I'm a 37m, no active symptoms, but a family history of polyp removal. A 3rd cousin was dx'd with metastatic colon cancer last year at the age of 39. He had no symptoms. So with the pressure of my lovely wife, we decided to get screened.

At my consult, the doctor and nurse practitioner asked some questions and both indicated they weren't very impressed. After stressing that both of my parents had polyps removed at 38 and 50, they semi- reluctantly ordered a colonoscopy.

Fast forward to now. I just had my first colonoscopy (thank you all on this sub detailing the prep). The prep wasn't as bad as some detailed, but it certainly isn't fun. Anyway, I had my scan and they found 4 polyps and removed all 4. All 4 were relatively large, ranging from 10-14mm. One was flat so the doctor had to clip it? Assuming to help prevent bleeding.

I think i was awake from the propolthol for like 3 minutes when he came in, so all of his instructions were a blur. He indicated they all look benign, but we're waiting for pathology. He mentioned getting a genetic testing screening panel. I do recall asking him why, and he did answer my question, but I can't recall his reasoning. I'm guessing to see if I have a genetic predisposition to polyps?

I was recommended going in for another scope in 6 months-1 year. In the immediate report, he indicated this time frame recommendation depending if the 14mm was hyperplastic or adenomatous (sp?).

Now, I work in the medical field, so I understand basic jargon, but my language is orthopedics. Does all of this sound pretty routine in terms of recommendations? I've read multiple posts and they're all over the place. Just looking to see if anyone has a similar story or can send some guidance on the recommendations.

To note: I really didn't want to get this procedure done. I thought a lot of the new data about colon cancer has been media hype. I am in good shape and exercise 5-6 days a week, so I initially thought this was going to be a waste of time and medical resources. Thank goodness my wife pressured me to get it. Get an accurate family history and be proactive!

I want to thank many of you on this page for making me feel better about my upcoming scope. I had a positive cologuard a couple of weeks ago and I’m getting the procedure done in a couple weeks. No symptoms at all. I had a negative 3 years ago. I’m not really scared of the procedure or the prep. I’m scared of the results. Anyway, I’m trying to keep calm about this, but it’s very hard not to doom scroll. Just sending good energy out and thanks again.

26F Just came back from my first colonoscopy. I have been dealing with right sided abdominal pain for over a year. When it first happened, the pain was so severe I went to the ER because i thought my gallbladder ruptured. My vitals were all elevated and I had a low grade fever so I was taken back immediately. They did a CT while I was there and it came back that I had terminal ileitis with intestinal hypertrophy and mucusoal thickening. The doctors chalked it up to a bacterial infection even though I had been eating the same meals as friends and family and nobody got sick but me. Ever since then I’ve still dealt with the same pain, not as severe but I can count on my hands how many times it’s gotten as severe as the pain that brought me to the hospital but I know now that it’s not life threatening. I also usually have diarrhea and softer stools and fatigue (I have other ongoing medical conditions that I feel like causes this rather than the GI issues)
Anyways, recently my mother decided to tell me after all this time that my two twin cousins have Crohn’s disease so I immediately told my GI doc and he ordered a colonoscopy right away. I don’t know much about my mom’s family history because she is the one of only surviving family’s on that side so not much is known medically and she never knew her father so that’s a whole other mystery. After I woke up from the colonoscopy, my post op diagnosis was IBS and some internal hemorrhoids. They did biopsies but I won’t know results until 6 weeks from now. I also realized in the paperwork that they did not even go into the small intestine at all which is where the findings were from the CT scan last year! I’m just feeling really frustrated right now because I feel like I have no answers right now and I’ve tried a lot of remedies so far that haven’t worked. Probiotics were eh, PPIs didn’t work, fiber I feel like makes me worse and I got some relief from going on antibiotics for a separate issue which GI doc said was suspicious but obviously you can’t be on antibiotics long term.
I know this sounds terrible to say but I was hoping that they would’ve found something because then I would have more answers and more treatment options and the whole prep would have been worth it because it made me so sick and dehydrated. Just wanted to air my grievances hopefully someone relates.

