You Know You Are Old When

[masseyrider]

My wife had a colonoscopy, 2015 in OK, a week later we traveled to MS planning to stay a week.
Three weeks in ICU, nine more weeks in the hospital and 10 weeks of home health.
Emergency surgery to drain a 10cm abscess in her liver.
Sepsis from a small puncture in her colon.

Colonoscopy's have a high risk factor.

That's why I resisted for the longest time.
A friend of mine had a perforation and almost died from the resulting infection.
It's over 20 years now and he says he's never been the same.

 

[not2old]

My wife had a colonoscopy, 2015 in OK, a week later we traveled to MS planning to stay a week.
Three weeks in ICU, nine more weeks in the hospital and 10 weeks of home health.
Emergency surgery to drain a 10cm abscess in her liver.
Sepsis from a small puncture in her colon.

Colonoscopy's have a high risk factor.

My mother had a puncture too. She had to wear a colostomy bag for many years before they got it repaired.

 

[John0829]

I have had two of them over the years for different reasons and both times they said it looked like the colon of a teenager. After putting up with it twice I told them I would no longer go though that but would do the ColonGuard instead or nothing so that is what has been done for the last two times I have been checked.

As much as I DO NOT like it everyone should be screened... colon cancer is what was the beginning of the end for my dad, surgeon screwed up the bowel resection, that is what killed him.

 

[goeduck]

My last one was 3 years ago and they completely knocked me out. I am probably due for another.

My wife went in for hers 4 years ago and told them she did not want to be completely knocked out. In the recovery room the Doctor told us they had to stop because she was complaining. I told the doctor "I could have told you that would happen". Fortunately my wife was still groggy and did not understand what I said.

Fast forward to this year (last month), I was driving my wife to her colonoscopy and I mentioned that she should ask to be completely knocked out, not like last time when she asked to be partially knocked out. She told me loudly in no uncertain terms that I did not know what I was talking about and that she never asked to be partially knocked out. Silence the rest of the drive. In the prep room the doctor came in and after reviewing her previous files, told her that we are going to knock you completely out so we don't have the problems we had the last time under partial anesthesia. I smiled and went to the waiting room.

 

[ultrarunner]

My first colonoscopy when I awoke I said I had to use the bathroom. The proctologist said "no you don't...you're empty...let it go".
I expelled enough gas to fill two Goodyear blimps.

Lots of CO2… GI uses one E tank each day… all that gas ends up somewhere.

 

[ultrarunner]

On my first colonoscopy I asked if they had to put me completely under, and they said yes. There were nice enough however to save the pictures and they gave them to me. They're on a memory stick somewhere, but can't find them.

I'll have to see if they if they'll be gracious enough to share the ones from the second round

Whats odd is when doctors are patients some forego anesthesia…

Most common is colonoscopy and cataract…

 

[masseyrider]

YKYO when everyone in a certain thread has had an experience with a colonoscopy.
Prior to getting old the most invasive procedure I ever had was the old finger for a work physical.

 

[Sigarms]

Monday go in to talk to a doctor about a shoulder replacement.

Knew it had to be done 15 years ago, but told I'm a bad candidate because I can live with the pain. Talk to a guy recently who had one done, and he tells me the replacement is better for a good time past 10 years.

Was told 18 years ago that a should replacement was good for 10 years. Always put it off because I figured what was the point only to have another one done 10 years later?

If it's only good for 10 years now, I'll probably still put it off.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Had one colonoscopy; nothing unusual. BUT...I did wake up during my emergency hemorrhoid surgery. Talk about a PITA...you have no idea. Missed, as I recall, 2 weeks work and 2 weeks on a part time basis.

 

[WinterDeere]

I never received any pain or knock-out drugs. That was a ruff one!

Same. I've only had one, way back in my mid-20's when I was experiencing some bad acid reflux issues, but they didn't knock me totally out. They gave me enough of something that I was pretty loopy, and didn't care much what they were doing to me, but I think they needed me awake enough to obay basic commands like "roll over".

I think I might have asked the nurse or technician for "a reach-around".

 

[John0829]

I think I might have asked the nurse or technician for "a reach-around".

MY BIGGEST FEAR, not knowing what is likely to come out of my mouth when under and I have been told a few by one of my doctors.

 

[JJT]

MY BIGGEST FEAR, not knowing what is likely to come out of my mouth when under and I have been told a few by one of my doctors.

My second colonoscopy the female doctor said I'd be passing a lot of gas, I told her she put it in there, she could take it out. My wife told me what I said, I had no recollection.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My last colonoscopy, and all Drs said I was fine, was done by a woman proctologist. The next day I passed about 3 ft. of white string with what looked like about 3/4" pieces of aluminum foil around it every few inches!
I showed it to family doctor who didn't know what it was for!
I asked Dr about having one since it's been 5 years and was told they quit doing them at my age.

 

[Engineer42]

My last colonoscopy, and all Drs said I was fine, was done by a woman proctologist. The next day I passed about 3 ft. of white string with what looked like about 3/4" pieces of aluminum foil around it every few inches!
I showed it to family doctor who didn't know what it was for!
I asked Dr about having one since it's been 5 years and was told they quit doing them at my age.

Sounding line.

 

[DFB]

Monday go in to talk to a doctor about a shoulder replacement.

Knew it had to be done 15 years ago, but told I'm a bad candidate because I can live with the pain. Talk to a guy recently who had one done, and he tells me the replacement is better for a good time past 10 years.

Was told 18 years ago that a should replacement was good for 10 years. Always put it off because I figured what was the point only to have another one done 10 years later?

If it's only good for 10 years now, I'll probably still put it off.

They used to once say that about hip joint replacement too only 10 years but there have been many advancements. I'm glad I finally had my surgery done. Turned out way easier than I thought too. I had put it off for a long time but pain had gotten to the point my quality of life was suffering.

 

[RobertEH]

Hip Surgery - only joint replacement that you feel better walking out of the hospital than you did walking in.

 

[check]

First colonoscopy, I was awake, which I wanted. Fortunately, I could see the monitor, and I saw everything that the doctor saw. Glad I did it that way, but I didn’t need to see it anymore so next time I let them put me out. No complications either time, but they did find a polyp which they snipped and biopsied – no cancer.

They say that if they snip any polyps that they see each time, you will never get cancer.

 

[scootr]

Years ago I was in line waiting for the blood lab to open, I was giving my monthly sample. I struck up a conversation with the older gentleman waiting next to me. After the usual exchanges about the weather and grandkids. He pulls out his wallet and I leaned in to see the pictures of his grandkids only to be very confused at the images I was seeing. What is that, I asked. That's the polyps they removed from my colon last month. No, I said. Tell me you are not showing pictures taken up your ass. Don't show those to anybody I continued. It 7 AM and I haven't had breakfast but if I had you'd be wearing it right now, and rightfully so.

 

[Oaktree]

I’ve never been conscious during a colonoscopy. They always put me out. I thought that is standard procedure?

I thought so too, I've been out for every one I've ever had. Last one I had was when I was in my late 60s, it was clean. Dr. said no need to have another, if I haven't gotten colon cancer by my late 60s, not likely I ever would. (no history of cancer on either side of the family).

 

[garry1p]

I guess I was in late 50's and my family DR talked me into getting a colonoscopy.

Before they knocked me out two DR's come in and told me about the procedure and what to expect.
When I woke up the older DR said "Well, my young intern did a good job and you are clean".
If I had known I was being used for practice I would have backed out right then and let them use someone else to practice on.