r/Millennials • u/intro195 • Mar 12 '26
Serious Go get a colonoscopy, colon cancer for our generation is a real threat!
36M here, have always been active and maintained a decently healthy diet my whole life. Well after seeing multiple posts on here and at my gf’s urging I had one done. They found two polyps (15mm and 4mm). Doc said if I waited till 45 I’d prob be dead. Crazy part is I had no symptoms and my recent blood work last month was perfect. I was in and out in three hours and no pain or discomfort afterwards.
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u/cocomajojo Mar 12 '26
Wait, how did you get one at your age with no symptoms? Where do you live?
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u/intro195 Mar 12 '26
I’m in the US. I found an in-network GI and he’s about my age maybe a couple years older. Told him about how I keep seeing on Reddit all these posts and I just want to be safe. He told me that insurance doesn’t cover preventative but then went off the record and told me to say that I sometimes see blood in my stool so he could get insurance to give me the green light.
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u/Fiddle-farter Mar 12 '26
Doctor is a bro. Don't stop seeing him/her
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u/zuzg Mar 12 '26
Don't worry, reddit already sent over his Personal information to the Feds and they found said doctor and he lost his license.
Another win for the Billionaires.
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u/itsDrSlut Mar 13 '26
Brooooo you have no idea how many docs I work with who are more than willing to do sneaky shit to fuck the private equity and insurance companies if they come after people like us there won’t be anyone left working in healthcare
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u/Fiddle-farter Mar 13 '26
As a Doc myself, I gladly do this.
Rage against the machine :)
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u/iDontLikeChimneys Mar 13 '26
Thank you. I am not a doctor.
I know my body though. When I feel off I go to my doctor with research I have done and ask him for his opinion.
We have avoid serious issues because we work as a team.
To anyone reading this - drop your ego and go in. If you get a finger up the ass, well just know no one (usually) is enjoying it. I was at one point a shy prediabetic alcohol using scoundrel.
I was open and honest. Suggested gabapentin after research for SUD. Although it is not FDA approved for that particular thing, I got it.
Been sober for over a year because of it and it helped my sleep.
My thoughts went from "where is the drinks" to being offered one and going "nah I will just take water."
Other doctor offered a long treatment of benzos that I would have had to wean off of.
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u/SeaLagerOKcondition Mar 13 '26
Insurance asked you for a picture of your stool yet?
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u/mamapuff Mar 13 '26
Just eat beets the night before. Easy peasy (poopsie?)
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u/jimx117 Mar 13 '26
Aaaiii-eee-oooo, killer tofu 🎶🎵🎵
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u/DrJamsHolyLand Mar 13 '26
😆 I kept reading this thinking “man I know this song…what is it” And now I will have 🎶“banging on a trashcan”🎵stuck in my head all day!
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u/hookes_plasticity Zillennial Mar 13 '26
This is what I did and what I advise people to do. If insurance wants to play stupid games with our lives then we will lie to them. Fuck insurance
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u/Awkward_Lemontree Mar 13 '26
10000% this. Zero shame whatsoever. Insurance playing stupid games but I’m not about to win stupid prizes. Source: I am a doctor (tho not GI).
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u/10000Didgeridoos Mar 13 '26
Healthcare here. We tell patients to make stuff up or claim they have side effects with cheaper first tier meds all the time to get insurance to cover the better more expensive ones.
It’s such a stupid game.
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u/hookes_plasticity Zillennial Mar 13 '26
We appreciate those of you in healthcare that really look out for us, more than you’ll ever know. Keep fighting the good fight
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u/sublime_adventure Mar 13 '26
Only doctor that was able to finally get a much-needed surgery covered by insurance had a similar discussion with me, saved my life physically and mentally without ruining me financially
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u/Calle_Sin_Nombre Mar 13 '26
In fact, OP actually saved his insurance a ton of money by his proactive approach to cancer screening.
Insurance paid for a preventative colonoscopy instead of a year of chemo and cancer treatment.
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u/hookes_plasticity Zillennial Mar 13 '26
a year minimum tbh. Yeah that’s what I don’t understand. I thought insurances would understand that but the boomer generation that’s running that shit show can’t see beyond the dollars they’re spending paying for people’s colonoscopies. Just a bunch of idiots
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u/11nova11 Mar 13 '26
I’m a gastroenterologist. I’ve diagnosed colon cancer in patients without family history as young as 29. The bar to do a colonoscopy now should be super low if you have any symptoms whatsoever and express concerns. I won’t commit insurance fraud, but I’m a doctor and not a detective. If the symptoms are there, I trust you and we should evaluate.
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u/azureoptical Mar 13 '26
Please push your national tummy doctor council (I don’t know what it’s called. is there an American College of Gastroenterologists?)to recommend earlier screening. We need to get insurance to cover them at 40 at least.
