The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

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Magnolia
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Magnolia » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:34 pm

>>The risk of serious complications for the colonoscopy are about 1/5000, but the odds of having cancer given those symptoms are higher.<<

I'm talking about screening young people with NO symptoms and NO family history. THEIR risk of cancer may well be lower than the risk of the scope. I don't think we can just jump off and start calling for routine screenings of healthy, low risk teens and twenties. When there are symptoms or other risk factors, of course you scope, but that is not screening. That's diagnostic.
Dx Stage IIIC CC 3/10/06
Surgery 3/20/06
Folfox 4/06 - 10/06
Avastin 4/06 - 4/07
NED!


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Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

Magnolia
Posts: 1514
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Magnolia » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:37 pm

Whatever you say under anesthesia, you'll probably mumble too badly to be understood. Besides, from whay you say, he's heard it all.
Dx Stage IIIC CC 3/10/06
Surgery 3/20/06
Folfox 4/06 - 10/06
Avastin 4/06 - 4/07
NED!


http://www.CoverYourButt.org
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

Magnolia
Posts: 1514
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:38 pm
Location: Virginia

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Magnolia » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:56 pm

>>what about the virtual colonoscopy? Or is there a risk of issues from the constant raditaion exposure? This would obviously less invasive, but are virtual ones less accurate?<<

Virtual scopes do have some problems. Radiation is an issue. It can CAUSE cancer down the road if you get enough of it, and the dose is cumulative. It doesn't wear off, so it doesn't matter if you get zapped twice in two days or twice in 10 years. The effect is exactly the same. Total lifetime dose is what counts. The virtual scope can't tell the difference between a polyp and a small piece of retained stool or undigested whatever, so if ANYTHING shows up, you get an optical scope anyway. So there are SOME advantages, and some disadvantages. I think for now, the best way to go for a young, LOW RISK population is fecal occult blood testing. It will pick up most early cancers and some advanced polyps. Not as good as colonoscopy, but much less risky, so screening large numbers of people not likely to have tumors anyway would be safer. Still scoping those with symptoms or risk factors, of course. AND scoping those with positives on the FOBT. The stool DNA test is still being evaluated. It shows promise, but still detects early cancers. Only scopes can prevent them. The stool tests are also much more cost effective in a population where you only expect to find a few actual cancers. The cost of scoping every healthy college student in the country every few years would be astromonical given that MOST of them are not going to have a thing wrong with them. How much of that finite pile of money could be spent on TREATING cancer, or researching better screening methods?

Again, before anyone tells me I'm against testing young people for cancer, ANYONE of ANY age with symptoms or risk factors should be scoped. I think routine screeing should start at 40. FOBT will have to suffice, for now, for young, low risk populations. At the moment, those low risk young people are getting no screening at all. FOBT is very cheap and it could detect cancers much earlier that waiting for symptoms which is what we're doing now, if that. Too many aren't getting scoped even then. I see no reason not to start FOBT screeing early.
Dx Stage IIIC CC 3/10/06
Surgery 3/20/06
Folfox 4/06 - 10/06
Avastin 4/06 - 4/07
NED!


http://www.CoverYourButt.org
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

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garbovatwin
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby garbovatwin » Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:45 pm

RxBrat1979 wrote:

I don't know how to feel about that. If they find it, I'm going back to the hospital where they did the obstruction series and ask to see the x-rays. They put me though all this and, whoops- there's tara's half-karat diamon earring and they missed it. it just dragged down her large instetine and caused a boo-boo.
My dad's pylop was non-cancerous (as per him). I even got my mom on the phone and grilled her. He told me he hasn't had another once since his last scope in 2008, which was also non cancerous.
Yes, today is "draino" day. I get to pop my two bisacodyl at 3pm with 8oz of geen gatorade then start the whole Miralax party. Then to top it off, i get to take two more bisacodyl at 9pm! I'm never going to sleep! I banned everyone but my husband from the house. His mom is watching my daughter so I can safely have the toilet to myself. Now the trick comes as to what to keep me from chewing off my hand in hunger. I have comcast up here in Philly so I already started watching the China Syndrome OnDemand, so I guess that will have to keep me going all day. Any other suggestions?



Haaaaaaa. I ban EVERYONE from the place when I prep.
Well, my cat can stay.
She gives great colon massages.

jamiana
OUR world is worth saving
Question everything. Become your own Advocate.
When we find a cure for one cancer it will lead to a cure for ALL cancer
Crohn's Colitis
Rectal Mucosa Resection - Oct 2010
Rectal Surgery - Sep 2011
Stroke Sep 2012

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Susies11
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Susies11 » Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:57 pm

:D HAHAHAHAHA - I love it - "My cat can stay" - Cats are wonderful for so many reasons one being they are great bathroom buddies! I have two cats and two Chocolate labs and they all love to be in the bathroom with me. I tend to be in there a lot so it's nice to have company. They break wind :shock: and I ........well you get the picture. :D

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Susies11
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Susies11 » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:32 pm

:D Ha Ha Ha Ha - "My cat can stay" - Cats are great for so many reasons - one being that they are great bathroom buddies! I have two cats and two chocolate labs and they all love being in the bathroom with me. It's great - they break wind :shock: and I.....well you get the picture. They keep me company specifically durring prep days.

