1. < Colorectal Cancer

Anyone have a positive Cologuard test?

Posted by dazlin @dazlin, Nov 21, 2019

My test results came back positive. I asked what did it show, because they test for 11 different cancers or categories. They said, it just states either negative or positive for cancer. I had problems a few years back and did a colonoscopy, which came back ok. Now this!! I'm reading theres a 13 percent chance of false positive. Right now I'm extremely distraught about having to go through all Consults, tests, and dreaded preps. Orders are in for Consult with gastro, but they're booked out through January or February in Mayo. I have not received any notice for appointment yet. Dont know what to think or do.

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vic83 | @vic83 | Mar 9 6:26pm
In reply to @samdeman "i had propofol. they offered the medication. 20 seconds or so later, i was completely out...." + (show)
@samdeman

i had propofol. they offered the medication. 20 seconds or so later, i was completely out.
when i woke up it was done.

i would do that again.

Jump to this post

That has been my experience and I like it too!!!

REPLY
samdeman | @samdeman | Mar 9 1:15pm
In reply to @diane22 "All I can say is GET a colonoscopy… DON’T mess with color guard!!!! I’m an educated..." + (show)
@diane22

All I can say is GET a colonoscopy… DON’T mess with color guard!!!! I’m an educated person who wouldn’t get a colonoscopy 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️. Well at 75 I had a positive colorguard test… came here and got reassured.. thank you Coleen and all! I was beyond worried and had my prayer warriors on it.. Results 5 polyps removed.. one was precancerous but hey they are OUT Praise God… GET that colonoscopy when it’s time

Jump to this post

i had a positive cologuard also.
i am a healthy 72 year old male. the doctor called me and said i have bad news? what a bedside manner.
but without the positive cologuard i would probably not have taken the colonscopy.
did you use sutab? i did and it was kind of awful

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samdeman | @samdeman | Mar 9 1:12pm
In reply to @vic83 "I was always wondering why some people are asleep and other people say they are awake...." + (show)
@vic83

I was always wondering why some people are asleep and other people say they are awake. My first colonoscopy I was awake, the next three I was asleep. I googled and found that there are three types of anesthesia for colonoscopies:
1) Sedation where one is aware
2) Propofol drug where one goes to sleep in one room and wakes up in another
3) General anesthesia (only for special situations)
Now, the sedation drug where one is aware does not require a licensed anesthesiologist to administer and the doctor can do it if trained. BUT Propofol requires a licensed anesthesiologist to administer and monitor. This is called MAC or Monitored Anesthesia Care
I think it is a matter of whether the place doing the colonoscopy has someone on staff or not....so choose where you go if you want to be asleep!!!!

Jump to this post

i had propofol. they offered the medication. 20 seconds or so later, i was completely out.
when i woke up it was done.

i would do that again.

REPLY
1 reply
samdeman | @samdeman | Mar 9 1:07pm

i had a positive colo guard. i am a 72 year old male. the waiting for the colonoscopy was awful.
i had the procedure two days ago. two small polyps were found and removed
and they found a hemmoird. my post op is in two weeks.

i am assuming then, they tell me if the polyps were cancer.

.

REPLY
rjjacobsen | @rjjacobsen | Mar 1 11:00am
In reply to @vic83 "Yes, I can appreciate how it can be interesting. So how were you then treated? What..." + (show)
@vic83

Yes, I can appreciate how it can be interesting.
So how were you then treated? What kind of follow-up surveillance schedule do you have?

Jump to this post

During the colonoscopy, they took 5-6 biopsies which were found to be cancer. Referred to Mayo in Rochester (40 miles away).

Had surgery which required taking the whole colon out and surgeons attached the small intestine to the rectum. Followed up with chemo done in Red Wing, MN. Quarterly blood work and CT scans were done which now have moved to 6 month intervals.

I've had extremely short colonoscopies annually thereafter for several years and now have them at 3 year intervals - although they are not more like an extended rectal exam. They do take a careful look at the juncture between the small intestine and the rectum.

Hope that helps.