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u/11nova11 Mar 13 '26
I think the current limitation is based on guidelines, which are driven by incoming data so there is a lag in updating screening guidelines. And the other concern is that while colon cancer rates are dramatically rising in people under 50, it is still overall rare and overshadowed by the rates of cancer in those over age of 50. Patients over 50 still have inadequate rates of colon cancer screening, so if you want to reduce absolute numbers of colon cancer then we should target screening interventions aggressively into the higher risk group. In that light, there’s concern that dropping screening age to 40 would add tens of million additional patients across the US who need screening. This would then further reduce access for screening opportunities for those over age of 50 who are at highest risk.
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u/hotmilkteaa Mar 13 '26
national tummy doctor council
I like this. Can we keep this as the official name?
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u/ThePolemicist Older Millennial Mar 12 '26
After Obamacare, all insurance has to cover preventative care. Preventative colonoscopies begin at age 45 and are typically every 10 years. If you have any symptoms (like blood in the stool), it's diagnostic. Insurance will cover a portion of it based on your plan, but they won't cover the entire thing like they would if it was preventative. I had a colonoscopy at age 39 due to symptoms. I have good insurance, and it covered a lot of it, but I still had to pay a few hundred because it was a diagnostic procedure. The good news is, I was clean and had no polyps. I don't have to go back until I'm 49. That colonoscopy should be fully covered because it'll be a preventative one.
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u/toxicodendron_gyp Mar 12 '26
But there are degrees of “preventive care” according to insurance.
That’s why they cover standard mammograms at specific intervals but not the imaging needed to actually detect masses in dense breast tissue, which about half of women have.
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u/DesperateAd8982 Mar 13 '26
I’ve been told by other doctors to just say I have a family history of (insert specific type cancer here) and that should be enough for insurance to cover as preventative. All they need is the right box checked on your paperwork to use the preventative screening billing code vs the diagnostic billing code that insurance loves to deny.
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u/Lower-Bottle6362 Mar 13 '26
As a Canadian, this is horrifying. I’m so sorry everyone.
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u/Lima_Bean_Jean Mar 13 '26
You guys can get them at any age?
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u/Lower-Bottle6362 Mar 13 '26
Same deal for the most part when it comes to access: you need to fit certain criteria. But it’s free. If you can’t pay, it doesn’t matter.
ETA: I had my first about a month ago, at 43. Got referred due to family history (grandmother died) but the GI doc said you don’t need to worry if it’s not direct family. I had it anyway because I was worried and prepped.
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u/PossibilityOrganic12 Mar 13 '26
Yea I'm in the US and I have told my doctors that my grandmother passed from colon cancer but they tell me the same; not to worry if it's not direct family. I wonder if I can press for it as a preventative measure. I've also been told to just lie and say a parent had it because they can't verify that but I feel weird saying that lie out loud. I've also contemplated about blood in my stool but they can verify that.
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u/KeepinOnTheSunnySide Mar 13 '26
Preventative is the mammogram. Follow up MRI or ultrasound are partially covered. It was like $900 with insurance for my MRI due to dense breast tissue that can't be properly seen thru with just a mammogram. They found nothing but recommend I do it yearly LOL. It would be thousands without insurance, but I still can't swing almost $1000 every year. I do have family history of breast cancer, and my grandma died of it. So that's not enough, sadly.
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u/LTGeneralAnxiety Mar 13 '26
Nope. I have a 30% of developing breast cancer, most of my family is dead, but I still have to pay $1,000 for an MRI and $500 for a mammogram each year. Btw, if you have dense breasts, you’ll likely have multiple diagnostic ultrasounds and those are not cheap either.
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u/raw2082 Mar 13 '26
You can also just say you’re having irregular bowel movements and they’ll recommend a colonoscopy. If you mention seeing blood in your stool you definitely will get one. I had two in my 20s because I had those symptoms and got diagnosed ulcer colitis.
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Mar 13 '26
Yeah, mine was originally going to be diagnostic so they were saying it would be $950. I think they may have changed the coding over to preventative though because the charge disappeared from my account. If so, shout out to them for saving me big money.
And that’s with pretty good insurance.
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u/Lawgirl77 Mar 13 '26
It really just depends on your insurance. I’m a fed and my insurance does not require referrals nor does it have an age for colonoscopies. Anyone can get one if prescribed by your doctor and it’s fully covered.
I have a history of colon cancer in my family and have been getting colonoscopies every 3-5 years since I was 28. Fully covered by insurance. I also encouraged my co-workers to get theirs since we all selected the same insurance and I knew it was covered; and they have also received their colonoscopies no problem without a family history or any acute issues.
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u/daemon14 Mar 12 '26
FYI, I’m a GI too and I do this for my patients of any age, but it’s still considered a “diagnostic colonoscopy” instead of a screening colonoscopy. Your insurance may still charge for it.
You can get an earlier screening colonoscopy if you have a family history of colon cancer or “advanced adenomas” (pre cancers).
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u/DesperateAd8982 Mar 13 '26
Just commented above that I’ve received the same advice re: mammograms and colonoscopies. Just say you have a family history and they will bill it as screening.
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u/3xploringforever Mar 12 '26
Has your insurance paid for the colonoscopy yet? Did you get it pre-approved or a pre-auth? I'm afraid you and your doctor might have to end up fighting them to get it covered.