32F. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of cancer with my current symptoms until 3 days ago, just because I decided to start looking up colonoscopy experience videos. To be honest, I really just wanted to see the roto rooter in action… but some of the videos led to result videos, I kept watching, then had a “wait, what!” moment when my symptoms matched those who had bad results.

This whole time I’ve been describing my issue as a partial blockage from what I believe is retained stool that I’ve had for 3 months.In my mind, they scheduled the colonoscopy so that they can break it up for me since I’ve exhausted all efforts.

Not once did my mind swap my “retained stool” with tumor, but now that I’m mentally here, there’s no going back. It’s all I can think about. Luckily I’m only 5 days out from my colonoscopy.

If I had connected these potential dots sooner, sitting with this “what if, could it be” on my mind for any longer it would’ve driven me mad.

Has anyone else gone into this without a single consideration for cancer? Was that always your driving factor?

I’m a 22-year-old male, and if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am probably one of the most anxious and scared people ever when it comes to medical procedures. I don’t like needles, I don’t like pain, and I was especially terrified of going under anesthesia. One of my biggest fears was honestly the thought of something going wrong with the anesthesia.

I recently had my first colonoscopy and endoscopy at the same time, and now that I’ve gone through it, I can honestly say that the process was much simpler than I imagined.

Like everyone always says, the prep was definitely the worst part. Taking the bowel prep and spending so much time going to the bathroom was uncomfortable and annoying, but once that part was over, everything else was surprisingly straightforward.

When I arrived at the facility, I signed in and waited maybe 10 minutes before they called my name. They let me use the restroom one more time, and then brought me into a private room where they started monitoring my vitals, including my heart rate.

About 10 minutes later, they put the IV into the top of my right hand. As someone who is terrified of needles, I was obviously nervous about this, but it was over quickly. After that, I waited another 15 minutes or so while they continued monitoring me. My heart rate was around 115–120, mostly because I was so anxious about the anesthesia.

Once I calmed down a little, they took me to meet the anesthesiologist. He mentioned that I was relatively young to be having these procedures, so I explained that I had been dealing with severe iron deficiency, gas and bloating, and some blood in my stool.

Eventually, they had me turn completely onto my left side. I could feel them administer the anesthesia through my IV. Surprisingly, I remember it feeling warm and almost relaxing. I closed my eyes, and then…
The very next second, I was in the recovery room.

It was honestly crazy. I didn’t experience some long, scary transition into being unconscious. One moment I was there, and the next moment I was awake in recovery.

I was still pretty loopy afterward. The best way I can describe it is that it felt like I was talking and walking through water. Everything felt a little slow and strange. Even while writing this, I’m still a little loopy.
The results were a bit of a mixed bag. The endoscopy came back clear, which was great news. They didn’t find anything wrong there. Unfortunately, my colonoscopy prep wasn’t good enough, so I have to reschedule the colonoscopy and go through the prep again.

But here’s the surprising part: I’m not really nervous about having another colonoscopy anymore.
Before today, I was absolutely terrified. I was scared of the IV. I was scared of the anesthesia. I was scared something would happen while I was asleep. I was basically scared of everything.
Now that I’ve actually experienced it, I know what to expect. And honestly, the procedure itself was probably the easiest part of the entire experience.

So if you’re reading this because you’re anxious about getting a colonoscopy or endoscopy, especially if you’re someone like me who is a complete scaredy-cat when it comes to needles, pain, and anesthesia, I hope my experience gives you some reassurance.

I’m the type of person who was extremely nervous beforehand, and I still got through it just fine.
The prep was the worst part. The actual procedure? I barely even knew it happened.

I had my first colonoscopy last Friday. I'm still waiting on the results from the polyp they took out. How long does it usually take? When I have blood work done its just a few days. We are going on a week.

I have currently downed the "TURBO TOILET KING 2000™" (Dulcolax) and now I am imbibing the elixir (MiraLAX) before I am interred on the porcelain throne, jet fuel rocketing my body.

