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Colonsocpy a year later- something is not right.

Icc5

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My main take from this is you are not comfortable with this Dr. so I suggest you go to another. I understand money/medical plan issues but I would think piece of mind most important. Having all the money in the world doesn't help you if you aren't around to enjoy it. Unless someone here is a medical expert I would either trust my Dr. or seek another medical opinion. Too many people hold off on medical decisions because of finances but living sometimes takes that extra spend. Good luck, get checked again and stop having to worry about it.
 

rapmarks

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When my father who had a stroke at 72 was hospitalized in his mid eighties and they wanted to run invasive tests, I had the sense to say why are you doing this, you know you can’t operate on him
But unfortunately I got there too late to stop them doing a colonoscopy on my 93 year old mother. Before she went in she was taking care of herself, cooking, paying bills etc. she woke up after the procedure as a crazy person. She was never the same and went through seven terrible months before she died. Now maybe she would have died in that time frame, but she would have maybe died with more dignity.
It just burns me up what some doctors do. I remember getting exceedingly sick after a colonoscopy in FortMyers then finding out a few months later that the facility was shut down because of unsanitary conditions.
 

VacationForever

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I have never had a colonoscopy done but maybe I will have one done at 60. In my previous health care system in California, we had fecal test every year. Since our move, I elected to go with Cologuard. I am ambivalent whether to have a colonoscopy as parents of friends had died from colonoscopy due to perforations and never recovered from it. My father had a colonoscopy done at about 90 and he was ok but my mother had polyps removed when she had a colonoscopy in her 60s.
 
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WinniWoman

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When my father who had a stroke at 72 was hospitalized in his mid eighties and they wanted to run invasive tests, I had the sense to say why are you doing this, you know you can’t operate on him
But unfortunately I got there too late to stop them doing a colonoscopy on my 93 year old mother. Before she went in she was taking care of herself, cooking, paying bills etc. she woke up after the procedure as a crazy person. She was never the same and went through seven terrible months before she died. Now maybe she would have died in that time frame, but she would have maybe died with more dignity.
It just burns me up what some doctors do. I remember getting exceedingly sick after a colonoscopy in FortMyers then finding out a few months later that the facility was shut down because of unsanitary conditions.


That is so sad. I remember being in an emergency room with my terminally ill mom and they wanted to do a CT on her. I refused- she had only a few months to live and no way were they going to expose her to more radiation for no reason.
 

Iggyearl

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I feel like you're struggling to understand what is going on and the doctor is not making it clear. Would you agree?

I would make a list of questions for the doctor and write them down. Then I would call the office and say that you need to ask the doctor some questions, so could he please call you when he has time to discuss your situation. Then when he calls, take notes on what he says and ask any more questions that you have.

You're going to follow his advice and do the follow-up colonoscopy, but before you do it, you should understand what is going on.

Mary Ann, this is excellent advice. It does not seem that your doctor has done anything wrong so far. Communication is the key. I just looked up "flat colon polyps" and got a feel for why they are not automatically removed. (very difficult) I think your doctor has your best interests at heart and has done his best for you. If this polyp has progressed to pre-cancerous or cancerous, he is looking out for your health. You need to ask , "Why now?" and accept the response. Get your questions ready and have a "heart to heart" session. I am making out my own list at this minute. I was diagnosed with full-blown colon cancer on 9/27. Confirmed on 10/2. CT scan showed no movement on 10/3. I see a surgeon at St. Peters on next Tuesday. I am scared as hell - but I have no choice but to go forward. AND, I have never had a polyp discovered during a colonoscopy..... Be well....
 

Passepartout

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I think your doctor has your best interests at heart and has done his best for you. If this polyp has progressed to pre-cancerous or cancerous, he is looking out for your health. You need to ask , "Why now?" and accept the response. Get your questions ready and have a "heart to heart" session. I am making out my own list at this minute. I was diagnosed with full-blown colon cancer on 9/27. Confirmed on 10/2. CT scan showed no movement on 10/3. I see a surgeon at St. Peters on next Tuesday. I am scared as hell - but I have no choice but to go forward. AND, I have never had a polyp discovered during a colonoscopy..... Be well....
Iggyearl, my thoughts are with you. This is a difficult time with difficult decisions. Good Luck.

