I got my last colonoscopy about two years ago, just before I lost my regular insurance when I retired. I didn’t know when I’d have another chance to get one. I was knocked out, so I didn’t feel anything, although the crap you have to drink prior to it to flush out your plumbing is dreadful. The doc felt she couldn’t justify another colonoscopy after so short a time, but figured the mail-in sample test couldn’t hurt.

As for the flying fickle finger of fate, it is an unpleasant but endurable experience. The blood test (I get it too) isn’t a 100% effective diagnostic (and neither is the finger wave, for that matter) so the extra peace of mind is worth it.

Its funny, my last colonoscopy was exactly 5 years after my previous one. The doctor wanted to do it (he gets paid, after all) but he told me the insurance company had doubled the waiting period between tests to 10 years to save money, (My first encounter with the rationed care Death Panel!) unless I had reason to suspect there might be a problem. He looked me straight in the eye and said “Do you think there might be a problem?” I mentioned my daily routine had changed slightly, and he scheduled the test.

Dammit Frank. Here we are talking about our medical procedures, just like a couple of old farts.

Personally, I don’t want to live life waiting to get cancer.

I have had 3 routine colonoscopies per Doctor’s order and probably a hundred blood workups. Your time is coming for the colonoscopy and you are going to hate it.

I have also not endured the dreaded finger in many years. There is a blood test for that, which has rendered the prostate probe unnecessary. In the days when the probe was common, the Doc often got a fecal sample at the same time. As distasteful as that is, it beat the hell out of collecting and mailing poop