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Nervous about colonoscopy


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Well, good news about being polyp-free. That's what this whole thing is really about, after all.

How do you feel about it, in retrospect? Is there anything you would suggest to other guys who might have to go through similar procedures?

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Honestly, really Malign I don't consider this a sucess story. It kinda reinforces my feelings and mistrusts about the medical community in general. They should put a sign on the exam room door that says

"Abandon all modesty all ye patients that enter here."

At least I got a super clean bill of health colon wise. :P That'll get my new docs and my wife off my A$$.

John

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I didn't intend to constrain your response so that it came out a success. I would rather have your honest reaction.

Maybe I put less emphasis on modesty, at least in medical situations. I figure, they're already looking several feet up my ... hind end, or grabbing stuff and asking for a cough ... My ex-wife was Taiwanese by birth, and selected all our physicians. One was a mainland Chinese woman whose training was in the Red Army medical corps. That was an interesting exam, lemme tell ya.

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Really the colonoscopy is a breeze. The prep isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes out. The worst part is going without eating for 36 hours. My stomach tends to cramp when it's empty. I had mine around noon Monday, I was back at work this morning. By 6:00 Monday night I felt great. You aren't going to the bathroom for 12 hours straight, but you pretty much have to stay on the toilet because you go completely without warning. If you aren't sitting down ready, it's already too late. If you aren't bothered by being knocked out and nude in front of 3 or 4 people I'd urge you to get this done. It's a breeze.......

I really don't like to be nude in front of female strangers. I hate being nude in front of one nurse, let alone a group of them. Like I said at the beginning of this thread, call it a phobia if you like, an unreasonable fear.

I know, I know. I've been told many times "They see 10 naked guys a day. It's no big deal, they see nude guys all the time, you don't have anything they haven't seen before". yada...yada...etc.

Ok, fine. They're very experienced seeing naked guys. Well I'm not experienced being seen by clothed women when I'm nude. They might see 10 nude guys a day. I haven't been seen nude by 10 different clothed women in my whole life.

I can't figure out why their nonchalonce and experience viewing nude guys trumps my sense of modesty.

They assign you a nurse that helps you get ready and delivers you to the procedure room. I'd told her my concerns over this becoming a spectator event. She said we understand that, no students or 'anyone' was scheduled to be in the room observing. I thought great! I got undressed, got on the gurney and she wheeled me to the room. She introduced me to three nurses and the doctor. The nurses chatted with me while they were preping. I asked about being just sedated but that got nixed.

At the beginning of the procedure before I was knocked out they had me lay on my left side and pull my knees up. My bottom was exposed. (I was ready for that, no big deal.) I was fairly covered up, and I was thinking 'Wow, they really are concerned with patient comfort. This won't be so bad.' One of the nurses told me they were getting ready to start my medicine. Then the doctor said he needed my top leg repositioned. I was already starting to get a little groggy. They had to pull my gown up around my waist to get their hands under my knee and upper thigh. I It would have taken so little, two seconds maybe to cover me back up. But no, I found out I layed there uncovered untill the little girly nurse came back in for me.

When I woke up I was babbling and saying whatever popped into my head. As I opened my eyes I said Hey, I'm covered up! My nurse said Yep! Just as soon as we got you rolled back on your back I covered you up. I knew you were concerned about that!

Ok, so lets see. No strange observers watched my procedure. No pics or movies were taken since they found nothing at all interesting. But the nursey was pleased because just 4 nurses including her had viewed me nude! GMAFB! This is privacy!? The medical world thinks they are protecting patient privacy and rights because only they get to view you?

I guess they're protecting me from being seen by others, but who's protecting me from them?

Never again.........never. They have absolutely no concept of patient modesty or privacy.

John

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"Really the colonoscopy is a breeze."

{That's an orifice with which I might not have wanted to associate the word "breeze" ...}

I'm sorry the experience was unpleasant for you. They probably do exempt medical personnel when assessing privacy, because in theory they've all had ethical training and would be at risk (under the law, in the U.S.) if it was discovered that they violated patient privacy. But I know that by then, you'd feel it was too late.

"I can't figure out why their nonchalonce and experience viewing nude guys trumps my sense of modesty."

Well, it doesn't. If it weren't medically necessary, you wouldn't have been on that table at all. Those other qualities of the medical staff just help, some. And, it's okay if that's not enough.

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Malign, this is just one of the few triggers I have that really sets me off. Sorry for the rant.

I'd urge anyone else male or female to get this done, especially if your insurance pays for it. My family is just lucky in that we don't know what cancer is. Heart trouble and diabetes is rampent on my side, but not a single case of cancer in generations. None of my blood family has ever had a polyp removed.

Small world. Your wife was taiwanese and chose a female chinese doctor. My mother in law is half french and half chinese and is a retired nurse. (nurse practitioner) She and my wife flew to china a while back for a visit. M.I.L. went to school in china, practiced there for a while and came to america. My father in law is full blooded swedish, and has been a heavy smoker.

My wifes dad is fighting lung cancer right now. My mother in law was concerned by a cough he'd had and insisted on xrays. He's in his third round of chemo right now.

I guess this was the last trigger that prompted my colonoscopy.

Get tested, get checked out. Catch it (whatever it is) early enough and your chances go up.

John

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I can't take any credit at all. I was 'pressured' into it by everyone around me. I'd have avoided this and ran like a scared boy if so many family and friends hadn't urged me to do this.

Everyone take care, try to stay well.

John

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