Colonoscopy: Is It Worth The Risk?

[win231]

Anyone who has confidence in what the procedure can find, should have it. After all, confidence is half the battle.

I have researched this topic extensively and, (just as with the flu shot) I have no confidence in the usefulness or the risk/benefit of colonoscopies. The risk is often downplayed because, well...if they didn't, no one would have it. For one thing, Propofol is used during the procedure - the drug that caused Joan River's death during her endoscopy. And there is a risk of perforating the colon due to the air used to expand the intestine during the procedure; that's why they won't do a colonoscopy on older people. If that happens, it is always fatal.

As for "snipping" polyps during the procedure, just about everyone over the age of 50 has polyps in their colon. It is a normal part of the aging process. They are best left alone. Cutting them can allow pathways for any abnormal cells in them to spread.

 

[win231]

I am on my 5th doctor in 8 years. All they seem to do is check my blood pressure and according to my age want me tested. I object to age based testing since my family lives well into their 90's by staying away from doctors and medications that are not absolute necessary. All invasive procedures have a risk. My wife's friend's husband got his colon perforated during a colonoscopy and had to have surgery to fix it. What I did was use ColonGuard. They send you a kit and you send them back a small stool sample which they check for cancer with using DNA techniques that are 99% accurate. Medicare pays for it as do most medical plans. I do this every 3 years.

One thing I hate about doctors, other than my doctor friends who recommend staying away from them as much as possible because they know what goes on and how it is run as a business making money off of test in absence of any symptoms. The other thing they do is to tell you if you do this you lower your risk by 50%. People hear this and take the test or drugs. However, they never ask what the original risk is.

There are over 200,000 preventible medical mistakes made each year that result in death. Yet people talk about the NRA and not the medical establishment. Now my doctor is the medical chief of the entire medical center. He only takes special patients who are knowledgeable and not sheeple doing every thing a doctor tell them to cover their butts in case you get ill. So they test you as much as they can so they can show that they did something and cannot be sued.

Reminds me of a Veterinarian visit to treat my dog's paw which had a minor infection.

The Vet says: "Since your dog is 15 years old, I suggest doing a complete blood work up, urinalysis, everything."

I asked, "Why is that necessary?"

He said, "Because he is elderly. Don't you want to make sure he's healthy?"

I said, "Yes, he's 15 years old, but the average life span for a Lab is 12 & he is obviously very healthy for his age. Why would I want to have all those tests that I don't find necessary?"

Then I said, "I'll tell you what. I want him to live as long as I will. If you can guarantee that all those tests will turn his clock back, I'll go for it & I don't care what it costs."

He said, "Uh....well....I can't do that."

Could it be that the Vet's real motive was the $800.00 for those tests??

 

[WhatInThe]

One must wonder how much of the stuff they 'detect' or screen for is naturally occurring. Mother Nature is done with you after a certain point and their probably various mechanisms in place/your genes designed to take you away. The question is at what age should these mechanisms be kicking in. Since many are living over 100 it seems kind of early between 50-75. Point being a lot of these things are going to kick in and/or in many cases it's very slow process on purpose. Just because they can find or identify it doesn't mean it's an immediate danger.

I've seen reports undiagnosed or untreated cancers they've found in people from autopsies. Alot these conditions are probably part of the normal course of business for the human body over a 100 year old life span. Maybe many of these things don't progress in many people because their body is doing something right. It could be genes, diet, lifestyle etc. Point is the trigger was probably always there it's when and how the cancer is pulled that matter, not just simply detecting it.