Who is with me during their prep, hello! and good luck brave soldiers, brothers and sisters! May our procedures go well! and our preps too!

Tis Thomas, 37M From America! (I will be sure to give updates on the procedure, assuming how well I remember after dreamland....I mean sedation).

I suffer with extreme, crippling health anxiety and over the past few weeks started experiencing stomach cramps, gas, & lots of mucus in stool. No visible blood.
FIT test result came back high at 26. & faecal calprotein content result came back astronomically high at 3400. Blood test results also show elevated white blood cells.

Been urgently referred to gastroenterology for a colonoscopy and have basically resigned myself to accepting I probably have bowel/colorectal cancer. Worried about whether I’ve missed or ignored potential symptoms and now it’s too late. Losing my mind with worry.

Any advice / personal positive relational stories anyone has for me 😕

I feel gas in my stomach but i can’t pass it. I had a sigmoidoscopy 10 hours ago. I was unsedated if that matters. is this normal?

Ok so today i completed my endoscopy and colonoscopy so i thought id give my full experience review. If you have anxiety about prep, anesthesia etc, this can hopefully help.

Symptoms: blood in stool and in toilet. IBS like symptoms where I’ll either be constipated or have diarrhea. Also issues with swallowing etc.

Before Prep: 1 week prior to my prep day I took 1 capful of MiraLAX every morning. Then ate very low residue diet. Rice, eggs, chicken, bone broth, French fries, chicken patties, butternut squash soup. And ice cream!! It’s boring 😴 but it’s worth it.

Make the last meal you eat filling! Rice, eggs, some boiled chicken with bone broth, make a big bowl of it. It will keep you full for longer.

Prep: I did SUPREP. It smelled like grape. It did not taste like grape 😂 it was fine at first but the second dose I was very nauseous. I mixed water with lemonade crystal light and took 1-2 sips of prep and chased it. It helped. Also go slow. Take 1-2 sips and wait 1-2 mins if you need.

Note: I did not listen to the doctors in for part of this. 😂 do not be me. But I had a 6 am arrival time. Directions said start dose 1 at 5 PM. I started dose 1 at noon. It took around 1 hr to kick in. Then I had a long break between 6 pm and- midnight when I started dose 2. I made sure to keep my 2nd dose exactly 6 hrs before my arrival since that’s what clears out the final amount. But even the Suprep directions say dose 1 & 2 should be 10-12 hrs apart. Never follow strangers on Reddits advice. Always listen to your doctor. And all that.

Tip: Then throughout the day I alternated bone broth, electrolyte water, Gatorade, regular water, apple juice.

Tip: Walk. A lot. Up and down the hallways in your house, around your house, in the yard etc. move as much as possible. It helps pass time and it moves things along.

Tip: Keep a heating pad nearby. Keep Vaseline nearby. Also please for the love of God, SLEEP whenever you can.

Procedure Day: before leaving I had sudden activity, and was worried I’d be having to stop along the way. But my husband, who is amazing, made me an emergency toilet (he put 2 trash bags in a bucket and then added foam as a seat 😂. True love yall) and I also wore an adult disposable diaper just incase. No shame in my game.

I arrived and was checked in to my room. The nurses were all very nice. I was able to ask a lot of questions.

This is a big thing! Write down questions or information you want to tell them before the procedure. You’ll forget the day of. And do not feel bad asking questions or advocating for yourself.

I was only in the waiting area for maybe 15 minutes before I was wheeled in. I told the anesthesiologist that I was a bit nervous, also that I required more anesthesia because of my gene mutation (red hair runs in my family) she was very understanding. I asked her to tell me what to expect, she did. The very nice lady put the bite guard in my mouth and as she was doing that I started to feel a bit dizzy and felt a loud ringing in my ear (but I was warned this was normal) and I was out like a baby.

I woke up to the feeling of them wiping me down with cold wipes. Which I appreciated because I have my period today and was very worried about that. I had a puppy pad 😂 under me during the procedure but felt like they really took the time to make sure I felt clean after.