Tara - RxBrat1979 my thoughts are with you today!

(sorry if this posted 2x)

RxBrat1979
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby RxBrat1979 » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:52 pm

ok, so i took the two laxative pills at 3pm as started my first glass of Miralax/Gatorade cocktail and nothing so far. Is this normal? It's almost 6 here in philly.


*edit* after about 20 minutes it all hit me. Guess the stuff worked. :-)
Last edited by RxBrat1979 on Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-T

"it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

RxBrat1979
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:54 pm
Location: philadelphia, PA

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby RxBrat1979 » Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:18 pm

OMG this falls on the list of things I don't want to do again in the near future: 1. Child birth w/ c-section. 2. Acute Pancreatitis. 3. bowel prep. I seriously feel utterly exahusted. Is it from all the pooping? I'm afraid to fall asleep because I don't want to have an accident. LOL my hubby told me a great quote he heard in a movie today re: my prep :"never trust a fart"..lol

ughhhhhhhhhhhhh

-T :oops:
-T

"it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

RxBrat1979
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:54 pm
Location: philadelphia, PA

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby RxBrat1979 » Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:23 pm

Susies11 wrote::D Ha Ha Ha Ha - "My cat can stay" - Cats are great for so many reasons - one being that they are great bathroom buddies! I have two cats and two chocolate labs and they all love being in the bathroom with me. It's great - they break wind :shock: and I.....well you get the picture. They keep me company specifically durring prep days.

Tara - RxBrat1979 my thoughts are with you today!

(sorry if this posted 2x)



LOL I have an olde english bulldogge who insists on being in the bathroom anytime I'm in there. Mind you I live in Philly in a 1930's rowhome so our bathrooms aren't that big. SO there I am having (as south park would phrase it) explosive diarrhea, and my dog is lying at my feet. I love my 80lbs of dumb. He's now sitting on my bed awaiting my next run to the potty. :)
-T

"it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

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Ivona
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Ivona » Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:42 pm

:lol: :lol: hahaaha....and you thought the stuff wasn't working!! :lol: :lol:

hope your bottom isn't too sore for tomorrow...good luck!
dx'd Oct '08 (age 48)
T3bN2Mx
9/23 LN's
resection Nov '08
Folfox Jan '09 - March '09
Xeloda March 24/09 - July 6/09

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it's called 'the present'. "

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garbovatwin
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Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby garbovatwin » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:24 am

Good luck today.
This thread has been quite entertaining.

jamiana
OUR world is worth saving
Question everything. Become your own Advocate.
When we find a cure for one cancer it will lead to a cure for ALL cancer
Crohn's Colitis
Rectal Mucosa Resection - Oct 2010
Rectal Surgery - Sep 2011
Stroke Sep 2012

RxBrat1979
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:54 pm
Location: philadelphia, PA

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby RxBrat1979 » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:10 am

thanks all for your advice. in 2.5 hours they'll have me bare butted on a table as my cute doctor is forced to look at my a$$. I have the most AWFUL headache this morning which rivals a hangover (I would have rather been drunk then shotgunning miralax tainted gatorade). Oh and I'm still having potty runs at 6 am this morning.

I hope I can comeback to this board with good news later on today, after i get my my hands on a cheesesteak and a milkshake, but if not, i hope you'll all still be here for me, because like most of you when first diagnosed were confused.

If I am lucky enough to come out of this ok this time, please let me be an advocate for early screening ( i work at an insurance company, so that may help), and be someone to talk to if you need it.

You guys have been great. Thanks for getting me though these past two weeks.

See you guys after 12.
-T

"it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

RxBrat1979
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:54 pm
Location: philadelphia, PA

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby RxBrat1979 » Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:59 pm

Ughhh.. I'm here VERY tired. I had 1 pylop removed, very small as per my GI doc. My bleeding is from ulcerative procitis which i have to take canasa for. so i guess all went ok. i still feel like poo. i'll be back later once i google ulcerative procitis and see what the hell it is.

((hugs))
Tara
-T

"it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

Nanette Derry

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Nanette Derry » Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:33 pm

Tara-
I'm glad everything turned out for you. I'm sure you are relieved. I had one last week and I was diagnosed with spastic colitis (spastic colon). I am here on these boards because of my husband. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer this past December. He started chemo last week. This website is very informative and gives a lot of support. I am always on here looking at how to help certain side effects Bruce is having from the chemo. To see other people going through the same thing doesn't make you feel so alone.

On another note...did you ever find your earring???
-Nanette

PS - I think it was you who said your husband works at Coke? My husband also works for Coke in Buffalo. He's the Sales/Marketing Manager. I see you are from Philadelphia. I wonder if your husband works for the same company my husband does. It's locally owned and operated, but they have other Coke plants in PA and Ohio. Just wondering...

Guest

Re: The Dumb Way to a Diagnosis (I hope not)

Postby Guest » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:11 pm

Nothing about the earring? Glad everything is okay or so to speak. You are too funny.


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