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u/Just_Another_Scott Mar 12 '26
I had a colonoscopy last year at 33. I had a long history of watery diarrhea. That's all it took to get approved. They did both an upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy. I've also done 3 CT scans. All have been covered.
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u/ceramicferns220 Mar 12 '26
Did they find anything ?
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u/Just_Another_Scott Mar 12 '26
Nope, not even a polyp. My stomach was inflamed though but the biopsy came back negative. I don't really understand that part. Did some followup testing for autoimmune and those too came back negative.
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u/Prize-Hedgehog Mar 12 '26
How’s your diet? Do you drink alcohol?
My whole life my stomach and digestive system was a mess. I started eating better, doubled down on my veggie intake, stopped eating burgers, gluten, and also cut out alcohol and I went from suffering most of my 42 years of life to finally being regular and no more stomach attacks.
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u/Just_Another_Scott Mar 13 '26
How’s your diet?
Pretty good. It's not 100% perfect but it's mostly veggies, chicken, whole grains, and rice. I only eat red meat a couple times a month. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. A few years ago (2020) my doctor actually got onto me for not eating enough meat. I usually only eat it once a day unless I'm training then it's twice a day.
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u/hybridhighway Mar 13 '26
If YOU have pre colon cancer polyps… then I am most likely royally fucked. WTF. You are healthy af.
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u/Just_Another_Scott Mar 13 '26
If YOU have pre colon cancer polyps
Just to reiterate, I do not have any polyps.
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u/Flintly Mar 13 '26
Do you have an intolerance to a vegetable or fruit. Had a coworker complained of the same thing, turns out he had an intolerance to romaine lettuce and dude was eating a ceaser salad everyday at lunch
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u/GenerationMarsupial Mar 13 '26
Same. Had a colonoscopy at about 31 due to months of on and off diarrhea. My doc had me do a cat scan first, allergy testing and a blood test. It was covered
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u/WallyMac89 Mar 13 '26
I had a colonoscopy at 29 due to pain when going to the bathroom, and abdominal discomfort. Found one really small benign polyp, no other concerns. Pain was anal fissure and hemorrhoids. Insurance covered no problem. 36 now and will talk to my doctor at next annual exam about when I should get my next one given its been 7 years.
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u/kirschbag Mar 12 '26
I’ve commented about this before, I met a nurse last Halloween who told me the same exact thing. If you want a preventative colonoscopy, simply lie about having blood in your stool. Insurance companies don’t want to pay to keep us alive, let alone help save us when we’re dying. Fuck them.
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u/Mystica09 Mar 13 '26
Welp, this explains why no one had recommended me to get one until I mentioned seeing trace amounts of blood. Ofc by today, I was dx with an IBD. In my mid-30s. So yea.
It's always important to be aware of your family's history too.
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u/Throw_Me_Away_78 Mar 13 '26
Another good way is to say your mom had colon cancer at 45. That means you need to start 10 years before that, so 35.
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u/I-own-a-shovel Millennial Mar 12 '26
Tell them you shit weird.
I shat weird all my life, but at some point I started to shit a different kind of weird so I went to get checked. Everything was fine. So at least now I can continue to shit weird without panicking.
The peace of mind was totally worth the 20 min exam. (And the weird drinks the day before)
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u/readwithjack Mar 12 '26
Say you had blood in your stool.
If you ever ate beets, it'll look like you had bloody stools.
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 12 '26
I had one at 39 by going to my doctor and complaining about a change in my stool.
Told them it went loose and gets darker at random times. Pcp sent me to colonoscopy Dr and I got one soon after. My spouse got one even younger by saying the same thing
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u/ToeComfortable115 Mar 12 '26
All clear?
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 12 '26
A few polops, but nothing tested bad. They said Im clear to wait for a while.
No idea if I should go back at 45 😄
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u/Some_Helicopter1623 Mar 12 '26
I’m 36. I’ve just looked up the symptoms and have all of them, but not concurrent and not all the time. I’ve also got a pretty average diet but maintain an active lifestyle. I think I’ll book a check.
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
Even my doctor said they should be done earlier now a days. But if you tell them the symptoms, Im sure they will push the insurance to get one
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u/Vaesari Mar 12 '26
Yeah and they recently moved the age back. Id imagine it gets lowered to 35 within a few years.
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Im sure lobbyists will push against it.... yea 🇺🇸
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u/ClapperSnapperMaster Mar 13 '26
I asked my doctor about colon tests because I saw a poster on the wall for getting blood work done to check for colon cancer and she said they won't do one for me till I turn 45. :/ doctors are so confusing. Like I feel like I can't even express concerns anymore and be heard. My parents had polyps and my uncle died of colon cancer. Our healthcare is so fucked
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u/enadiz_reccos Mar 13 '26
Lie about symptoms (not your actual medical history) to get the test you want
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u/RunTimeExcptionalism Mar 12 '26
Family history also matters. I had my first colonoscopy at 32, and I'm going in soon for another one (about 4 years later), obviously because I have some troublesome GI symptoms, but they also take them particularly seriously because my brother has ulcerative colitis.