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vic83 | @vic83 | Mar 1 10:17am
In reply to @rjjacobsen "I always like being awake and watching the monitor. My last few were in color. The..." + (show)
@rjjacobsen

I always like being awake and watching the monitor. My last few were in color.

The time they discovered colon cancer looked awful and ugly - a large black mass - didn't need an MD to see something was wrong.

Jump to this post

Yes, I can appreciate how it can be interesting.
So how were you then treated? What kind of follow-up surveillance schedule do you have?

REPLY
1 reply
rjjacobsen | @rjjacobsen | Mar 1 10:08am
In reply to @vic83 "I was always wondering why some people are asleep and other people say they are awake...." + (show)
@vic83

I was always wondering why some people are asleep and other people say they are awake. My first colonoscopy I was awake, the next three I was asleep. I googled and found that there are three types of anesthesia for colonoscopies:
1) Sedation where one is aware
2) Propofol drug where one goes to sleep in one room and wakes up in another
3) General anesthesia (only for special situations)
Now, the sedation drug where one is aware does not require a licensed anesthesiologist to administer and the doctor can do it if trained. BUT Propofol requires a licensed anesthesiologist to administer and monitor. This is called MAC or Monitored Anesthesia Care
I think it is a matter of whether the place doing the colonoscopy has someone on staff or not....so choose where you go if you want to be asleep!!!!

Jump to this post

I always like being awake and watching the monitor. My last few were in color.

The time they discovered colon cancer looked awful and ugly - a large black mass - didn't need an MD to see something was wrong.

REPLY
1 reply
vic83 | @vic83 | Feb 29 7:54pm
In reply to @diane22 "All I can say is GET a colonoscopy… DON’T mess with color guard!!!! I’m an educated..." + (show)
@diane22

All I can say is GET a colonoscopy… DON’T mess with color guard!!!! I’m an educated person who wouldn’t get a colonoscopy 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️. Well at 75 I had a positive colorguard test… came here and got reassured.. thank you Coleen and all! I was beyond worried and had my prayer warriors on it.. Results 5 polyps removed.. one was precancerous but hey they are OUT Praise God… GET that colonoscopy when it’s time

Jump to this post

You are so right!!!! I was due for my 5 year follow-up, and I was 4 months overdue. My last two colonoscopies had found benign polyps. I am 82 so was hoping to maybe age out but MD had me do it. Colonoscopy found 3 polyps (the most ever), each a different type, and all 3 precancer! One was small but others were 10mm and 12mm(biggest ever).
So glad MD had me do colonoscopy!! Of course, now I have to go back in 3 years. But colonoscopy is better than colon surgery!!!!

REPLY
vic83 | @vic83 | Feb 29 7:43pm

Has anyone with a history of polyps, with or without some being precancerous been offered Cologuard as an option to a colonoscopy?
I thought Cologuard was for people with no history of polyps.

REPLY
vic83 | @vic83 | Feb 29 7:39pm
In reply to @seracut "Haha, the comment referred to one much higher up about the prep and how to make..." + (show)
@seracut

Haha, the comment referred to one much higher up about the prep and how to make that a positive experience.
But to answer your question, definitely get the anesthesia, I don’t actually know of any gastros that done do it with twighlight sleep. Here’s why you should though, if you are anesthestized your Dr can do his best work without you squirming. Honestly I’d be more concerned that the gastro doing the colonoscopy has an excipient pull out time.

Jump to this post

I was always wondering why some people are asleep and other people say they are awake. My first colonoscopy I was awake, the next three I was asleep. I googled and found that there are three types of anesthesia for colonoscopies:
1) Sedation where one is aware
2) Propofol drug where one goes to sleep in one room and wakes up in another
3) General anesthesia (only for special situations)
Now, the sedation drug where one is aware does not require a licensed anesthesiologist to administer and the doctor can do it if trained. BUT Propofol requires a licensed anesthesiologist to administer and monitor. This is called MAC or Monitored Anesthesia Care
I think it is a matter of whether the place doing the colonoscopy has someone on staff or not....so choose where you go if you want to be asleep!!!!

REPLY
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