Agreed, the prep, fasting and violent movements are by far the worst bit. I have no fear of anesthesia, but I know others who are morbidly afraid of going under and never waking up. If I have to go, that wouldn't be such a bad way....

I'm just finishing up a project for the Western Australia department of health auditing colonoscopy waiting lusts. From what the gastro doctors have said, you're more likely to develop cancer from the high dose radiation of the CT than from colon cancer. The advice they give is that if you are otherwise low risk for developing bowel cancer and have no symptoms then the non invasive FOBT is the best way to go.

I have had lots of colonoscopies and I know it was necessary but I've never had a lust for them

We all have our predilections SM.

I must admit, I would be more than happy if there was a better prep to the procedure. Between June last year and April this year I had 3 colonoscopies and 1 endoscopy. I certainly have no lust for them, and next March I am scheduled for another one.

I will return and post further but we're moving house tomorrow and I've not had much time. One minute you think you're sorted, the next there seem to be cupboards full left to pack

My father was, and refused a heart valve replacement, thereby condemning himself to entirely predictable death. His condition had a prognosis of death 3-5 years after diagnosis. He died four years, to the month, after diagnosis. [ETA I only researched the prognosis after the post mortem had confirmed the diagnosis. He died three months before Mrs P was confirmed to be carrying his only grandchild.]
I agree, so long as it was unexpected. The thought of euthanasia scares me, though I could imagine circumstances when it becomes appealing.

Besides the old familiar FOB test, I understand that there's a new one called FIT that is supposed to be more sensitive. There is also a test called Cologuard which is apparently pretty good, but costs about $600. I looked into virtual colonoscopy, but even the folks at the radiology center didn't recommend it as if anything is found you're back to square one, needing a colonoscopy to get the polyps snipped. In the US, Medicare covers the colonoscopy (unless, as others have said, something is found and a preventative is transformed into a procedure), and it covers the Cologuard test. It does not cover the virtual colonoscopy.

Your decision to stick with the FOB is yours to make based on your understanding of the risks/etc, and it may be the perfect decision for you. But the financial side of the above experience, I don't understand at all. I had the same consultation, as well as the procedure, 100% covered, and also got the more expensive OsmoPrep covered by the insurance company simply by calling the doctor and asking him to justify it to the insurance co (when I first picked up the prescription, the pharmacy said it was not covered and I would have to pay $200 or so; but I called the doctor's office, and we agreed that the cheaper liquid made me nauseous and thus, the more expensive option was required ... so they contacted the insurance co and they reversed their decision).


I am impressed by the level of info in this thread, though - interesting to read about the virtual option, and the relative risks. I'm personally somewhat concerned about the puncturing aspect ... that would be my biggest reason to avoid it. As for the anesthesia - 'going under' is a beautiful feeling and I only wish they could make it last longer (the transition)!

I want to update this thread with my struggles with insurance over my last colonoscopy.

Despite being very clear with the Doctor's office that this was to be a preventive procedure, and coded/billed as such, I got FOUR bills for the procedure.
1) pre-procedure consultation
$372 reduced by an insurance adjustment of $168, for a final charge of $204.

2) procedure, doctor's charge
$675, reduced by an insurance payment of $411, for a final charge of $264.

3) procedure, surgery center charge
$3,800 reduced by 'insurance write-off' of $1,547, and an insurance payment of $757 for a final charge of $1,497.

4) post-procedure consultation
$252 reduced by an 'insurance adjustment' of $153 for a final charge of $99.

I simply refused to pay these charges, and kept calling the doctor's office saying this should all have been covered, and that they needed to correct their 'coding'. I also called the insurance company several times, with a similar message. It seemed to go round in circles, with the same bills arriving every month or so.

Finally, I called the insurance company again, and got some very helpful young lady in the Philippines who seemed to have some discretion and she said she would get it all taken care of, and finally I got a confirmation that everything was covered. She indicated that the root cause of the problem was that the doctor's office kept using the wrong codes.

So ... the moral of the story is, don't pay and keep fighting until they cover it!

I had a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy a couple of months ago, checking for nothing more serious than IBS. Some said why do both procedures at once but why not?! As long as they don't mix up the probes...

Prep was GoLytley and some pills. Not nice but had a babysitter for the kids while I locked myself in the master bedroom for the afternoon (procedure the following morning). Baby wipes, yes.

Procedure itself is normally "conscious sedation". That means you won't remember any of it but are awake enough to respond to commands like roll over, or pull your legs up. Personally I didn't believe I was "awake" until the doctor confirmed I did as I was told! Fentanyl and midazolam were my drugs de jour.

Absolutely no discomfort after "down under" but the day after a bit of a sore throat - more of a lump than sore like during a cold. Nothing found except a minor hiatal hernia from the endoscopy.

No bills yet but I wouldn't trust my insurance company to be capable of organising an orgy in a brothel so who knows (they certainly don't).

I always say that about my dentist which is why I steer clear of male dentists as they tend to have bigger hands. Of course I make sure my dentist and 'bum' doctor are not one in the same

Whatever one has to go through get it done. A longtime friend and mate from my army days died at 65 from colon cancer because he never had it done.

An old guy I used to work with once famously told us "No one's going to stick anything up my ass"

He retired, moved up to Oregon and died 18 months later from colon cancer

I didn't know I had diverticulitis until I had the first one done 12 years ago. I was warned off eating anything with seeds in them since the seeds could get trapped in the pockets of the colon over time and become infected

These stories are when I appreciate the system in Canada.

When I had my colonoscopy there was no worries of billing issues.

Procedure was easy enough. They found nothing which is good and bad at the same time.

But at least there are no bills to worry about.

No bills for mine either. I pay nothing for doctor's visits, nothing for prescriptions if needed, nothing for blood work nor hospital stays. It's called the Senior Advantage coverage and available to any senior who has Part A and part B Medicare. I hear a lot about the shortcomings of health coverage in this country but for people like me my coverage is probably unbeatable.

The only thing I have to pay for is dental coverage for PPO to the tune of 1600 dollars a year plus co-payments. Fortunately my teeth are still in good shape