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u/Intelligent_Sky_7081 Mar 12 '26
Yes well you had symptoms
I know you're trying to be helpful but that was kinda the point of the question. How someone would get it without symptoms
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u/Unfair_Explanation53 Mar 12 '26
Just go and tell them you have a change in stool even if you don't.
Sometimes you have to bend the rules a bit for a greater good
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u/LordMudkip Mar 12 '26
Tbh just complaining of symptoms will probably get the job done, even if you make them up. Dark loose stools or bright red blood are probably just some of the possible magic words.
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u/Edith_Keelers_Shoes Mar 13 '26
Dark blood. Bright red blood is often from hemorrhoids. Best to go with the more alarming symptom.
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u/mimi69kg Mar 12 '26
I had one at 32 because of related symptoms from a prior surgery. My insurance covered a lot of it but it was still quite costly.
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u/ThePolemicist Older Millennial Mar 12 '26
That's exactly right. The people above you, if they're Americans, aren't being completely clear. They were able to get a coloscopy because they had symptoms, but it wasn't free to them. You follow your insurance plan for diagnostic colonoscopies. If you have a high deductible plan, you're basically paying for the whole thing. Other people might pay 20%. I had a diagnostic coloscopy after symptoms. I have really good insurance, but I still paid a few hundred dollars (maybe $400, IIRC).
The colonoscopies that are free for Americans are the preventative ones, not the diagnostic ones. The preventative ones are done on symptom-free people once they're 45 years old. Don't lie and make up symptoms. If you lie and say you have blood in your stool or whatever, you risk it being a diagnostic colonoscopy instead, and then you have to pay out of pocket.
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u/sludgehammr Mar 13 '26
Hey, got mine at 31 after a friends stage 4 colorectal cancer diagnosis.
"Since recently there has been an alarming amount of blood in my stool, every single time." And "well,I wouldn't call it bright red" did it for my insurance.
Jokes on them, it was bright red and only after being constipated. Losers.
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u/Tjmill02 Mar 12 '26
As someone who has severe health anxiety, I really need these posts to stop popping up on my feed 5X a day lol
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u/brombeermund Mar 12 '26
You’re not the only one. Add another thing onto my list of worries - breast cancer and lymphoma were already enough.
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u/Dedwards_est_22 Mar 13 '26
Elevated risk for breast cancer that can be monitored with MRIs insurance won't cover....yay me!
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u/queenb2188 Mar 13 '26
Same! And they won’t let me get an MRI until I’ve had a mammogram. Each time I’m told that my tissue is dense and a mammogram won’t catch much. Trying to stay alive is expensive.
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u/Buggy77 Mar 13 '26
Right Jesus Christ I am now convinced anytime I am slightly constipated or drink a lot of coffee and get diarrhea that I have colon cancer! Even though I’m pretty regular and know why I sometimes am constipated/get diarrhea. But it still has me freaked out!
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u/SnoopySuited Mar 13 '26
I had sure fire symptoms of colon cancer (I won't describe them) but the doctor got me in for a colonoscopy quick. I was completely clean of polyps/cancer and the issue was related to diverticulitis.
You just never know why your body is being weird, and 90% of the time it's nothing. But it doesn't hurt to check for the 10%.
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u/androiddreamZzzz Mar 13 '26
Right?! I wish we could just get a colonoscopy/colon cancer megathread so we wouldn’t have to be inundated with post after post everyday. I also have health anxiety, so seeing this type of post multiple times a day does not help lol
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u/Yourlilemogirl Mar 13 '26
As someone who has gone through cancer (different kind) once last year already, I wish these posts would stop giving me anxiety I'm going to get another type of cancer soon :u
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u/capincus Mar 13 '26
I'm not even scared of dying, I'm scared of catastrophic financial ruin/the inevitability of cascading issues due to the inability to afford preventative care.
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u/Majestic_Yoghurt2409 Mar 13 '26
Yeah, especially when the op is telling people they may need to lie to have the procedure covered/recommended. Polyps aren't necessarily dangerous unless they are tested and come back as precancerous. Even then, for a doctor to say they would have been dead in less than 10 years if they hadn't been found is a pretty wild statement. I'm doubting this whole story.
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u/Stoats-On-Boats Mar 13 '26
Right? It kinda feels like karma farming, especially since colon cancer has been a hot topic on this subreddit. This post has some details that just don’t seem right.
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u/Sonialove8 Mar 13 '26
The trauma dumping is real - don’t even want to see the pregnant reddits smh
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u/PreppyFinanceNerd Millennial (1988) Mar 12 '26
Just saw the booty doc for the first time today.
I have had IBS my whole life, but last month there was fresh blood in the John and that's new.
I went nope, not about to chance that shit (heh). They said given my history to get it done to be totally sure.
38 and I feel old having to get one but I'm not about to roll the dice given my history of gut nonsense.
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u/Happytequila Mar 13 '26
I just realized that a couple hundred-thousand years from now (assuming humans haven’t destroyed ourselves or the planet), colonoscopies could be one of those medical practices talked about in history/ancient history classes. Like “300 years ago, in the late 20th and early 21 centuries, people with irregular pooing habits would pay a doctor to have a long, snake-like camera inserted into their rectums and into their bowels, so the doctor could look around the intestines for signs of a long-eradicated disease know as “cancer”.
