Another Test

catfish_58
catfish_58 Member Posts: 138 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Was just going to ask is it normal for the diet doctor to be concerned about colon cancer now that we have gone through this,was in today everything looks good have my Ct scan scheduled for the 6th of jan. for the new lump found and the dietetionist wants me to have a colonostomy (parden the spelling) on the 11th of jan.,Was told that at my age 55 i needed to start having this done,Is that normal or just precautious?

Comments

  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #2
    It's routine

    For your age it's routine. Consider yourself under the microscope from now on. Once you have a cancer history it's just prudent to do all the routine tests according to the book. It's like scheduled maintenance on your car. The doctors follow a similar flow chart type of schedule based on factors like personal history, age, and  family history. Guess what, you now got  history and age working against you. I went soon after treatment for a colonoscopy and they found nine friggin polyps with one nearing the pre cancer stage. Snip snip all gone. Easy procedure compared to what you have been through. Guess what, that established colon history, gues what, I went back three years later, (norm is every five) and they found three more polyps. Would be a damn shame to have beaten this awful stuff to get run over by easy preventable colon cancer. John is right, you will be astonished at how many people avoid this simple procedure because of a little pride over discomfort. Just plain  stupid!!! Don't balk for a second and schedule the test, try to be first on the schedule or as early for that day as you can get.

  • catfish_58
    catfish_58 Member Posts: 138 Member
    #3
    Test

    Thanks for the info guys I wasn't sure about this but it sounds like I may need to go ahead and get this one done,Sucks to get older but look at all the experience you gain from it:)Thanks again

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #4
    exam

    Catfish_58,

    Whether it is normal for your diet doctor to ask, I do not know, but the time has come (55 years old).  I have been down the road a number of times.  It is a funky sedative they gave me, I do not remember much, but I followed their commands and they played really nice music.

    Matt

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    Actually...

    You're five years late....

    It's pretty standard these days to have them starting at age 50, unless there is a history in your family...

    I'm sure it's routine, not out of the norm...

    I highly preach to all of my friends to get the colonoscopy done... It's a shame at how many friends or co-workers that I have worked with or known, that have passed away from colon cancer.

    There's really almost no excuse... It's a very slow growing cancer, but by the time you start having problems, it's usually too late to treat.

    If you have no polyps or nothing going on, that's usually it for ten years... If they do find something, it can vary from a year to a few years before the next... I have had friends that they did find something early, removed a section of the colon, and that was it, just surgery.

    The very worse part of the procedure is the prep... The actual procedure is about 30 - 45 minutes, under sedation... The bad part is the crap (pun intended) that you have for prep... A nasty liquid that you have to drink several hours the night before and morning of the procedure..., ummm to clean you out.

    But once finished and out of the examine, you can eat and you're good to go....,so to say... LOL

    JG

  • catfish_58
    catfish_58 Member Posts: 138 Member
    #6
    CivilMatt said:

    exam

    Catfish_58,

    Whether it is normal for your diet doctor to ask, I do not know, but the time has come (55 years old).  I have been down the road a number of times.  It is a funky sedative they gave me, I do not remember much, but I followed their commands and they played really nice music.

    Matt

    Music

    Yea I remeber when I had my biopsy done on my tonsils I remeber being wheeled toward the operating room and all of a sudden i remeber seeing clouds and birds and then all went blank, Great stuff there :)

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    catfish_58 said:

    Music

    Yea I remeber when I had my biopsy done on my tonsils I remeber being wheeled toward the operating room and all of a sudden i remeber seeing clouds and birds and then all went blank, Great stuff there :)

    Clouds and Birds...

    Man, you must have gotten the really good stuff....

    JG

  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #8
    yeap, we all have been there

    I had my first last yr.  Mine was to check on bowel issues I was having.  Even though I was 52, and should have had one done at 50.  Was a bit busy with hip repair, and cancer surgery to even think about it.  They did take a few pre-cancerous polyps.  So was told every three yrs. til clean one for two in a row.....then every ten yrs.  I will advocate to everyone to have this done ABSOLUTELY !  When we can find Jack early on with the colon it's very treatable, and you can keep a clean slate so to speak always.  Not a bad procedure, the clean out the day before is the worst part.....I hate Gatoraide now though....lol !  Good luck !   Katie

  • catfish_58
    catfish_58 Member Posts: 138 Member
    #9
    Skiffin16 said:

    Clouds and Birds...

    Man, you must have gotten the really good stuff....

    JG

    The Good Stuff

    Yea,I was kinda wondering if that was normal I remember the (person who puts you to sleep)for the life of me i can't rememeber what their title is called,Came in before the surgery and asked if I had ever been in a hospital operating room and I admitted to him that I had never been in one till then.After he explained the procedures I told him I'd give him an extra Fifty if he knocked me out before the operating room and an extra twenty if it was the good stuff.I now remember where that money went and I thought someone took it from me.:]

  • catfish_58
    catfish_58 Member Posts: 138 Member
    #10
    katenorwood said:

    yeap, we all have been there

    I had my first last yr.  Mine was to check on bowel issues I was having.  Even though I was 52, and should have had one done at 50.  Was a bit busy with hip repair, and cancer surgery to even think about it.  They did take a few pre-cancerous polyps.  So was told every three yrs. til clean one for two in a row.....then every ten yrs.  I will advocate to everyone to have this done ABSOLUTELY !  When we can find Jack early on with the colon it's very treatable, and you can keep a clean slate so to speak always.  Not a bad procedure, the clean out the day before is the worst part.....I hate Gatoraide now though....lol !  Good luck !   Katie

    day before

    Yes I think I am about to find out,I got a call today and was told about everything that had to be done was explained to me,Boy is this gonna be fun...:-[

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
    catfish_58 said:

    day before

    Yes I think I am about to find out,I got a call today and was told about everything that had to be done was explained to me,Boy is this gonna be fun...:-[

    Piece of Cake..

    Colonoscopy is really is a piece of cake...

    The prep is the worse part..., the procedure you're out cold.

    I've been under so many times since this rodeo began, it doesn't bother me any longer. 

    I usually always check the time as close to when I get the gas and meds, and first thing when I wake up to see how long I was out..., LOL.

    Usually depending on the procedure 20 - 45 minutes...

    Now when they hook me up with the needle, wheel me in for the procedure. They usually put the oxygen tube under my nose or the mask on and as soon as I smell or taste the gas... I breathe in once and that's it, I'm gone... Next thing I remember is waking up...

    You'll get used to it..

     

    CT is not bad at all..., you're not sedated.

    My procedure is to go it, the hook up the needle port. Call me in for the CT which takes about 15 - 20 minutes. When you first start the CT or about half through, the inject the tracer into you (during the CT).. It gives you a real warm fuzzy in your groin... You might even check to see if you let go with a warm stream, LOL...feels a bit weird to say the least.

    Anyways, thats about it for the CT...

    John

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