# Ugh, do I REALLY have to schedule ANOTHER colonoscopy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 29, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304 "2023-08-29T18:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/141 "2023-11-02T19:58:17Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Hard to say whether that proves you’re inherently lucky […], or that you’ve used up 3 lifetimes of luck right there With respect, I humbly submit that all the Dopers here who had colonoscopies and no peritonitis would actually be the lucky ones. Though, I do feel at least a little lucky knowing Crocs are always a quick option. Thank you for that. > [@hajario](#): > > I remember that when it happened Wow! Good memory! That was over 11 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/142 "2023-11-04T18:19:13Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I woke up from surgery and immediately felt around my belly for a bag, and I lucked out, no bag. A friend who had bowel surgery was told the same thing, and feeling his belly was the first thing he did, too. So did I 🙂 , I actually had colon cancer back in 2010, was operated and had an anastomosis leakage and peritonitis. I was asked where I would like to have the colostomy if it should be necessary and was wheeled down to the surgery. When I woke up I felt for the bag immediately and asked a nurse if I had one, I didn’t. I only found out afterwards how close I had come to dying. They didn’t tell me anything, but my daughter was told. I have had several colonoscopies afterwards. The latest this October. Two polyps and they will want to see me in five years. They were so kind to tell me that it will be the last time. Later I will be so old that I’ll probably not have time to die from a polyp turning cancerous. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/143 "2023-11-10T14:57:53Z")
Well, let me share my current colonoscopy saga! I was scheduled for one this morning at 7 AM, but when I got down there I was turned away because I’m not “running clear,” IYKWIM. Ugh! Now I have to do ANOTHER PREP tonight and early tomorrow to try again. They are open on Saturday! I followed all the instructions to the best of my ability and drank absolutely all of the prep solution. I’m still having the runs and I guess will have even more runs to come this evening. And here I was anticipating a nice meal later today but am instead having another liquid diet day! I really don’t want to do this!! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/144 "2023-11-10T17:09:09Z")
Ugh. Best wishes for a nice clean exam with nice clean results. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/145 "2023-11-11T15:19:19Z")
Thank you! I did turn out to have polyps this time, but the doc gave me a 5-year return time so not too bad. Maybe enough time to help the memory from this one fade a little. She said we’d probably have to do the 2-day prep again next time, which will be shitty literally and figuratively! ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/146 "2023-11-12T16:04:45Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Sounds like your experience with SuTab somewhat paralleled mine, with never quite quitting. Not quite as severely as mine, I hope!! No, not nearly as bad, but very annoying nonetheless. I did see that the report for my first colonoscopy with SuPrep indicated that my prep was “excellent” but for my latest colonoscopy with SuTab, my prep was only reported as “good.” Also, I was talking to a relative who recently had a colonoscopy scheduled with SuTab as the prescribed prep. She has had 6-8 colonoscopies in the last 25 years or so with no issues (and is also a medical professional), but for the first time ever, the doctor said that her prep was inadequate and would have to be rescheduled. What a pain in the ass (literally)! I was then talking to another person who works for a gastroenterologist and she says that her office stopped using SuTab because of the high failure rate. My theory is that the rate that the pills dissolve is too variable from patient to patient, leading to issues where it doesn’t work fast enough or thoroughly enough, or keeps working after it should be done. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/147 "2023-11-12T16:28:56Z")
Well, polyps mean that the colonoscopy was DEFINITELY worth doing. They often grow into cancer if left in place, and can be easily dealt with during the colonoscopy. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/148 "2023-11-12T20:13:20Z")
My next colonoscopy is scheduled for a week from tomorrow; in other words, for the Monday of Thanksgiving week. I bought some instant Jell-O, sugar-free lemonade and chicken broth. Anyone know if there’s anything (spices, for instance) I can add to the broth without messing with my prep? ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/149 "2023-11-13T00:18:32Z")
You are absolutely right. Definitely worth doing. I had been wavering back and forth, so tempted to cancel or put it off. And then with the first day of prep not working, I was even more ready to just call the whole thing off. But it turned out to be definitely needed and infinitely better than letting polyps go unchecked. It will still be like pulling teeth to do it again in five years, but I will do it. I now despise anything lemon flavored! Would it kill manufacturers to make clear, colorless Jello and Ensure in different flavors? The only clear Ensure I could find appears to be a light purple, and I was afraid to use it. I don’t know of any way to help with the liquid diet. I was SO hungry until the drinking of the prep started. All that liquid made me feel full. Once or twice I used a small amount of Better than Bullion roasted chicken flavor dissolved in hot water. