Getting Old But Feeling Young

[MsGoGoMoto]

Today……
I walk in the house through the garage entry door and see my husband sitting in the living room with an envelope on his lap. He has the raised eyebrow and half smile look, like, I don't know how to explain it, but it was almost like satisfaction.

He handed me some junk mail……..
AARP.
It finally came.
I start blaming him for signing me up and he threw one hand up and said…pause.. nope!

I ended up deciding to go with the $60 membership.

"You need to schedule your first colonoscopy….."
"Have you had a mammogram?"

I snap back with a prostate comment, but he just kept staring at the TV and said.."last March, and I'm glad we were wearing masks, it made things little less personal". har har har, …………whatever.

One google search on colonoscopy now has me scared.
Polyps? Removal?
It's almost like being better off not knowing and hoping nothing comes up. I know better and plan on scheduling an exam.

I haven't experienced any issues that raised a flag but, I've read that there may be no symptoms.
I sure hate to ask you all but I have too. I don't want to Web MD myself into a cancer fit.
Have any of you had the exam?

[BMWCCA1]

You can always do the "mail-your-sh*t-in-the-box" exam.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by MsGoGoMoto

Today……
I walk in the house through the garage entry door and see my husband sitting in the living room with an envelope on his lap. He has the raised eyebrow and half smile look, like, I don't know how to explain it, but it was almost like satisfaction.

He handed me some junk mail……..
AARP.
It finally came.
I start blaming him for signing me up and he threw one hand up and said…pause.. nope!

I ended up deciding to go with the $60 membership.

"You need to schedule your first colonoscopy….."
"Have you had a mammogram?"

I snap back with a prostate comment, but he just kept staring at the TV and said.."last March, and I'm glad we were wearing masks, it made things little less personal". har har har, …………whatever.

One google search on colonoscopy now has me scared.
Polyps? Removal?
It's almost like being better off not knowing and hoping nothing comes up. I know better and plan on scheduling an exam.

I haven't experienced any issues that raised a flag but, I've read that there may be no symptoms.
I sure hate to ask you all but I have too. I don't want to Web MD myself into a cancer fit.
Have any of you had the exam?

The worst part of the colonoscopy is the prep. It’s just gross since you’re cleaning yourself out and you can’t eat during that time. But it’s normally just for one day and then you go in the next. You are sedated and somewhat groggy during the procedure.

The thing about the colonoscopy is that people blow it off but it will definitely kill you in your 50s without action. Fortunately colon cancer is slow growing, so if you go in and they don’t find anything or just one or two benign polyps, they’ll tell you not to come back for ten years. If they find more, you may be asked to return 1,3,5 years. But for a relatively simple procedure, it can extend your life by 20-25 years, if you don’t die from something else. Definitely worth it IMO.

[KevinC]

I've had 3 colonoscopies. No big deal other than the prep as per above post. Just do it. Insurance usually covers 100% or close to it.

[Esteban]

It's not that big of a deal. I've had one and will be having another next year. As mentioned, it's the prep before, but so what? You do it and it's over and you feel better. Either way, it's better to know. Early detection and all.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by MsGoGoMoto

He handed me some junk mail……..
AARP.
It finally came.
I start blaming him for signing me up and he threw one hand up and said…pause.. nope!

I ended up deciding to go with the $60 membership.

My DW used to take great joy by annoying me with their membership solicitation envelopes whenever they came in. Look, they're offering a free $15 AARP-logo travel bag if you sign up today. As if I'd walk down the street carrying a "mug me, I'm old" bag!

I refuse to be a member of a special interest organization with a significant lobbying arm, and they eventually decided to save their stamps after about 5 years when they realized that I wasn't going to join.

Regarding the other topic, my doctor pesters me on every visit to get that test done. My response is always about that being a one-way road, how I work in IT and can predict why someone calls my office phone before I answer, and that they should not deny me of my one possible surprise in life. With all of the other crap (pun intended) with my health, having "Nobody saw *that* coming!" as the epithet on my tomb stone seems fitting.....

[MsGoGoMoto]

Thanks everyone! Ive decided to schedule an exam.
I had no idea about the prep.
My husband described it to me the most disgusting way. I didn't even know he had exams. He just said he's going to get a checkup and everything's good.

