it done. Its only two days out of your life. And, you get a nice little nap out of it.
If you aren’t taking a low-dose aspirin per day talk to your Dr. about it. The evidence that it reduces recurrence of adenomatous polyps is pretty strong.
Anyway, if you’re putting this off and you are over 50, call your doctor and get it done. Its only two days out of your life. And, you get a nice little nap out of it.
Thanks for the PSA. 14 years to go for mine!
I don’t know how the staff put up with those “a$$holes.” The doctor must have been a golfer because he said he was going to get in 18 holes this afternoon. Finally discharged at 2:30 p.m.
I hope you weren’t the “butt” of any jokes after you left!!!
So why is it that everyone who has to have a colonoscopy seems to feel the need to talk about said procedure to everyone they come across?
Spit-water funny! ('specially because you mean guys.)
As for the difference between men and women on this issue, I am going with the fundamental difference that men are basically “givers” and women are “getters.”
I think someone also mentioned traumatic? That probably counts too.
I would suggest that it is still relatively new for men to have to consider annual invasive exams. Women have had to deal with both mammograms and pap smears as part of annual checks for a long time now. It is comparatively recent that men are being told to have regular exams (colonoscopy, prostate - though with the new PSA tests that is less invasive, and chloresterol) - so this is still a relatively novel concept for men to grasp. Much of it is the “Hey look I did it” phenomena, and now you should pat them all on the head and tell them what good boys they are.
As all of this becomes more entrenched as a routine part of aging, you will hear less of it. At least let us hope so.
Because while I was undergoing the process, I thought up four really, really bad jokes about it. Even better, the jokes had to do with one of the parts of the anatomy that men like to tell really, really bad jokes about. And since I really, really like to tell really, really bad jokes, and since I had these said four really bad jokes fresh in my mind, I told the story so I could tell the jokes. No more, no less. No Freudian implications. And what better place than the LR to tell really bad jokes?
The only punch line I couldn’t work in was, “Rectum, hell! It damn near killed’im!”
Honestly I wish it was all talked about more, because people have the thought “it won’t happen to me” and never take the time to get checked. I have a friend who’s mom went 7 years no mammogram. She started to feel guilty so went in…she had a masectomy yesterday.
I encourage people to talk about it, tell people what it’s like, it’s not that bad and can save your life!!!