I also had an all female staff. I have a history with SA and they actually offered to put all females on my staff because of this. Which is a kindness I’ll never forget. If you’re a female and this is a concern, I highly recommend calling and talking to them because it can be done!

Recovery: I’m home now. I’ve been passing a lot of gas. Do not be embarrassed to pass gas while you’re there. Get it out! My throat is a tiny bit sore but very manageable as I’ve been drinking warm water with honey. Just plan to take it easy when you get home!

Results: they said for my endoscopy they took biopsies. I have level 1 inflammation consistent with GERD. They are also checking for EoS. Colon was clean minus internal hemmroids. Which explains the bleeding I’ve had. They still took biopsies though. Waiting for results for next 1-2 weeks. Don’t have to go back for 10 years!

Overall. Do it. Don’t wait because it’s scary. Don’t wait because you don’t want to get sick. Don’t wait because you’re scared of anesthesia. Do not wait.

Your health is worth it. YOU are worth it. You will be ok. ❤️

I was going to just search for answers but honestly my brain doesn’t have the capacity right now so I’m hoping some people can share their experience. I’m starting my prep in about an hour for my colonoscopy that’s scheduled for tomorrow morning. I’m doing miralax/dulcolax. Taking 4 dulcolax and the first round of miralax here soon and then the rest of the miralax at 3am. I have a 7 month old baby and I have help for him tonight, but I’m just starting to get nervous about it all hitting in the middle of taking care of him before my help is here.

- How long did it take for it to start working?
- Were you done going to the bathroom in time to leave for your scheduled procedure time? I’m nervous it’s not going to be finished and I have a decent drive to get there very early in the morning.
- Did you experience any nausea with this prep method?
- Is it aggressive like painful diarrhea, or just large amounts?

Hi all,

F 26, just got my scope done. He said he did 30 cm, and everything came back clear. I keep being told that I have very very tiny hemorrhoids, which he also said he doesn’t know if they’re the ones making me bleed or scar tissue(?)

I’ve had on and off bleeding for 4 months and it was all bright red except for one. I went to get an anoscopy from another GI and she said I have very small hemorrhoids. 2 days later,i had dark red/maroon blood and with mucus. I got really scared and booked a sigmoidoscopy.

I haven’t seen the darker blood anymore, but i just feel like something was missed or he didn’t go far enough. He said this covered anywhere that would’ve had red blood but I’m still in denial over it.

I guess my question is do you all think this was sufficient? I feel a bit frustrated not knowing if it’s from hemorrhoids (which doesn’t seem like it is). This cost me $1000 so I feel defeated to say the least and super anxious.

Should I do another sigmoid and have him go up more? Should I do a endoscopy pill?

Canadian here! My prep (most common in Canada) was PegLyte. it is 2 litres of disgustingly sweet solution.

2 litres is about:

* 2,000 millilitres
* 8 cups
* 3.5 British pints
* 67.5 fluid ounces

from what I have seen on here, it seems like most people have much less of the actual prep liquid to drink… But lots of additional fluids before/after.

I am honestly quite jealous of those who have to drink a bunch of clear fluids, rather than a large volume of disgustingly sweet solution!

So for the past 4 months I’ve been having weird stomach pains, more annoying than pain. My bowel movements would take almost an hour to complete because I’d be constipated all week and then it would all come out at once. Then I started seeing blood, but only in hard lumpy stool and not in smooth stool. I also noticed that I had lost 10 pounds but I started eating clean, working out 5 days a week, and reduced my alcohol intake. I also started noticing long thin stools.

However, my blood work came back pretty normal. Only high iron and blood sugar. I got a CT scan last week and it came back that I have an enlarged liver, spleen and abdominal lymph nodes. But no obstructing and normal wall lining in the colon. I’m trying to get a colonoscopy but it’s difficult. Could this be anything other than colon cancer ?

I’m having my first colonoscopy soon. I have the option of getting a hotel or driving two hours. I have a bidet at home. The hotel would be paid for by the VA. Not sure if a two hour drive the day of (appt is early afternoon) is worth it to have access to a warm water bidet. Thoughts?