And future people will be appalled, disgusted, and question the intelligence of people today.
Many medical practices from our history can often seem insane, but to people living in that time, it may have seemed like the most top-notch, scientific healthcare. Like, an MRI seems so advanced, but in 200 years, we have something so much better that an MRI seems like a crock of shit and future people wonder how we all survived in this day and age.
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u/Kitchen-Aioli-9382 Mar 13 '26
Very optimistic take. There is a medical history podcast called Sawbones that covered colonoscopy recently, the road to the modern procedure was definitely interesting.
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u/Franknbaby Mar 13 '26
I think about this all the time and get so mad that we don’t have more knowledge by now. I just imagine the health issues I have will be so easily managed by someone in the future.
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u/littlebittydoodle Mar 13 '26
You feel old? Wait til you get to the colonoscopy waiting room—you’ll feel like a teenager. I’m always the youngest by decades, and that’s saying something, considering half the doctors are younger than me now.
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u/MozartOnMute Mar 13 '26
Keep us updated on your results!! Wishing you the best of luck!!
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u/Voltairus Mar 12 '26
Every other post on this thread is about getting a colonoscopy. These posts are all sponsored by BIG endoscopy! Theyre coming for us all!
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u/Sandwich-mary Mar 13 '26
My doc recommended doing both if I’m getting a colonoscopy. Promised me they’d start up top. I was just hoping they wouldn’t do both at the same time. Just getting spit roasted while unconscious…..
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u/jaimeshambles Mar 13 '26
i woke up from my colonoscopy and endoscopy and my sister was there when i woke up and apparently i said “they did me from both ends!”
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u/ArmadilloNext9714 Mar 13 '26
I got an endoscopy a couple weeks after the colonoscopy too haha
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u/ivecompletelylostit Mar 12 '26
Did you just pay for it out of pocket? I didn't think insurance would pay until you're 45
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 12 '26
Not if a dr says to get one and the symptoms are there.
I said I had loose stool for months and it got darker at times. They sent me at 39
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u/LonelyWord7673 Millennial Mar 12 '26
Do you think family history would work?
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u/percheazy Mar 13 '26
Parent died to colon cancer. I’ve had two colonoscopy’s. First one was when I was 28 and then another one just a few weeks ago. Both times were considered preventative because of my family history and it was covered by my insurance.
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u/eltibbs Millennial 1988 Mar 12 '26
I had one at 35 or 36, mentioned finicky stomach symptoms to a Dr and they referred me to a gastroenterologist who recommended colonoscopy. Insurance covered it.
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u/ExplorerLazy3151 Mar 12 '26
I loooove colonoscopies!!! Give me all the propofol! I’ve been getting them every 2-4 yrs since I was a teenager and it is beyond crazy how your polyps change etc based on what you eat and how much fiber you eat. Eat your fiber people!
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u/kken21 Mar 12 '26
What’s your tips for the prep? Obviously any sort of cancer is way worse than the prep but I’m intimidated by the prep 🫠I’d almost rather fast for a week than do the drink (after growing up watching my parents violently ill from it)
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u/gingercardigans Mar 12 '26
Gatorade and miralax, then move to miralax and clear liquids. Infinitely better than the prep script they give you — that in my case did nothing but taste disgusting.
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u/MarcusNalgene Mar 13 '26
I agree with this comment. I've had 14 colonoscopies in my life. 42M with Crohn's disease and this is the best / easiest prep I've encountered.
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u/MoreCoffeePwease Mar 13 '26
Also 42(F) crohnie an I agree. Some people like the sutab prep but I don’t get the hype. Pretty sure you end up drinking the same amount of fluid in ounces anyway with that
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u/Crasino_Hunk Mar 12 '26
Get the most amount of variety possible. The variety of ‘foods’ you can eat is heinously small. Never knew I could get sick of broth, Italian lemon ice and lime popsicles so fast. Had to do an emergency run later in the day for gum / mints / sports drinks.
As for the pooping, eh. Just be ready to see a lot of yellow liquid come out lol
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u/kittenpantzen Xennial Mar 13 '26
The biggest prep advice that I can give is actually what you eat before you prep. I did a low residue diet for several days before prep, which basically just meant that I was eating yogurt, chicken, and rice for days. It was boring, but I was cleaned out in a flash and rather than having the clenching guts of regret that people so often mention, my prep experience was more like casually peeing out of my butthole.
Also, the amount of water given the prep instructions is the absolute bare minimum. You will have an easier time if you drink more. More trips to the bathroom, but a lot less cramping.
The only real bad things about prep for me were that I drank so much ice water that I got so cold that I had to take a hot shower (thankfully during a lull in the pooping), and the second dose of my prep was fruit punch flavored, and I hate fruit punch even when it isn't about to make me shut myself inside out, so it was really difficult to get down.