Mary Ann, have that 'heart-to-heart' talk with your doc. I understand the 'should I wait, or do we have to do this NOW' rationale when one is weighing the consequences of today's American healthcare environmeent. Perhaps the out of pocket colonoscopy can wait until after you re-up for next year's insurance so the cost can be put toward next year's deductible?

Fwiw, I'm getting a basal cell carcinoma removed (Mohs surgery) from the end of my nose on Monday. Just the latest of several over the last few years. It's the price those of us of 'a certain age' pay for all those tans and sunburns we got as kids.

Jim
 

WinniWoman

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Mary Ann, this is excellent advice. It does not seem that your doctor has done anything wrong so far. Communication is the key. I just looked up "flat colon polyps" and got a feel for why they are not automatically removed. (very difficult) I think your doctor has your best interests at heart and has done his best for you. If this polyp has progressed to pre-cancerous or cancerous, he is looking out for your health. You need to ask , "Why now?" and accept the response. Get your questions ready and have a "heart to heart" session. I am making out my own list at this minute. I was diagnosed with full-blown colon cancer on 9/27. Confirmed on 10/2. CT scan showed no movement on 10/3. I see a surgeon at St. Peters on next Tuesday. I am scared as hell - but I have no choice but to go forward. AND, I have never had a polyp discovered during a colonoscopy..... Be well....

OMG- I feel for you. That is scary! And never a polyp! Crazy! I hope everything turns out ok. Prayers sent your way.

And thanks. The more I think about it I am even wondering if my doctor in his own way is just trying to not make me worry too much, though I guess it backfired some. LOL!

I, of course, will have the colonoscopy. I am not going to take any chances. I thought the same about the flat polyps- maybe it was too flat or too small to remove last year. Of course, he did not tell me that. He told me usually this polyp is not precancerous but it turned out it was. He didn't get into any more details than that.

Best of luck with your surgery.
 

WinniWoman

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Iggyearl, my thoughts are with you. This is a difficult time with difficult decisions. Good Luck.

Mary Ann, have that 'heart-to-heart' talk with your doc. I understand the 'should I wait, or do we have to do this NOW' rationale when one is weighing the consequences of today's American healthcare environmeent. Perhaps the out of pocket colonoscopy can wait until after you re-up for next year's insurance so the cost can be put toward next year's deductible?

Fwiw, I'm getting a basal cell carcinoma removed (Mohs surgery) from the end of my nose on Monday. Just the latest of several over the last few years. It's the price those of us of 'a certain age' pay for all those tans and sunburns we got as kids.

Jim


Good luck. Yes- especially if you drove a truck- a lot of sun on your face. I have an elderly friend who has had so many on his face and ears and nose removed. He was a salesman- out all day every day- in his car.

Being I was also out most days for my job as well, I was very conscious of this and put sunscreen on my face and neck and ears (and arms, too, in summer) every day. Hopefully it helped. So far so good. But hey- anything can happen.
 

WinniWoman

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I have never had a colonoscopy done but maybe I will have one done at 60. In my previous health care system in California, we had fecal test every year. Since our move, I elected to go with Cologuard. I am ambivalent whether to have a colonoscopy as parents of friends had died from colonoscopy due to perforations and never recovered from it. My father had a colonoscopy done at about 90 and he was ok but my mother had polyps removed when she had a colonoscopy in her 60s.

You really should have it. It sucks, but a colonoscopy is the gold star test for colon cancer and polyps can arise at any age. Even people in their 30's and 40's get polyps.
 

Firepath

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When I had my first colonoscopy about 6 yrs. ago. The doc also told me afterward that I had polyps. I don't think they biopsied them. He just said normally I'd need another in 10 yrs. but because of the polyps to come back in 5. Maybe they just wait to see what happens unless they are sure they are pre-cancerous?
 
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LisaH

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I was diagnosed with full-blown colon cancer on 9/27. Confirmed on 10/2. CT scan showed no movement on 10/3. I see a surgeon at St. Peters on next Tuesday. I am scared as hell - but I have no choice but to go forward. AND, I have never had a polyp discovered during a colonoscopy..... Be well....
Good luck with the surgery! Colon cancer in general is slow growing. It is quite treatable nowadays when discovered early. Sounds like yours is in early stage since you didn't have a polyp before. Wish you a complete and quick recovery!
 

