# Ask the Man Who Had a Colonoscopy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-man-who-had-a-colonoscopy/399729>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 12, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-man-who-had-a-colonoscopy/399729 "2007-04-12T00:10:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-man-who-had-a-colonoscopy/399729/41 "2007-04-13T03:00:37Z")

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Thanks to **kunilou** for starting this thread. I was tempted to begin one, after having my first colonoscopy on Monday.

This is something I was dreading for several years, even though I knew a screening was necessary because of age and family history. Finally I couldn’t put it off any more - a longtime family friend was found to have colon cancer metastatic to his liver, and as a pathologist I keep seeing bad cases of advanced colon and rectal carcinomas, some in people only in their 30s.

The prep was not bad at all. The laxative I used was Miralax (sold over the counter). You mix it in Gatorade or something similar and it’s tasteless (unlike what I’ve heard about Go-Lytely). To avoid going into excess detail, I will only mention that instead of the Mt Etna explosion I was expecting, the clean-out was much gentler and without cramping. The procedure itself was nothing. With 75 mg of Demerol and 5 of Versed on board, I was only conscious for what seemed like about 5 minutes and there was no pain.  
True, there is the “embarassment” of a colleague having seen my butt. However I am sure he has seen thousands of them\* and mine probably wasn’t memorable.

The relief of knowing I don’t have a malignant tumor is enormous (I had a benign 1 mm polyp removed). I don’t have to plan for painful, debilitating surgery, a colostomy, radiation or chemotherapy.  
I urge anyone with risk factors or who is old enough to [consider screening](http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ped/content/ped_2_3x_acs_cancer_detection_guidelines_36.asp) to get this done. It beats hell out of the possible alternatives.

I had considered “virtual colonoscopy” (“non-invasive” imaging). But as noted, you still have to do the colon prep, they can’t remove any polyps they find (meaning you might need a colonoscopy anyway) and there’s a risk of missing small but problematic lesions.

Lastly, there is typically no connection between having thyroid carcinoma and risk of colon carcinomas, with the possible exception of unusual genetic syndromes.

**Jackmannii** , M.D.

\*jeez, what a job.

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