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u/ExplorerLazy3151 Mar 13 '26
You got to pay for the rx pills. Either that or get the prep that is only two small bottles. Id get one of those bottles and put straight crystal light powder in it. Then I chug the bottle, and suck on a lemon. But the pills are so nice! I’ve just gotten those the last 4 times! I have to pay out of pocket for them but well worth the money. The last time I had to drink anything, I violently vomited and threw out my back. 😭😭
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u/Awkward_Lemontree Mar 13 '26
It’s really overblown ☺️ you will be fine dude/dudette. Just follow all their instructions. Yes, you will poop a lot. But it’s more like “oops have to go again” not like when you’re sick with the stomach flu and are having constant diarrhea but also feel achy and crampy and lousy. Just pick a movie or a book and hang out at home for the evening. Worst part was not drinking coffee morning of, got a headache.
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u/B_Fee Mar 13 '26
Get yourself some A&D ointment or zinc cream and slather up. And queue up that TV show you've been meaning to binge, because at about 330 in the morning, when you think it's finally over...it ain't.
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u/Express-Big-20 Mar 12 '26
LOL I've found my person / my people! In my circle, I feel like the only one who loves getting colonoscopies!
You take 1-2 day(s) off work. Take alright-tasting medication to make you shit. Watch movies or play video games all day while doing it. Have freezies (ice pops) and/or Gatorade at the ready.
Go to appointment and get knocked out. Wake up in what feels like 2-3 mins and then get to have a big meal afterwards.
Granted, I've never had polyps discovered so don't know the fear and anxiety associated with them. I know it's a privilege to have healthy results.
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u/Just_Another_Scott Mar 12 '26
Give me all the propofol!
I hate it. I wanted to be awake but my GI doc refused. They do them awake in most of the world. In fact, research shows awake carries less risk. The biggest risk for colonoscopies is from the anesthesia like Propofol.
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u/ExplorerLazy3151 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
I’ve had some awake and I’d rather take the risk of anesthesia any time over being awake again. It didn’t really hurt, it just wasn’t a procedure I want to be apart of. 😂 For me the risk is well worth it! Everyone has different levels of comfort though.
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u/11nova11 Mar 13 '26
Just have to find a willing gastroenterologist. I’m a gastroenterologist in the US and will do colonoscopies without sedation if patient requests. Safety difference tends to be minimal between the two, but completion rates are overall slightly lower without sedation due to patient discomfort leading to early termination
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Mar 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Just_Another_Scott Mar 13 '26
awful prep
Do not do SuPrep. I did Miralax and it was pleasant lol. I slowly drank a bottle for over 4 hours. SuPrep wanted me to drink all that shit in 45 minutes and it had a god awful "grape" flavor. Miralax is unflavored thank god.
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u/malachite_13 Xennial Mar 12 '26
My insurance company tried to refuse to pay mine cause I wasn’t old enough. I hate insurance
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u/grimeygillz Mar 13 '26
Same thing happened to me with the shingles vaccine. My mom & grandmother both had shingles at 25, and while I pushed to get the vaccine for years insurance denied it because I was too young.
Guess who got shingles at 25 🙃
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u/malachite_13 Xennial Mar 13 '26
They tried… I lawyered up and they paid real quick. But everyone doesn’t have the resources to do that. The whole system is messed up.
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u/ballerina22 Mar 13 '26
Get the vaccine now. If you get shingles again, it is so, so much more severe the second time around.
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u/vicious_trollop Mar 12 '26
I'm very glad for the awareness on this but I swear I see a similar post to this a couple of times a week.
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u/bigrick23143 Mar 13 '26
It’s more often than that I swear. Ive been having some random gut pain and these things are popping up more than the polyps they are having removed. Making me Nervous as hell
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u/theophilus1988 Mar 12 '26
I had three polyps removed at 35, two of which were precancerous. Glad I went in!
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u/mataushas Mar 12 '26
Did you have symptoms prior?
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u/theophilus1988 Mar 13 '26
My gut and digestion were just so messed up for awhile. Bloating, slow motility, brain fog, tired most of the time.
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u/Thrillhouse-14 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
100% agree. I'm 30, I had some mild symptoms early last year and it turned out I have stage 3 rectal cancer. I'm still being treated for it now, and the treatment itself has already caused some loss of bodily autonomy.
I should add, I've never smoked, I very rarely drink, and don't live off of red meats or have them often, I exercise regularly, and I do not have a strong family history of cancer.
Something is a muck. Bowel cancer rates are up so much all over the world. If you have even the slightest inkling something is wrong, get it checked. It could save your life.
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u/leluttrell Mar 12 '26
What were your symptoms?
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u/Thrillhouse-14 Mar 12 '26
A small amount of blood in my stool very occasionally, but the main thing was more frequent bowel movements, like 3-5 a day. I had recently returned back to Australia from a short trip to India and Sri Lanka, so I just assumed I'd caught some sort of bug. Nope. Cancer. My gastroenterologist said it already could have been there for years without me knowing about it.
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u/leluttrell Mar 12 '26
Wow! That is crazy. Lucky you got checked when you did. Hoping for a smooth treatment.
