We get them arriving through the post five yearly from 50 automatically. The first one that arrived for the husband was a bit of a shock. Wsit, they want you to do what and then what? Ewwwwee!

You can buy it from the chemist here, but like Moneypen said they send them every 5 years after 50. I

: Worst of three actually

It seems I may be able to buy this. There is no national screening here. In fact, getting a colonoscopy is considered akin to finding a golden egg. Many people pay hundreds of dollars for a private procedure.

Complete that sentence...I .... lost the will to live?

Here in BC.
FIT screening starts at 50 for normal risk patients and is repeated every 2 years to I think 74 ish. Patients are recalled for repeat tests every 2 years. Why are they not screening BEVS? -that is a bit worrying. Not sure why JS is doing FIT tests as, obviously he is out of the age bracket- if scope was clear within say 5-10 years then you should be good to go- if there was an early onset family history of colon cancer then they shouldn't be doing FIT tests but scoping anyhow - I cannot for the life of me work out why they are doing FIT tests JS..what am I missing??


http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/...d-get-screened

This explains the difference between FIT (one sample) versus FOBT (three sample) - basically latter is a bit old school, more false positives due to upper GI tract issues and is confused by rare steaks, poor oral hygiene and Horseradish- FIT tests dont have the problem and you only have to play with your poo the once

Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada - CCAC

Now I have lost the will...

Money !

NZ is about to start rolling the screening out over the next four years for those aged 60-74.

The colonoscopy wait lists are already log jammed. No pun intended.

That is bad... I thought Canada was behind in a lot of ways medically- clearly not that bad compared to you guys- if needs be, pay for the kit, but there again if it is a positive result, would you be able to get a colonoscopy anyhow???

They need ME! I was involved in the WA Adult Gastroenterology Endoscopy Waitlist Servies Project as an auditor. Elective services reform We audited the metro hospitals in WA and made changes to how endoscopy services are provided here. We shortened the list by hundreds of patients and got through the huge backlog (pun intended). I'm a little bit proud of what we achieved in the 9 months I was part of this.

The last time we had the FOBT kits the instructions said not to eat beef burning the test days. This time it said eat what you like but avoid citrus.

I've lived in Vancouver since 1990 and had annual check-ups and have never heard of having FITS or a colonoscopy as routine. I had the prostrate finger and blood tests but thought a colonoscopy was for sick people.
Last year I was spending winter with my wife's family in Bali and had some sharp stomach pain. The doctor recommended I have a colonoscopy...that's when they found a large tumor in the colon. I was admitted to hospital after a couple of days and had it surgically removed including over a foot of tubing.
I was on oral chemo (three pills a day) for about 4 months and everything looked fine..my CEA test was below zero.
This winter I was back in Bali and had another CEA test and it had increased. I then had a PETCT scan and it showed I had some cells on my liver...an ultra-sound confirmed. I was told it's called metastasis.
As I'm now a frail 80 year old I've rejected infusion chemo as it will kill me before the cancer...so now I'm on a waiting list...
I wish I'd had a colonoscopy over 10 years ago as my prognosis might have been better. I'm now trying to drown those little buggers with copious amounts of red wine and beer and the occasional 'sursip' tea my wife forces down me, whatever that is supposed to do...its something herbal and magic.

My message is...get a colonoscopy at least once...don't be as silly and naïve as me.

I am so sorry about the outcome of your colonoscopy, I hope you get through the waiting list as quickly as possible.

But your message is a good one, it's a routine test here where I live now and I even had it done back in UK a couple of years before I left. Not sure we get offered the DIY test though, but I have also done that back in the UK

I dont have the test on an annual basis. The specialist did them last summer before deciding if he was going to do a colonoscopy.

I appreciate your message of sorrow, thanks becks, but I think you may have missed my sense of humour, at least I hope you did...my waiting list sentence was completed with a couple of smileys to give it meaning...my hope is the wait will be long..

I got your meaning. My sincere wishes for a long wait tome.

Oh gosh yes, your hope is right - I totally missed your sense of humour at the first reading, although re-reading it, can't figure why! I was thinking of a friend of mine back in UK when I read it, she battled ovarian cancer for about 14 years and every time it came back, she re-did the chemo, or went on a drug trial for a completely new way to treat it.

I think that may have coloured my reading of it where I thought you were going on a waiting list for a new type of treatment.

Or I was having a real blonde moment

Anyway, now I get what you were saying - of course I hope you are on that waiting list forever!!!!! And I wish you all the best...

I also hope that my blonde moments are finished for this month