Medical Cringe

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6ft3Aussie
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by 6ft3Aussie »

I too have had several colonoscopies, (3), and the prep is by far the worst part, that watery lemon stuff that empties you out so you're clean round the bend.
The procedure itself is as others have said no big deal.
There is a significant history of colon cancer on my mother's side. My grandmother was one of 11 children, 8 of whom died from either colon cancer or secondary cancer, and my mother had colon cancer and secondary liver cancer and passed at 51 years old. So far I have the all clear with no evidence of pre-cancerous growth.
If there's a history in your family, don't ignore it, be aware of it and discuss it with your doctor, it's easier and cheaper to catch it early than not do anything about it than suffer a painful death.

As far as modesty and things like that, no doctors and nurses will judge you or compare you, the human body is the human body, male or female, we're all fundamentally the same. They do treat you with dignity, and not like another piece of meat.

The worst I have had to deal with was having to be showered by a nurse when I was in hospital after surgery to reassemble the bones in my right leg (google tibial plateau fracture), as I was unable to do it myself.
That seriously beat a colonoscopy.
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denimini
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by denimini »

dillon wrote:I recently had an endoscopy because of difficulty swallowing certain foods, and I feared esophageal cancer. And since it had been a decade since my last colonoscopy, I had both done in the same session to save both me and my insurance some money.
My only concern would be which procedure they did first with the endoscope.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
Happy-N-Skirts
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Modesty in a hospital?

Post by Happy-N-Skirts »

As a patient you will be examined, treated, and cared for. There is no modesty in a hospital. I was in an accident had had to have all of my basic needs taken care of including wiping my butt, inserting and removing a catheter, bathing, showering, and dressing me, including underwear before discharge. Nurses are angels and wonderful people and it was a pleasure to know them. They all seem to have a great sense of humor, otherwise I don't know how they could cope with life and death, pain and suffering. I had to have a nurse helping me in a shower in case I fell down. It was very reassuring.

Don't worry about them seeing or touching your private parts. They have seen all kinds of differences, bigger, smaller, peculiar, and yours fall within their experience and they move along to the next patient.
Stu
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Stu »

I appreciate all the comments. There is a different ethos on colonoscopy in the UK and Sweden as these aren't offered routinely for screening, but only on referral from a specialist doctor needing to investigate something. As a result, they are far less common and we don't take them in our stride as many Americans do. In my case, I have an inflamed bowel and localised pain, plus inflammation markers which likely suggest I have something like diverticulitis. If I had to have this procedure as a matter of life or death, I would go through it, but I don't believe it is necessary and so, as I strongly don't want people anywhere near my rear end, I have declined. I have had a CT scan and I am awaiting the result. The other procedure they wanted to do was cystoscopy because of some problems passing water and again I see no need for such a humiliating procedure.

I know many people these days invest huge faith in modern medicine and I'm afraid I do not share their trust. Aside from the crippling embarrassment of invasive procedures like of colonoscopy and cystoscopy, they are nowhere near as safe as they like to pretend and carry such significant risks that many doctors themselves decline them. Clearing out natural bowel flora eliminates the protection it gives against more dangerous bugs. Inserting a camera up a urethra carries no small risk of damaging sensitive structures, causing incontinence and impotence as well as infection. These procedures are far from reliable, and they thus risk both a false sense of security, or else false positives resulting in unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment. I really think these should only be used where there is no reasonable alternative.

Stu
pelmut
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by pelmut »

Stu wrote:... I see no need for such a humiliating procedure.
It is not done in order to humiliate you, please reconsider.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.
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Fred in Skirts
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Fred in Skirts »

Stu, I would like to ask you one question how do you know these procedures are not necessary?
Do you have a way of determining what is actually happening inside your body, I know I don't.
In my case, I have an inflamed bowel and localised pain, plus inflammation markers which likely suggest I have something like diverticulitis.
A colonoscopy would rule out colon cancer and then you can be sure that the pain is actually diverticulitis or just a persistent belly ache.

Your take on medical practices is like my great grandfathers he always said that there was nothing wrong with him and that is what he said on his death bed, He died of pneumonia.

Fred
"It is better to be hated for what you are than be loved for what you are not" Andre Gide: 1869 - 1951
Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.
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oldsalt1
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by oldsalt1 »

The worst part of a colonoscopy is the joy juice you have to drink to prep..


I had a cousin that died from diverticulitis. If she would have had a timely colonoscopy they would have caught it on time.
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Sinned
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Sinned »

With diverticulitis the only sure way to diagnose and curtail it is with a colonoscopy. They use a small pair of scissors on the end of the colonoscope to cut the little b*gg*rs out. How else are you going to do it easily. Can't understand Stu's reluctance really. Yes all procedures carry some risk but that risk as opposed to the diverticules running riot is small in comparison. Go for it son. I would have it done. It's no more a humiliating procedure than any other medical procedure.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
Stu
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Stu »

I just got the results of the CT scan by mail and there is no sign of diverticulis! YAY! :D

Sorted! Probably just irritable bowel.
Grok
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Grok »

That's great, Stu! :D
partlyscot
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by partlyscot »

Stu wrote:I just got the results of the CT scan by mail and there is no sign of diverticulis! YAY! :D

Sorted! Probably just irritable bowel.
Well, that's good, though irritable bowel can develop into a major problem. I hope you are taking your doctor's advice on how to deal with it, which I would expect to mostly involve more fruit and veg, less processed foods and less red meat.

I can find few reports of cystoscopy and colonoscopy being anything in the way of high risk procedures, I'm not keen to undergo either of them either, but if a doctor recommended one, I'm not going to argue with them. Chances of rectal or colon cancer, 1 in 23. Chance of death from a colonoscopy, 1 in 16,000.

On a side note, I believe that here in Canada initial screening is done by supplying a stool sample, which, while mildly embarrassing, is certainly not something to avoid. Here's hoping for good health for all of us.
pelmut
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by pelmut »

partlyscot wrote:...I believe that here in Canada initial screening is done by supplying a stool sample,...
There is a regular national screening programme in the U.K. that sends out collection kits by post.  They must have liked mine because they sent for a second helping - but they decided everything was satisfactory eventually.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.
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Sinned
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Sinned »

partlyscot, yeah they do the stool sample over here too. They're mainly looking for blood in the sample as indicative of another problem. I've had it done twice. Messy, yes, painful, no.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
Stu
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Stu »

We don't even get the stool sample option in Sweden. And we don't get PSA tests etc. We get nothing in terms of screening.

That's not a complaint, BTW, as I have turned down both a cystopscopy and colonoscopy, but it is a fact.
Stu
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Re: Medical Cringe

Post by Stu »

A bit of extra info. Be aware that, if they ever offer you a supposedly "non-invasive" virtual colonoscopy - it is actually invasive!!!

The CT scan I had was of the urinary tract and and not of the bowel, so diverticulitis has nor been ruled out and I am still having issues. When the doctor learned I had refused a colonoscopy, she suggested a virtual colonoscopy and assured me it was totally non-invasive so far as she knew. I received the appointment today and read what is entailed and yes, it would involve inserting a tube into the bowel and it is actually invasive so...no thanks.

One would imagine that before they suggested such invasive, hazardous and embarrassing treatments, they would first rule out other causes of the symptoms such as IBS. But no: their first recourse is to insert instruments into body orifices. My daughter refers to this mentality as "defensive medicine". Anyway, be aware that a virtual colonoscopy most certainly is an invasive procedure.
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