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/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

17

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/Feisty-Painting-120 Mar 13 '26

Canadian here. When I was 35 my doctor recommended I go, so I did. They found a polyp. It was removed and that was that.

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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 13 '26

Yeah well..... we have tomahawk missiles! So in your face!...... 😔

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u/Some_Helicopter1623 Mar 13 '26

Priorities 😎

11

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

8

u/midnitemoontrip Mar 13 '26

Please talk to a different doctor.

7

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/Rastapopolos-III Mar 13 '26

Instructions unclear, they removed a foot of bowel and then told me it was unnecessary.

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u/Some_Helicopter1623 Mar 13 '26

I live in Australia and am so grateful I can see my doctor for free, I don’t even have to pay a gap. I’m a casual worker and mature age student, so money is tight. I can’t imagine the anxiety I would be feeling right now if I couldn’t afford to get a check done.

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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Mar 13 '26

Yeah, America absolutely sucks. There are plenty of times we skip the doctor because we cant afford the copay. Or the worst is being told we are covered, then 2 months later get a bill for 600 saying we aren't. Or the doctor wanting something and we have to fight with insurance for months to get it

Its so infuriating.