Turning 50 is a milestone and also scary when it comes to health concerns.

My husband is years older and just glances over and tells me I'm just a baby.
He's going to retire next year.

With all the crazy stunts I've lived through, I never thought It would boil down to me being afraid about the results of a colon exam.

With regards to a mail in tests, I've heard that you may get a surprise bill from a specialist if the procedure is coded a certain way.
See link.

https://consumer.healthday.com/home-...653582775.html

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by MsGoGoMoto

Today……
I walk in the house through the garage entry door and see my husband sitting in the living room with an envelope on his lap. He has the raised eyebrow and half smile look, like, I don't know how to explain it, but it was almost like satisfaction.

He handed me some junk mail……..
AARP.
It finally came.
I start blaming him for signing me up and he threw one hand up and said…pause.. nope!

I ended up deciding to go with the $60 membership.

"You need to schedule your first colonoscopy….."
"Have you had a mammogram?"

I snap back with a prostate comment, but he just kept staring at the TV and said.."last March, and I'm glad we were wearing masks, it made things little less personal". har har har, …………whatever.

One google search on colonoscopy now has me scared.
Polyps? Removal?
It's almost like being better off not knowing and hoping nothing comes up. I know better and plan on scheduling an exam.

I haven't experienced any issues that raised a flag but, I've read that there may be no symptoms.
I sure hate to ask you all but I have too. I don't want to Web MD myself into a cancer fit.
Have any of you had the exam?

My mother in law took the "hope for the best and wait for symptoms" approach. Needless to say by the time she actually had a symptom she had a cancerous tumor and they took 6" of her colon out. She made it through but still has "bathroom" type problems that will be with her the rest of her life.

Grandmother on my mom's side died of breast cancer.

Dont wait. Judging by your photo you ride a motorcycle. That's enough of a calculated and accepted risk. Getting checked out and cleared for cancer doesnt need to be added risk in your life by waiting and hoping.

I'm going in for my first one in September.

[clutchdj]

Colonoscopy is not a big procedure. And there is no “recovery time” so to speak. Prep is key, as it can be annoying. Stay off the fatty foods during prep and you’ll be fine.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by MsGoGoMoto

It's almost like being better off not knowing and hoping nothing comes up.

No, never WRT your heath...

Think about it like never getting the valves done or changing the oil or doing preflight checks on your bike. Yeah, it might be really annoying to find your chain kinked and you have to take the bike offline until you can throw on a new chain.

But the possible alternative would be doing 90, the chain snaps and binds up your rear sprocket, locking up the rear wheel at speed. Aka the motorcycle equivalent of finding out youre stage 4 into colon cancer and being told "well, if only we had found it sooner."

The best time to do preventative maintenance is yesterday.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

Colonoscopy is not a big procedure. And there is no “recovery time” so to speak. Prep is key, as it can be annoying. Stay off the fatty foods during prep and you’ll be fine.

I will say part of the prep is to make sure your man is going to be patient with you afterward. The drugs they put you down and bring you back up with kind of have a "stoner" effect for a couple of hours. You'll be ravenously hungry for garbage food, take 45 minutes to eat a plate of fries, and repeat yourself a lot.

[rmanm4]

Schedule your colonoscopy as early in the morning as possible. The worst part is starving to death and drinking sports drinks all day. You wanna wake up after a night of pooping water night and get it over with....then head to the greasiest burger joint for a huge meal to reward yourself!

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

I will say part of the prep is to make sure your man is going to be patient with you afterward. The drugs they put you down and bring you back up with kind of have a "stoner" effect for a couple of hours. You'll be ravenously hungry for garbage food, take 45 minutes to eat a plate of fries, and repeat yourself a lot.

Best sleep I ever had....

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

I will say part of the prep is to make sure your man is going to be patient with you afterward. The drugs they put you down and bring you back up with kind of have a "stoner" effect for a couple of hours. You'll be ravenously hungry for garbage food, take 45 minutes to eat a plate of fries, and repeat yourself a lot.

Ask MsGoGoMoto about the cookies she had recently. She'll be fine.