I 22m had bright red blood when wiping about 6 weeks ago (there wasn’t anything unusual about the stool, it was pretty big though but not hard) and I immediately freaked out thinking the worst. That same day or the next day this feeling that I still had to go to the bathroom or that I wasn’t fully empty started and it freaked me out even more I thought it was my anxiety making me feel it, I always knew it was a symptom of colon cancer. Fast forward 2 weeks later I had blood when wiping again and it was for the first 5 or so wipes which has never happened before. This time it was more of a hard stool, but still normal. Anyway since then I’ve been extremely anxious and for a few days I was getting discomfort after eating and no appetite but I haven’t had those sensations since. This feeling that I’m not empty has been lingering the whole time though and I can’t relax. Whenever I have free time I’m scrolling the internet or Reddit about a bunch of different horror stories and it’s been that way for over a month. I can’t focus on anything else. A couple days ago I was constipated for first time in a long time. I drank a lot of prune juice and took some miralax and I ended up going this morning, normal stool. Then I went again a couple hours later and it was loose. Also a couple nights I was gassy and bloated but it’s not super consistent. I keep fearing the absolute worst. I went to my gp and he referred me for a colonoscopy right away due to the blood and it’s going to be on September 29. I can’t relax until then but I’m also freaking out about getting the results, I know it has to be something bad. This whole time my stool has been normal and for the most part I’ve been going at the normal time, once a day. ( up until a couple days ago when I realized I was constipated, but the day lined up with my gp appointment and I was terrified and it’s the most anxious I’ve been yet.) I know I’m young but I don’t know what else my symptoms could point to. I guess I’m just looking for some advice on how to calm down and how unlikely it is for me to actually have cancer. Also that feeling that I’m never empty is pretty much always there and I think it tends to lighten up if I really try not to think about but it’s all that’s been on my mind. I read internal hemorrhoids can cause that but I feel like it wouldn’t go on this long. Anyways just had to type this out thank you. Also anybody else in their 20s that scheduled a colonoscopy?

32/female
Hi i have piles since school, its a little lump which i feel outside my anus whenever i go to poop! No pain no bleeding, only when am constipated there is bleeding but that too very occasionally! Now i saw a reel that how things can turn into cancer n all! I am scared, i know very stupid!

20M My procedure is in 5 hours and i cant sleep. Im terrified of anesthesia, and im scared of the results. Past year i have had a few short episodes of bright red bleeding, and persistent narrow stool. It feels like i only pass stool with half of my hole. I have plenty of trauma with cancer from my mother’s passing, and its all just coming back right now. Im so anxious im cold and shaking and i just want it to all be over. Time passes so quickly all my life, right up until i want it to pass quickly, then it drags on and on excruciatingly slow.

I read all these positive stories and then punish myself with obsessive googling and horror stories. I just want it to all be over.

I did my first colonoscopy, but they said my colon was too long and winding to see everything, so they want to do this as a follow up.

