Health: Colonoscopies

[sherryinutah]

Often times, we are encouraged to schedule a colonoscopy based on our age.

When you arrive at the hospital for this procedure you are expected to sign paperwork releasing the physician and hospital from being liable if they make a mistake and damage your digestive system.  This type of signature is required for a lot of different surgical procedures.

What if you seem perfectly healthy when you have a colonoscopy and you're only doing it because of your age?

Anyone, besides me, see a red flag? 

I understand taking the risk if you have symptoms of colon cancer or other problems. 

Signing that paperwork because I'm over 50?  No, thank you.  There are other options that are safer.   

How do you feel about this?  Do you take the risk because you're a certain age?

[Nancy5]

I know what you are saying, but many times cancer is a silent killer and you may not know it or even have symptoms until it's too late.  I always had a mammogram every year, but like a lot of people it always was good and I got lazy.  Long story short I didn't go for 2 years.  I finally went, and my heart stopped when I was told I had cancer.  I went through surgery 4 months of chemo and 35 radiation treatments. I now take a chemo pill everyday and will for 5 years.   I was staged at stage 3. I still, 2 years later don't know if I'm in remission or not.  I live everyday in absolute terror not knowing.  Will get a pet scan in June.  So I think it's better God forbid you find you have cancer, to have stage 1 rather than stage 3 or 4.

[colbtrist]

I have had one and the pre is the worst. I hate getting old but what can you do?! I say if you can do it and just get it over with.