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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 28, 2008 - 03:53pm PT
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Nice one, Ron! To add to it:
An endoscopy is really a beginningoscopy, but a :oscopy comes before the end.
For some, these procedures are periodicoscopies.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 28, 2008 - 04:46pm PT
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Kath,
Thanks for the vibes!
I understood exactly what you meant. I was likewise bummed, bigtime! It was harshing my mellow like you wouldn't believe.
Rick
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rmsusa
Trad climber
Boulder
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Jan 28, 2008 - 04:55pm PT
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Had mine a couple of weeks ago. Fentanyl and Versed make it easy. On my first, five years ago, they discovered a couple of non-cancerous polyps, so I had to go back in 5 years. This time I'm clean. They increased the interval to 10 years. Won't have to drink that stuff for a while.
My uncle died of colon cancer at 70. These days, this is an entirely preventable disease. By the time you have symptoms, it's usually a bit late. See the American Cancer Society website for guidelines.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jan 28, 2008 - 05:00pm PT
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Ride the Willy Stick!!!
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TradIsGood
Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Jan 28, 2008 - 05:02pm PT
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Roger, I am not a doctor, but if I recall correctly PSA is a measurement used to detect prostate cancer. Kind of down there, but different.
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roslyn
Trad climber
washington
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Jan 28, 2008 - 05:05pm PT
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just had a colonoscopy last year. my dad has a history of polyps. relatively painless procedure, but like mighty hiker, i was sedated, but woke up near the end of the procedure. Got a good look at the old colon.
people seem to not want to talk about the workings of the lower bowels..............too embarassing! Cancer is way worse than a little embarassment.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 28, 2008 - 05:07pm PT
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This is all too familiar. A good friend of mine, an Epidemiologist of a populus state, is vehement on this point.
"It's a leading causde of death in guys our age, and it's completely preventible! Don't settle for the sig, get the whole colonoscopy!"
Brings up a related point. As a recent Kaiser initiate I have to pick a family Doctor, before anything else. Suggestions I'm looking for someone who understands the concept of the senior athelete/adventurer.. Like steve Hong if he lived here and hadn't switched to dermatolgy.
Suggestions? ones to avoid?
I'm in the SF East Bay area; Shadelands/Walnut Creek would be optimal, but I do own a car.
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jstan
climber
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Jan 28, 2008 - 05:42pm PT
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Roger:
If your PSA is increasing, get it checked out.
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Anguish
Mountain climber
Jackson Hole Wyo.
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Jan 28, 2008 - 05:53pm PT
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Last year, at 54, urged on by the death of a friend to colon cancer and the work of Katie Couric (she had a colonoscopy on TV after her hubby died of colon cancer), I went in for one. The found 4 polyps and removed them. One had the potential to be precancerous. I go back a year after, this spring, for a follow up.
Cost: Doc said it would be about a grand, but beware. Total cost, only some of which was paid for by insurance went approximately like this (resort town pricing...)
Colonoscopy - $1,000
OR - about $1,000
Anesthesia - $700
Pathology (biopsy) $900
I asked the Doc whether I was late, and he said no. But I could have been.
Don't delay, boys and girls. Start saving some money if you don't have insurance. It is likely worth it.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 28, 2008 - 06:28pm PT
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Hi John,
I did. I had a biopsy. (Odd sounding spring loaded gun for four 2mm by 25mm core samplers.) Anyway, results were all negative. Back in a year.
How are you doing, you old goat. Do you remember your fifties? He, he.
Happy New Year.
All the best, Roger
Edit: Sorry I missed your comment, TradIsGood. I was confusing prostate and colon cancer.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 28, 2008 - 06:29pm PT
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In Canada, at least in B.C., it's a two stream process. If your GP determines that a colonoscopy is medically required, e.g. due to family history, symptoms, or other reasons, then it's basically free. You may have to wait a bit, but you get it at the hospital.
If it's not medically necessary, i.e. just a good idea, then you can get one for about $1,000 total at a semi-private clinic, fairly quickly. You can claim the cost on your income tax.
Naturally there are complex debates over what is and isn't medically necessary. A few years ago, I had a PSA that was a bit high - I get one annually. Usually I have to pay for it. However, having once shown as high, the next few were without charge.
Pretty much all B.C. citizens pay medical insurance premiums to the government, in my case about $1,000/year. Often covered in part by employers. Premiums much less for those under 19 or over 65. We sometimes have to wait for certain procedures, particularly those that are elective, and there are lots of incidental fees that can add up. But as we live longer and are healthier than peoples in most countries (by World Health Organization measures), that says something.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jan 28, 2008 - 06:50pm PT
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I'm not sure that riding the Willy stick is a prophylactic measure, but it certainly offers potential to those that lack more conventional means at their disposal. :)
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jan 28, 2008 - 07:15pm PT
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Yeah I'm an expert alright.