Grammarhero

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At age 34, I had a colonoscopy due to digestive issues from work-related stress. Doctor should have taken out all polyps. He may be more concerned with his wallet than your health. Good luck.
 

pianodinosaur

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You really should have it. It sucks, but a colonoscopy is the gold star test for colon cancer and polyps can arise at any age. Even people in their 30's and 40's get polyps.

My 86 year old father in law had colon cancer about 35 years ago. Unfortunately, I have lost two friends in their 40s & 50s because they put off having a colonoscopy until it was too late.

Illness never comes when it is convenient. Cancer is a very scary word. Pain hurts. The best thing about growing old is that it beats the alternative. We need to pray for Iggyearl and mpumilia. Iggyearl needs a speedy and complete recovery and mpumilia does not need colon cancer. I don’t want anything to interfere with mpumilia’s plans about moving to Vermont.
 

Glynda

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Brewster Green (two weeks).
No. He said today that this type of polyp- on the "wall" -is of the type they normally do not remove because they are usually not precancerous, but the biopsy said it was (I guess he took a little of it for the biopsy?) and now he has to go back in to take it out. During last years' procedure he did take out a few other precancerous polyps.

But when they got the biopsy back a year ago, they didn't tell you??? Huh.
 

WinniWoman

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But when they got the biopsy back a year ago, they didn't tell you??? Huh.

All he said last year was that he removed some precancerous polyps and sending out for biopsy. Then I got the report back saying I needed to follow up in a year so I immediately called him when I got the report. He said nothing to worry about, but the polyps were precancerous and he wants to go back in in a year (for monitoring). Something like that- I can't remember his exact words.

Of course, now he says he has to take one that is still there out (and I assume any others that might have appeared).
 

WinniWoman

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My 86 year old father in law had colon cancer about 35 years ago. Unfortunately, I have lost two friends in their 40s & 50s because they put off having a colonoscopy until it was too late.

Illness never comes when it is convenient. Cancer is a very scary word. Pain hurts. The best thing about growing old is that it beats the alternative. We need to pray for Iggyearl and mpumilia. Iggyearl needs a speedy and complete recovery and mpumilia does not need colon cancer. I don’t want anything to interfere with mpumilia’s plans about moving to Vermont.

Thanks. It's New Hampshire we are moving to (but I do love Vermont- my favorite state!). Yeah- while we sit in this rental house in limbo I keep waiting for a shoe to drop thinking will we even make it there? And not just based on the colonoscopy but just life in general. So many pieces have to fall into place.

I hate that feeling. It's going to be a long winter. Builder just moved out the closing date by two months. No surprise there. I think it will be even longer than that. :(
 

Big Matt

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I would do two things. First, get a better insurance policy. No reason to mess around with high deductible plans. You need good insurance until Medicare kicks in. Second, I would just tell the doctor that you are moving and ask for a referral for someone in the new area if he knows of anyone. Once you get to your new location go see a GP for a physical and talk the him/her about the colonoscopy stuff and see what they say. Six months isn't going to matter based on how slow growing colon cancer is. Before everyone bashes me for this part, know that my dad had it, I get my scans every five years, and know a lot about this.
 

bogey21

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No reason to mess around with high deductible plans...

I think this depends on an individuals financial situation. If someone can easily afford to cover the deductible, why not opt for the plan with the lowest premiums. On a less significant basis I have for many years carried the High Deductible Plan F Medicare Supplement rather than the Standard Plan F. The amount I have saved over the years adds up to way more than one year's annual deductible...

George
 

Talent312

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I started having regular colonoscopies when I was 45.
My dad died from colon cancer at age 56, so I was "at risk."
They moved me to every two years when they found adenomas.

I just got a voice mail reminding me it was time, again.
It's gonna wait until I'm more recovered from shoulder surgery.
 

