Colon Polyps

[odcdinah]

Has anyone ever had a colon polyp? I had a colonoscopy yesterday, and all they found was a 10 mm polyp, which they removed. Doc didn't seem to worried about it, but I'm only 39 - I thought they were more common in older people? Thanks!

[AndreaB]

My husband goes in for a colonoscopy on Monday so I'll know more than. He's 45.

[jerseyangel]

I have not, but my husband did at his colo. in October. I don't remember the size, but the doctor said it was small and looked ok. They removed and biopsied it, and it was ok. They can run in families--my dad and his mom both had them.

[trents]

I had a routine colonoscopy done in October and there was a small polyp found. I don't remember how large it was. The doctor said they find them about 70% of the time in people over age 60. I'm 55. He was not concerned. The biopsy indicated it was benign. The import of finding this was that it moved the recommended repeat colonoscoy interval up from 10 years to 5 years.

Steve

[BRUMI1968]

I may require a colonoscopy depending on how some inflammation blood tests come back from the doc this weekend. Would anyone be willing to share the process, including the days leading up to it? Thanks.

-Sherri

[AndreaB]

I may require a colonoscopy depending on how some inflammation blood tests come back from the doc this weekend. Would anyone be willing to share the process, including the days leading up to it? Thanks.

-Sherri

They have you on a liquid diet the day before with nothing after midnight. You have to take some pills in the morning and evening and drink some stuff mixed. You have to drink 8-10 glasses of water with the stuff every 15 minutes until done. This is all before the procedure. I just looked at the sheet and I still need to go get enema's for my hubby. That is one more thing. They give out the instructions at the consultation appointment before the colonoscopy is scheduled. Don't know about the process itself since he hasn't undergone that yet.

[jerseyangel]

Hi Bully for You--Mine went something like this: I had to get prescription filled for the laxative, and buy Dulcolax. Day before the test--that AM, mix up laxative (it came in a plastic jug, ready to be mixed w/water) put in fridge. Liquid diet that day until 3PM. At 3, begin taking 1 glass of laxative every 20 minutes for 5 hours. This was the hardest part of the whole thing. At 10PM, took 4 Dulcolax. Fall into bed. Day of test--nothing by mouth at all (I had endo the same day), test at noon. I remember nothing after the IV was put in. Afterwards, I felt pretty good--was thirsty though! I had some juice, sat a while, got dressed and left. It was not all that bad, you will do fine!

[BRUMI1968]

No cramping from the laxatives? For some reason, I'm worried about that.

(I think it all stems back to one night, when I was about 6 and my parents, for some bizarre reason, made me eat a prune. Their mistake. When they went to bed hours later and walked by my room, the discovered, to their dismay, that I need a bath and some new sheets. I've eaten prunes since by the way, but am still nervous about laxatives.)

Also, I get a tummy ache if I don't eat. What do you mean by liquid diet? A smoothy?

[jerseyangel]

I think for the liquid diet I was allowed jello (not red), apple juice, clear broth--things like that. I actually did not get bad cramping from the laxatives, but I could not be far from the bathroom for hours--even for a while after I finished taking everything, I would have to get up from bed and go. Be prepared to spend a lot of time in the bathroom! Definately don't plan anything for the day before--maybe put aside some reading to do that day

[JenAnderson]

I had my first colonoscopy when I was 28 and they cut out 2 small polyps. I'm scheduled to have another next year, and I'm wondering if they will find anymore. It runs in my dad's side of the family.

[kabowman]

I had my first one at 36 (I will be 40 on Thursday), 3 polyps removed, one was pre-cancerous so I am supposed to go back every 3 years, I am chosing every 5 because that isn't something I want to repeat that often for now. My dad has polyps, some pre-cancerous, and my paternal grandfather had colon cancer. I don't remember my sizes but I don't think he said they were big - just there.