More of em than I care to count, anyway.
There is a thread here I wrote about now to survive your colonscopy in as much comfort as possible, it's pretty good. In fact, I gave it to my gastroenterologist cause he liked it.
Sigmoidoscopy is BS, get the colonoscopy, cause it covers more ground, going all the way to the beginning of the small bowel.
Endoscopy is fun too.
You guys who are waking up before it's over, you got lousy docs!!!
I've been awake for one endo and one colonsocopy, because I hate Versed.
The usual drugs here are versed and demerol, why they are using fentonyl for these procedures I don't understand. Fentonyl is WAY more powerful than morphine or even dilaudid. It's so strong they measure doses in micrograms, not the normal milligrams.
Anyway, the important thing about colonoscopies is, get one if there is ANY doubt. Waiting til 50 is too late for some, as it was for me ( I got diagnosed with cancer from a polyp in the cecum when I was 42, and it had been growing for a while).
The second important thing is, FORGET About the cost, cause even if you pay 4k for one, if it catches precancerous polyps, then you are done right there that day, and you'll never know the problem existed in any tangible way.
However, if you get colon cancer, you are looking at major surgery, probably chemo, and possible recurrence.
The surgery will cost you at least 30K, but the chemo will cost you way way more. IF you want to be REALLY miserable, take chemo. And BTW, the success rate for the best treatments for colon cancer is about 50%. Some are 20% effective.
So, the relatively small cost of a colonoscopy is easy to justify for what you get.
To the OP, I hope you have a good oncologist, who will tell you all the options and treat you like a person. I had one like that, but I've heard some awful stories.
Don't miss your follow ups. You should have a colonoscopy every 6 months for a while. After 5 years you will be considered cured. Don't believe it! Keep getting screened. My third recurrence showed up 2 years ago (8 years after the first instance, 7 after the second), and it had to be growing for a while. At 5 years I looked clean on scans. SO between 5 and 7 years after my second, I started a third one. If it had been caught at the beginning, I'd be in a lot better shape.
As it is now, I'm a guinea pig, looking for an experimental protocol, with two years of surgery, chemo, complications and misery behind me.
So, take heed, 5 years is NOT cured. That term actually comes from the 50's, when there was almost no success, so 5 years was arbitrarily set as a goal to aim for, as once upon a time, if you lived 5 years after discovery it was a miracle.
Good luck with your path report. I hope you don't have to take chemo.
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Big Breasted Woman
Trad climber
The Brown Crack
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Jan 28, 2008 - 08:41pm PT
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Ah yes, the old colonoscopy. I'm due for my second one shortly! Really isn't all that bad. The absolute worst part is drinking that freakin' Step and Go Lightly that makes you do the Mexican Hat Dance to the to loo! UGH! I'll never drink anything cherry flavoured again!
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Jan 28, 2008 - 10:07pm PT
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Hey Rick, Pam here! Sorry to hear about your troubles...nasty stuff!!! Glad your prognosis is positive. I'll try to talk Jack into it, but without insurance......even check-ups are prohibitively expensive!
I know you'll be back on the rock and in the waves soon!
cheers,
Pam
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Anastasia
Trad climber
Califlower
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Jan 28, 2008 - 10:12pm PT
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Happy you caught it early!
I always said it is better to be safe than sorry. Even if your colonoscopy turns out completely clear, isn't it nice to "know" you are fine?
I am wishing you a fast recovery!
See ya' on the mountains!
AF
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Michael Kennedy
Social climber
Carbondale, Colorado
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Jan 28, 2008 - 11:09pm PT
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Rick,
Sorry to hear about the scare, and good luck!
Getting old is no fun, but getting these routine tests is always a good idea.
Great skiing over here in the Roaring Fork valley, so if you want to get away for a few days, let me know ... lots of fun to be had.
Michael Kennedy
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Jan 29, 2008 - 12:37am PT
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Rick,
sorry to hear you got "BIT" by the CC but glad you're better.
I'm only a few years older than you and haven't had my checkup.
Probably don't need to right? I'm fine.........
Here's to a speedy and complete recovery. I should drop by while you are recovering and show you some old pictures from the alps.
Cheers,
JACK
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Jan 29, 2008 - 12:43am PT
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Glad you are O K, Rick;.....I am the same age as you, I believe;.....I'm on it;......thanks for the heads up an reality check for us "old dads."
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