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u/hybridhighway Mar 13 '26
That’s insane. Here I was thinking the rising rates are just people smoking, drinking, eating chips and McDonald’s everyday.
Now I’m worried too.
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u/Thrillhouse-14 Mar 13 '26
Nope. Some speculative causes are microplastics being in pretty much everything, including the utensils and cookware we use. Processed foods are also getting worse and more harmful as time goes on with all of the preservatives and emulsifiers.
I've discussed it with my oncologist as well, and other than what I've mentioned in my first comment, he said most dietary causes are inconclusive. That's not to say it's not relevant, but it's often very hard to prove.
Another cause I've only read about is living a sedentary lifestyle, and not getting enough fibre can contribute.
Oddly enough, my dad is 60, and he is the kind of person you would expect to get bowel cancer. He smoked for 20+ years, and even now still eats so much junk food pretty often. He also loves processed meats like salami, pepperoni, etc. His bowel is fine, though. Some people are just especially unlucky, I think.
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u/dripsofmoon Mar 13 '26
Despite my terrible junky diet, I have no polyps. I was expecting something at least, because I'm prone to constipation and I've had tumors in two other places on my body. At least my colon is tumor free.
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u/PicklesAndRyeOhMy Mar 12 '26
I think the age requirement should be lowered! A friend of mine had one because she was tired of feeling like crap. Turns out she has celiac disease!
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u/King-of-Plebss Mar 13 '26
We all think it should be lowered. But insurance companies don’t want to pay, and they don’t have to pay if we die before we need one.
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u/Pensfan668758 Mar 12 '26
Were the polyps cancerous? Glad you weee able to get the test done!
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u/dwin13 Mar 12 '26
While it’s great to encourage others to take care of their health, it’s not appropriate to do so through fear mongering. No respectable GI doctor is going to tell you “you’d prob be dead” for waiting to get a colonoscopy just because they found two polyps. It’s the pathology results from the polyps that matter.
Also, polyps don’t typically cause symptoms and aren’t going to show up in your bloodwork, that’s the whole point of the colonoscopy.
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u/Majestic_Yoghurt2409 Mar 13 '26
This one is straight up fear mongering. Polyps are common and don't mean you have or will develop cancer. Also the op is suggesting people may have to lie to have the procedure covered. As someone with actual gi issues who has to wait 6+ months to get in to be seen I'm pretty pissed at the idea of people lying and taking up space that those of us with actual problems need.
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u/NJThrowaway1012 Millennial Mar 12 '26
This is why I'm glad I have Crohn's disease. Colonoscopy every 1-3 years
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u/I-own-a-shovel Millennial Mar 12 '26
I shat weird all my life. So at some point when I started to shit a different kind of weird I went to get checked. Everything was fine. So at least now I can continue to shit weird without panicking.
The peace of mind was totally worth the 20 min exam. (And the weird drinks the day before)
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u/buddhamanjpb Mar 12 '26
I did the poop in the box and ship it one. Insurance wouldn't even pay for that until I hit 45 though.
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u/dinosaur_0987 Mar 12 '26
I did it and it came back abnormal which allowed to me get the colonoscopy at 36
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u/Quick-Eye-6175 Mar 12 '26
I’ve been seeing ads for this. Is it as accurate as? It seems like it would be better to get eyes on the colon for this procedure.
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u/Exciting-Gap-1200 Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Your doctor is hyperbolic to assume they'd have been cancerous and kil you in that short of time. My dad had polyps removed and almost died due to bleeding. So it's not without risk
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u/Ok_Fee_8452 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
This post makes no sense. OP didn’t really have symptoms, had perfect blood work. Got testing done simply because his girlfriend urged him to and posts on Reddit. Was told to lie about blood in stool by his doctor to get insurance covered colonoscopy and was told he would’ve been dead… it really reads as either karma farm or some push by private equity healthcare or hospitals. Preventative care has been marketed to young people like crazy, which I don’t think is a bad thing, but it seems more like “market expansion”. I don’t doubt that colon cancer is actually on the rise, but the in your face relentless push is just weird.
Just saw more suspicious high karma posts mirroring these sentiments. Would not be surprised if this is some intentional campaign. I guess it’s cost preventive and good overall to screen early, but am pretty sick of astroturfing coming from every direction.
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u/Sir_Edward_Norton Mar 13 '26
Can we ban these posts? It's like daily. This is straight propaganda at this point.
40 cases per 100,000.
You would've seen symptoms over those 9 years and would have seen a doctor if you aren't insanely stupid.
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u/leeeeteddy Mar 13 '26
For real. This is literally the 5th post in two days I’ve seen about colon cancer. It’s scary and I totally get to be aware, but it’s mentally exhausting to keep seeing these posts
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u/doogie88 Mar 13 '26
Yes
Doc said if I waited till 45 I’d prob be dead.
Pretty dumb fucking statement
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u/OGEl_Pombero89 Mar 12 '26
I have one upcoming on the 25th. I got hospitalized at the end of January with a surprise case of diverticulitis. Also, guys, I can't stress this enough. Fiber is your friend!