Timeshare Von

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I would do two things. First, get a better insurance policy. No reason to mess around with high deductible plans. You need good insurance until Medicare kicks in. <<SNIPPED>>

WOW that is very naive advice! Buying insurance on the open market or via the Exchange is very costly. We have crappy insurance, and paying over $2,000/month for it. I cannot wait to be 65 to have Medicare as an option. My DH is younger than me, so he's got several more years than me.
 

VacationForever

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I use an excel spreadsheet each year to determine an estimated best total out of pocket cost including premium. Once upon a time pre ACA days, I bought a high deductible HSA plan because premium plus max out of pocket was lower than the best high premium plan. That worked in the first year. In the second year I got caught with unexpected expenses because I called paramedics and my son got transported to the hospital. That fire department bill was ridiculous and apparently it did not fall under maximum out of pocket.

I switched back to the best, aka highest premium, plan from that point onwards and until plan renewal for this year. My cost analysis showed that I would be better off with a silver plan instead of a gold plan, saving $2400 total in premium and about additional cost of about $500 more in copays and for an unplanned ultrasound and HIDA scan over a gold plan.

Regarding colonoscopies, my friend whose doctor found precancerous polyps during colonoscopy has to have a colonoscopy every 2 years. I do not know under what circumstances that the recommendation to redo colonoscopy is for every, 2 or 3 years.
 
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Big Matt

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WOW that is very naive advice! Buying insurance on the open market or via the Exchange is very costly. We have crappy insurance, and paying over $2,000/month for it. I cannot wait to be 65 to have Medicare as an option. My DH is younger than me, so he's got several more years than me.

Not naive at all. OP is 63 and is not wanting to have a medical procedure that is necessary because it costs too much. That's not a good situation. I really don't know your situation so I can't comment on what you should or shouldn't do, and the recommendation wasn't for everyone on this board.
 

WinniWoman

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Right now I am going to have the colonoscopy. I was not considering not having it. I was just questioning my doctors explanation for having it a year later.

My husband and I decided to get all our medical appointments in this year before we move as we will be super busy next year when we do. We have dental, medical and eye appts. scheduled between now and the end of the year. And- yes- the colonoscopies. Do we hate having to pay for them? Yes, but it is something we have gotten used to over the years in this horrible health insurance environment we all live in. His employer only offers 2 plans- one (which we have) has a higher deductible than the other but both have high deductibles, but the other plan has, of course, higher premiums.

This will give us time to find practitioners in our new home state. One thing we will have to do quickly is find a family doctor for my husband since he is on blood pressure meds and will need the prescription.

Next year, my husband will be on Medicare (working on that right now- first with getting him on Part B) and eligible for a $60 per month HRA contribution from this broker company his employer uses for the employee Medicare insurance and I am going to carry the employer health insurance for 18 months more through COBRA until I am 65 and Medicare eligible. That is probably the easiest and most cost effective thing for me to do- though expensive at $545 per month- and hope I have nothing that will will require a huge out of pocket expense during that time.

Once I go on Medicare I will also be eligible for a $60 per month HRA contribution as well. Hey- $120 per month in an HRA- we'll take it!

I guess at this point I have to have faith. Something I lack a lot of time.
 

AnnaS

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I was diagnosed with full-blown colon cancer on 9/27. Confirmed on 10/2. CT scan showed no movement on 10/3. I see a surgeon at St. Peters on next Tuesday. I am scared as hell - but I have no choice but to go forward. AND, I have never had a polyp discovered during a colonoscopy..... Be well....

Good luck with your surgery. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
 

pedro47

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Mary Ann, this is excellent advice. It does not seem that your doctor has done anything wrong so far. Communication is the key. I just looked up "flat colon polyps" and got a feel for why they are not automatically removed. (very difficult) I think your doctor has your best interests at heart and has done his best for you. If this polyp has progressed to pre-cancerous or cancerous, he is looking out for your health. You need to ask , "Why now?" and accept the response. Get your questions ready and have a "heart to heart" session. I am making out my own list at this minute. I was diagnosed with full-blown colon cancer on 9/27. Confirmed on 10/2. CT scan showed no movement on 10/3. I see a surgeon at St. Peters on next Tuesday. I am scared as hell - but I have no choice but to go forward. AND, I have never had a polyp discovered during a colonoscopy..... Be well....

Iggyearl, good luck with your surgery. The best thing you found out it in time.
 
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