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/150 "2023-11-13T00:22:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Anyone know if there’s anything (spices, for instance) I can add to the broth without messing with my prep? If you are worried about powdered spices, you could drop some whole spices in the broth and simmer to infused the flavor, and then remove the whole spices. Or ask your doctor’s office if whatever spice you want to use is okay. I fast for Yom Kippur every year, so “fasting” with as much water as i want, and even sugar, isn’t bad. Try not to eat too much sugar, as it can make you hungry. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/151 "2023-11-13T07:33:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Anyone know if there’s anything (spices, for instance) I can add to the broth without messing with my prep? You can dissolve some unflavored gelatin in it and have jellied bouillion. > **[Jellied Chicken Bouillon Recipe - Food.com](https://www.food.com/recipe/jellied-chicken-bouillon-227675)** > > A terrific, refreshing starter for a hot-climate meal. From the Wisconsin Dutch chapter of the Untied States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institu ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/152 "2023-11-13T12:29:24Z")
Suppose they find (and remove) some polyps during a colonoscopy. AIUI, common practice in these cases is to schedule the next colonoscopy just a few years away instead of ten years away. Why is this? I thought the whole idea of the ten-year interval was that colon cancers grow so slowly that ten years is enough time to discover new polyps before they become disastrously large. Wouldn’t that also be the case, even if a patient’s “high risk” status means that new tumors are more likely? Does “more likely” also mean that such a patient’s tumors also tend to gain mass more quickly than average? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/153 "2023-11-13T13:18:06Z")
Yes, polyps and tumors grow faster in some people than in others. One indication of that is how many they find at the colonoscopy. There are some people with a genetic disorder that leads to tons of tumor growth who can be kept in his health by annual colonoscopies. See [Lynch Syndrome](https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/colorectal_cancer/medical_options.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/154 "2023-11-14T16:15:39Z")
I was mostly kidding and feeling sorry for myself, but all of your stories have shut me ALL the way up. Everyone, I am back to let you know that I’m scheduling my appointment today. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/155 "2023-11-14T17:52:52Z")
My insurance company is trying really hard to get me to take one of those mail in fecal tests which one can do instead of the colonoscopy but it’s not nearly as good of a test obviously. I suppose that it’s much better than not doing anything. My doctor said not to bother if I get the colonoscopy which I will do in early 2024. They have been bombarding me with emails and sent me the test unsolicited. Someone actually called me and I told them that I am not going to do it since I am getting the better test but the emails and letters keep coming. It’s obnoxious. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/156 "2023-11-15T07:31:30Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > My insurance company is trying really hard to get me to take one of those mail in fecal tests Our NHS (and I believe the same happens in France) sends them out every two years for people between the ages of 50 and 70. I assume someone’s worked out that it’s not so cost-effective to screen everybody invasively (though maybe - I don’t know - people with a family history of bowel cancer get special treatment). There are also advertising campaigns to encourage people to use the test if they’re sent one: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZwjxnXH0JEQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Bowel cancer screening: Your next poo could save your life | NHS | BSL version") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwjxnXH0JEQ) Puts you off icing cakes for a while, but it’s not that big an ick factor (certainly not as much as a full colonoscopy). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/157 "2023-11-15T14:00:34Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > I assume someone’s worked out that it’s not so cost-effective to screen everybody invasively I think they’d prefer everyone to get the invasive test but many are afraid or very averse so this is an alternative to at least get some screening. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/158 "2023-11-15T14:06:09Z")
Probably not - I get one of those fecal tests every year. It’s not instead of the colonoscopy which is still every 5 years \*- it’s in addition to it. And of course, if the at-home test detects blood, the colonoscopy will be moved up. \* I assume because I always have at least one polyp ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/159 "2023-11-15T14:23:38Z")
My doc said I don’t need to get one if I’m having a colonoscopy. Maybe I’d be asked to get one in non-colonoscopy years or maybe people with certain medical conditions need both or maybe my doc is mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/160 "2023-11-15T14:26:32Z")
I just checked and Dr Google seems to back me up. > **[Study: Patients Prefer Stool Test to Colonoscopy](https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/study-patients-prefer-stool-test-to-colonoscopy/)** > > Three-quarters of people prefer to do a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) rather than a colonoscopy for their regular colorectal cancer screening, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study.Unlike colonoscopies, FIT doesn’t require lengthy preparation, diet... Many cites say the same thing [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304.md?page=9)