Bowel Scope Screening

[GingerMerkin]

Just received a letter asking me to go for this. It sounds hideous with small risk me 'having a new ae torn'. My sister thinks it is hysterically funny and says I will be made to touch my toes whilst they do it!

AIBU to want to ignore the letter?

Love the expression used above! Very true! Thank You wiggles rock. I am so pleased to hear that you have had this good news too, I can only hope my dad is in the same position at some point. OP PLEASE have this procedure done - it could save you're life.

Hang on-you got drugs? That's not fair, never even got a whiff of gas and air.
It's not the most comfortable thing ever, but relax and it's over quick. And fascinating seeing your own innards. The dr complimented me on my pink healthy errr, tubes. At my age, I'll take that young man.
Remember to give yourself plenty of time to do the enema though, I had to dash back home.

I got gas and air as my bowel is very kinky (Not as in oooh errr kinky as in lots of kinks) due to being messed up in a big way after my innards went crazy a few years ago. Most people won't need anything - it's not really painful just a little uncomfortable - but they've got g and a there if you want it.

I lost my 55 year old husband last month to a slow growing bowel cancer that wasnt found til it ruptured... im a 39 yo widow now. Screenings save lives.

Ludoole

I've had a few colonoscopies/flexible Sigmoidoscopies, thanks to inflammatory bowel disease. I can honestly say that the prep is worse than the procedure. As others have said, it isn't the most comfortable or pleasant way to pass the time, but I can think of worse, and chemotherapy would be one of them.

You'll be fine, honest.

Like shadowfax I have IBD. The prep is worse than the procedure (although it sounds like your prep is more minor than the 2l of osmotic laxative that goes with a full colonoscopy?). I'd get it done.

Procedure itself is not that bad. I've had gastroscopies and they were far worse.

Am wondering if they would supply transport to get me home if I come over all ill after.

WTF .....You are being offered a FREE health screening and now expect transport home to be provided?????

If you feel "funny" afterwards (tho no reason on earth why you would - it's only a camera up the bum, not surgery) go and get a cup of tea and a sit down in the cafe. That will give you time to get over the trauma (and get over yourself while you're at it.....)

Jeezus.......entitled much????

My mum died last year from advanced bowel cancer; she was 53. I wish that screening would start at 50 (there are campaigns supporting this as bowel cancer increases in prevalence after 50) and she may still be here. My mum had no symptoms until it was advanced and terminal. A few of my sisters have had colon/sigmoidoscopys and they said it was fine. They had the option of sedation but declined. You will be fine.

OP I have to get them done alot(I have ulcerative colitis)with the hospital I go to they ask that you have someone to drive you home or that you get a taxi.

You'll be lucky with getting them to sort out your travel home,I'm disabled and on the highest rate of DLA and travel back home is down to me.

You won't feel ill afterwards, unless you have some kind of sedative (most people won't need a sedative) But if you do they will make you wait a while before they let you go home.

If you are worried about travelling home I would get a friend to go with you, but really you will be fine. It really is not a big deal.

Hang on, I thought you just did the stool test, where you wipe your stool on a bit of card.

There's another bowel test now? Is that done routinely or only if you get a positive on the card test?

After working on the Oncology ward and seeing many patients with bowel cancer there is no way I wouldn't take any screening offered to me.

U2 - in my area of the country you get offered a routine sigmoidoscopy once you reach the age of fifty five - where they will remove any polyps etc if present. I don't know if it is country wide yet or still being introduced in selected areas.
We also get offered the stool test once we reach sixty I think.

Are you going to wear your merkin when you get it done OP?

I had to answer a questionaire about the modesty shorts when I had mine done and whether I felt more dignified wearing giant bloomers with a strategically placed hole at the back. Made no odds to me what I wore but at least they are asking and trying to find out how to make it as unembarrassing as possible for people.

BMW6, was thinking of the suggested possibility of excessive bleeding from my bottom. Will just have to bleed on the bus won't I!

Mercedes, my surname is Merkin, whatever do you mean?

You have led a sheltered life haven't you!

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkin

If you wear a hairy enough one it will preserve your modesty!

( blush )

All hospitals do these tests differently so don't take too much notice of people telling you exactly what it WILL be like, as yours may be quite different. But either way, it is not too bad, although I would suggest you accept any sedation or pain relief they offer.

I don't think anyone would recommend you coming home on public transport - you should arrange a taxi.

We are lucky in this country. I was watching an episode of Modern Family recently where - and of course I know it's a comedy and thus exaggerated - a character had fallen on hard times and on hearing news that he might be finally selling his house and getting some money exclaimed: "Great! Now I can have that colonoscopy my Doctor keeps nagging me about!" It reminded me that although my colonoscopy was unpleasant, it was free and so are the three-yearly ones I have now got to have. I won't lie and say I am looking forward too any of them, but it is good to know that the NHS is watching my health for me and I am extremely grateful.

Speaking as someone with a huge tumour in my already shot bowel (have crohns) who is in my thirties and off to st marks in London today to discuss my 20 something surgery just get on with it......

Well if you were "excessively bleeding from your bottom" afterwards then you wouldn't be leaving the hospital at all !!

Oh don't be so sure BMW6, people are regularly sent home following operations whe they clearly should not be and end up in A&E.

Anyway enough of griping, will be at the head of the queue that day with my freshly enemad bum bared and waiting.

Please demand sedation. They are meant to offer it but no always they tried to tell my grandma she could not have it due to her being the last patient of the day and they would not have time to recover her. The sad thing is if she had been on her own she would have agreed but by the time my mum had finished they did give her sedation.
Also saw a young girl with Down's syndrome bullied into have no sedation when I was a student nurse, I complained and was told to man up and told we would not waste the sedation on someone like her as we want her out as quickly as possible. One of the many reasons I left after my first year

I hope you made a formal complaint dolly as I have had numerous Colonoscopies and the staff have always been really professional.