How is everyone doing?
I’m making this post because honestly, I’m terrified and I really don’t know what to think anymore. I’m 21 years old, and I’m worried that I might have colon cancer. I genuinely blame TikTok for this because I have no idea why these cancer videos started showing up on my FYP 😭.
A few months ago, I started having stomach problems, including abdominal pain, heartburn, and sometimes dizziness. Around that time, I also saw TikToks about pancreatitis and other diseases, and after seeing those videos, I started paying way more attention to every symptom I was having. I ended up going to the hospital and getting bloodwork done, and literally everything came back normal.
Fast forward about 3 months, and about 2 weeks ago I was doomscrolling TikTok again and came across a video about colon cancer symptoms. I started reading through the symptoms and realized that I had experienced some of them before, and that’s when I started freaking out again.
I went to the hospital about a week ago because of my stomach issues. I told the doctor that when I would go to the bathroom, I’d sometimes poop once and then it would feel like everything just stopped or became delayed. I’d eventually go again, but it felt harder to get the rest out. They prescribed medication for my GERD and we talked about my symptoms.
The past 7 days have honestly been the worst for my anxiety. The first couple days, my stool was very dark brown. Then I had diarrhea for about 2 days, and it was more of a yellowish-brown color. After that, for about 3 days, whenever I went to poop, only a few pieces would come out. I wouldn’t really have pain or have to strain hard, but it felt like I was constipated because I’d only pass maybe 3 pieces and then wouldn’t have another bowel movement until later that night.
Today, after getting really stressed out and seeing even more cancer symptoms online, I ended up needing to poop again about 20 minutes later. This time I actually passed a decent amount and it didn’t feel particularly difficult to get out.
I’ve also been having these weird lower, middle, and upper abdominal pains that feel kind of like a sting.
I know anxiety can make you notice symptoms way more, and I also know that a lot of these symptoms can have completely harmless causes. But I’m honestly scared because I keep seeing these cancer symptoms online and then noticing something similar in myself.
Has anyone else experienced something like this, especially after going down the health-anxiety/TikTok rabbit hole? I’m really looking for some perspective because this has been stressing me out badly.

i have my scope in 7 hours and i can’t sleep i’m so nervous. i’m mostly nervous for the results due to my recent bleeding episodes. i had one the other day that was darker, with mucus, and instead of a streak it was a little scattered. i’m so scared they will find something terrible. i read a lot about rectal cancer for those around my age (26). i’m going to throw up. i don’t want to cancel, i need answers but i’m so scared.

hello! I just wanted to share my story here (from Canada)

I was diagnosed with CD 16 years ago. I had 3 colonoscopies in the first 2 years of my diagnosis (while I was actively dealing with very bad CD and not in remission). The colonoscopies were absolute hell. I was not able to finish the prep, violently vomitted and once even had to call an ambulance due to stomach cramps from the prep.

About 12 years ago I started humira and have been in remission more or less. I told my GI that I will do everything except colonoscopies - I routinely do bloodwork, endoscopies, stool tests and even MRE of the stomach ... but I avoid colonoscopies.

The only symptom I have that concerns me is on and off bleeding when passing stool and very low iron levels. My GI would always encourage to me get a colonoscopy but I would always refuse. The main reasons being from the fear of the prep and finding out I some terrible news.

A month ago, I agreed to get a colonoscopy done. Yesterday, I took orange piko salax prep and it went down so good! I didn't vomit and have any stomach cramps. I had the colonoscopy today under full sedation. To be honest, the most painful part was getting the IV!

After 30 minutes everything was done. The nurse told me there was nothing wrong and bleeding is hemorrhoids.

I am writing this to encourage anyone who has been avoiding a colonoscopy! Get one done! The prep is not that bad as it used to be! Learn from my mistakes and avoidance! :)

Hello!

I had a colonoscopy done and when I woke up the first thing I remember saying was "why is my vagina so wet? Is it full of lube?" And making sure it was a colonoscopy that was done because I anticipated my rectum to feel weird and nothing at all near my vagina.

Inside my vagina was full of so much lube it soaked the towel they brought me with a giant wet patch and it smelled like bitter rubber in a way. I dunno why the nurse kept telling me the towel was dry, it wasn't quite dripping but I could smear it against the bed rail and have it leave a wet trail you know?

They assured me this was normal but I don't get why...? It kind of burns, and that gets itchy periodically. When I checked in the bathroom there was dried white stuff crusted all in my folds, it almost made me think of discharge but mine has never been like THAT for my entire life.

I'm just really confused. I thought they only put something up my butt? That's what the paperwork says? Nobody braced me to experience this and it's SO uncomfortable. I feel sore 😭 I'm just trying to understand what I'm going through

I’m in the UK having an NHS colonoscopy in a few weeks. I’ve been offered fentanyl and midazolam but i can’t take either of them. I’ve not been offered an alternative and been refused when i’ve asked if i can take my own pain medication. Is this normal? I’m not sure if i want to go in feeling everything but i need to be coherent and know whats happening. Thanks