That was me. To be accurate, I’ve had bowel problems most of my life and numerous surgeries so it’s possible that the bowel was already weakened thus making the perforation more likely.
No healthy person should avoid a colonoscopy based on my unusual experience.
You sound better, davidm. I hope that’s true!
My dad had a weak gut from a lifetime of diverticulitis and several surgeries. His gut was ripped when he had surgery on it, leading to sepsis. While recovering from that, his gut was perforated two more times, once from too much intestinal gas. (Since then, I’ve been grateful every time I fart. Farting is good!) While he recovered from the acute problems of sepsis, he ultimately died of complications from it – a pulmonary embolism a few years later.
Anyhow, despite that, I have zero fear that my colon will be perforated by a colonoscopy.
I’m much better than I was but I still have difficulties. I’m getting disability so at least my financial issues aren’t too dire.
I am scheduled for a colonoscopy in July, the earliest insurance will pay for it, and I talked to my GP about the procedure based on your experience. She agrees that your unfortunate outcome is rare. I plan to go back to her at the first sign of trouble. I don’t trust the gastro doc enough. He will have a vested interest in a trouble-free outcome and I am not interested in taking chances. But even though your experience gives me pause I plan to get the procedure done.
I am glad your finances and health are slowly getting better. That was a tough thing to go through.
It was a real pain in my ass.
Thank you, and please PLEASE don’t let my experience influence your decision or even cause you concern. The risk of undetected colon cancer is much greater than the risk of what happened to me.
I just had my first colonoscopy Friday. I’ve already had colon cancer, so my experience won’t be typical. I felt fine other than being a little loopy immediately afterwards. About an hour after getting home I was eating lunch when I started getting some pain in my gut. I would have panicked and called the doctor, but it was similar to the pain I still had a week after my surgery a little over two years ago. By yesterday (Saturday) morning it had greatly decreased, and after I got up and around it was pretty much gone. He removed two polyps, so now I have to keep my fingers crossed until I see him again Thursday.
Best wishes to you and I hope everything goes well.
If you feel like sharing, how did they treat your previous colon cancer?
It started with pain in my right side side. It grew from just a slight awareness of my insides in the early morning to sharp pains by lunchtime. I left work early and went to same day care at my clinic, where they decided my appendix needed to come out ASAP. The surgeon found a tumor pressing against my appendix, turning my laparoscopic surgery into a bit more. He removed my appendix, the tumor, and a couple of inches of bowel. He was pretty sure the surgery removed most of it, but I also did chemo for 24 weeks. After the chemo my oncologist said I was cancer free “for now”, with a 2/5 chance it could come back someday. I still see my oncologist every 3-6 months, and at my most recent visit he said it was past time for me to have a colonoscopy.
Huh. I’d be inclined to ask why the hell they didn’t have you do one much sooner! I assume the cancer was a couple years back. Hell, I was on an annual or sooner schedule just from a couple of precancerous polyps.
BTW: that was a hell of a lucky case of appendicitis!! (my own diagnosis was related to a misdiagnosed medication side effect).
I am reminded of the topic again this morning; a co-worker’s husband just passed away after a 6 month battle. He was about my age, and was diagnosed around Thanksgiving. I am not certain - and would never ask - that he had NOT had the routine screenings.