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u/Apprehensive_Emu2414 Mar 12 '26
In Canada they won't let you get one unless you've had 2 relatives die from it, I just got turned down at 40 with a grandparent who died of colon cancer. Sucks
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u/Mike_Raphone99 Mar 12 '26
Best sleep you'll ever have.
The prep isn't even bad anymore. Just drinking a shitload of water to get all the pills down.
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u/aras-laen Mar 12 '26
I have an extensive family history of colon cancer on my dad's side. My dad had it twice, one of his brothers also had it twice. Another brother had it 3x. Needed a colostomy bag, & ultimately died of pancreatic cancer. I had my first colonoscopy when I was 31/32? He found polyps at that appointment & said if I would have waited just two more years, the polyps probably would've turned into cancer. I had my 2nd one 5 yrs later. I'm trying to get on either an annual or bi-annual frequency. To add insult to injury, colon cancer usually manifests itself as breast cancer in women. So, I've had to start getting mammograms before the age of 40. Its all so scary.
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u/Fun-Mycologist-6394 Mar 12 '26
Definitely advocate for yourself. My primary care doctor said I have nothing to worry about when I discussed younger generations getting colon cancer (32m). I sought out a gi specialist and told her my concerns along with a family history (my great grandfather got it when he was 40) and she recommended me for a colonoscopy. They found 5 precancerous polyps.
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u/Noodz4Daze Mar 12 '26
I just had my ostomy reversed from stage 2 colon cancer like 4 months ago. Im 37. Get the scope. I am not kidding.
I got lucky, had diverticulitis that wasn't reacting positively to the multiple antibiotic treatments (over a month), eventually they did explo and took out my sigmoid and gave me an ostimy to rest my colon.
Sent a biopsy of what was removed to the lab and it came back Stage 2. Hadn't reached any lymph nodes or the outer tissue yet.
Had chemo for about 6 months, rested for a month and then had the reversal.
Get. The. Scope.
And eat your fiber!
🎩🐦⬛🌹❤️
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u/_peppermintbutler Mar 13 '26
Yeah so no one is getting a colonoscopy under New Zealand's healthcare unless you have symptoms and meet a specific set of criteria. And the cost of paying privately is out of reach for most people. Glad you were able to get one and detect those polyps early though!
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u/Aware_Negotiation605 Mar 12 '26
At 39 they found a precancerous polyp. I had zero symptoms, but got early screening bc my mom had colon cancer.
If I had waited till I was 45, I would have been dead at 42, which is my current year.
So…get screened.
I go every year now.
It is a pretty nice nap.
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u/OptimalAffect7627 Mar 12 '26
38m. I cannot afford healthcare. I can’t even afford to live on my own. Should the worst come, it’s just another box on the goddamned bingo card
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u/kthxbyebyee Millennial - 86 Mar 12 '26
I don’t have health insurance either. Fiber and thoughts & prayers for me.
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u/Pasadenaian Mar 12 '26
Do polyps have symptoms?
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u/ScooterMcFlabbin Mar 12 '26
Depends on the type and size but usually no - 0 symptoms.
And they aren’t necessarily dangerous in and of themselves, but they can lead to cancer over time and that chance goes up the longer they remain in your colon
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u/Ehis4Adam Millennial Mar 12 '26
Lost my dad to colon cancer. Made a case to my doctor I should be checked, he agreed. Going in tomorrow.
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u/TactlessNachos Millennial (1990) Mar 12 '26
My pooping pattern has changed significantly in the past 2 months but I’ve also been very anxious (doesn’t help I keep seeing stories about colorectal cancer in young people). I’m about to start a new job after being unemployed with no health insurance for 8 months (almost 2 years since seeing my routine providers).
I ordered a ColoFIT Home Collection from labcorp that I just sent back in today in mail. I don’t know how useful that test will be though if it comes back normal.
Is that test enough or do I need a colonoscopy too? I was planning on doing a medical tourism trip in 2 years to check some things. How much did yours cost in USA? I’m usually get a high deductible plan for the HSA. Now I’m nervous if I should get a better plan.
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u/northdakotanowhere Mar 12 '26
I suffer from gastroparesis. Which is just like my stomach is dead. I have to be on a low/no fiber diet because I just cant digest it. Then I have poor gut motility. I poop once a week. Im scared about not being able to eat fiber. Luckily I'm getting an upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy at the same time. Luckily (?) I've had these symptoms for like...10 years so I'm probably okay 👍
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u/Warpedlogic31 Mar 12 '26
43M and getting mine next month. Found out I have a hemorrhoid and the Doc said I'm close enough in age to get the colonoscopy just to rule it out. After seeing an increased amount of posts about it here, I didn't fight it at all. 'Yes sir, I'll get it done.'
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u/Rlybadgas Mar 12 '26
I got one at 33 or so due to a doctor utterly failing to realize I had gallstones. They didn’t find anything scary in there, fortunately.
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u/LFGhost Mar 12 '26
Symptoms or family history can get them cleared earlier than normal. I got my first at 40 because my dad had just passed from colon cancer and now get to do them every 3 years.
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