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But it is not so bad. I would recommend it to the OP's mom since she has symptoms. (So did I, and I didn't have cancer, just polyps.) But I would not "force" her to - how would you do that?
She's an adult but my mother and her reasoning is not 100% logical at the moment. Not sure what I should do. I've read that colonoscopies can be hard on very elderly people and useless after age 75.
What should I do?
For what it's worth... my stepmother DIDN'T get a colonoscopy... being self employed with no insurance was her reasoning.
She was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2012 and died in January 2013.
Don't force your old mom to have anything done she doesn't want to do. As long as she realizes that she might have cancer in there and neglecting the preventative care could result in something worse. I would advise telling her to mindful of her health though. Having a colonoscopy can save your life and we should all encourage our loved ones to be healthy. But your mom is already very old and there is no knowing what she really wants out of the rest of life anyhow.
I had this talk recently with my aunt...... Difference though..... She is 50, so much younger than your mom, and her father (my grandfather) did DIE of colon cancer!! She refuses to have one done. "That's an exit. No one's looking at that". I thought her response was immature. I'm in my 20s and have had three colonoscopies. They seriously aren't that bad. My next one I don't even plan on being fully sedated because I have that procedure down pat.
My father died from colon cancer last year diagnosed at 63 passed right before his 65 birthday. When he was 50 I was too young to know that he should have gotten a colonoscopy and my parents were divorced so no wife to tell him either. Anyways I suggest you do some research about colon cancer screenings before putting your mom through the procedure. First I scanned through the thread and did not read if your mother ever had a colonoscopy previously. Colon Cancer is slow growing so depending on the results of her last colonoscopy should help you make the decision. Also even though this information is a bit outdated, this has the recommended ages for all preventative screenings, I do no thing a lot has changed since that was updated. Final Recommendation Statement: Colorectal Cancer: Screening - US Preventive Services Task Force
I guess the real question is if cancer was found, if she was barely strong enough to go through with colonoscopy would she even want any treatment. Colon cancer surgery is invasive and the chemo is harsh. Cancer is obviously worse case scenario, but ultimately it is her decision.
What would your mother want to do if a colonoscopy DID find a cancer? Would she want to undergo major surgery to remove it, or would she opt for palliative care? The answer to that question should help guide her decision.
Absolutely, that. ^^^ That's the real issue and what should guide HER decision.
I'm far younger than your mother and I wouldn't go through the major treatment for colon cancer so I have no need for the test. I'm going to die of something. What difference does it make if I have cancer or die of a stroke like most of my elders? If someone has responsibilities such as a young family, and otherwise good health, surely they would make the opposite decision. I'm not in that position.
My father died from colon cancer last year diagnosed at 63 passed right before his 65 birthday. When he was 50 I was too young to know that he should have gotten a colonoscopy and my parents were divorced so no wife to tell him either. Anyways I suggest you do some research about colon cancer screenings before putting your mom through the procedure. First I scanned through the thread and did not read if your mother ever had a colonoscopy previously. Colon Cancer is slow growing so depending on the results of her last colonoscopy should help you make the decision. Also even though this information is a bit outdated, this has the recommended ages for all preventative screenings, I do no thing a lot has changed since that was updated. Final Recommendation Statement: Colorectal Cancer: Screening - US Preventive Services Task Force
I guess the real question is if cancer was found, if she was barely strong enough to go through with colonoscopy would she even want any treatment. Colon cancer surgery is invasive and the chemo is harsh. Cancer is obviously worse case scenario, but ultimately it is her decision.
I had colon cancer at age 73. I had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and 1/3 of my colon. (No colostomy) I have a small incision next to the umbilicus. Just means I'd look funny in a bikini. But then, at 73, I'd look funny in a bikini anyway.
Following my surgery, I had chemo. The chemo consisted of two pills a day for two weeks, no pills for a week, and repeat the sequence for six months. I didn't lose my hair although it did thin just a bit. On the day following my last pill(s), I auditioned for a stage role, got the part and immediately began rehearsals six days a week.
I realize that this is only my own experience but it is valid. And I'm sure there are others who can attest to the same scenario.
I don't believe in forcing anyone to undergo a procedure as long as they are armed with the best information available. Neither does my doctor.
I had colon cancer at age 73. I had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and 1/3 of my colon. (No colostomy) I have a small incision next to the umbilicus. Just means I'd look funny in a bikini. But then, at 73, I'd look funny in a bikini anyway.
Following my surgery, I had chemo. The chemo consisted of two pills a day for two weeks, no pills for a week, and repeat the sequence for six months. I didn't lose my hair although it did thin just a bit. On the day following my last pill(s), I auditioned for a stage role, got the part and immediately began rehearsals six days a week.
I realize that this is only my own experience but it is valid. And I'm sure there are others who can attest to the same scenario.
I don't believe in forcing anyone to undergo a procedure as long as they are armed with the best information available. Neither does my doctor.
Excellent points.
Everyone's cancer is different.
And, if it is diagnosed as polyps, that are removed during the colonoscopy, often you are done and no more treatment is necessary.
The reason that people think that treatment for colon cancer is so horrendous is often people who skip the colonoscopy are not diagnosed until the cancer has advanced to very, very serious levels. My husband's colon was completely blocked and it was not discovered until he started throwing up because there was no way for anything by mouth to get through. While he had surgery, I assume the alternative would have been for him to either receive nutrients by IV or just starve to death. His surgeon said that the cancer had been growing for at least 10 years. My husband really regretted his decision to wait and get a colonoscopy "later" rather than at age 50, as his doctor recommended.
I don't believe in forcing anyone to undergo a procedure as long as they are armed with the best information available.
That's the key. The OP's mom's decision needs to be an educated one, so she needs as much information as possible about the risks and the benefits of the colonoscopy in her case (including ways to alter the prep that might make the test easier for her to endure, and possible alternatives such as flexible sigmoidoscopy), and all the treatment options that would be available to her (from surgery (with or without accompanying chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy), to chemotherapy plus radiation therapy alone (no surgery), to palliative care) if the testing revealed a colon cancer - but once she has made a truly informed decision, that decision must be respected. It's her life and her body.
Listening to the patient's concerns and addressing them in a respectful manner goes a long, long way in helping a patient to reach a truly INFOPRMED decision about their care!
Yes, I started the prep on Saturday afternoon. That way I had a day and a half to drink the prep mix. I found that spacing it out that way made it easier to get all down, and gave me enough time to drink enough other fluids to stay reasonably hydrated. I can't say for sure if that would work for you, but it might be worth a try.
That's interesting. The instructions stress drinking the Miralax solution rapidly and frequently. For someone like me, your method is certainly worth trying...Unless the doc would allow me to give myself IV fluids.
This discussion with Mom should have happened long before the age of 77. How she feels about her own health care for her own body, informed decision or NOT, should have been made known to her children. Forced prevention or treatment should never be an issue for the grown children of adults, whatever the age of Mom or Dad.
I will ask you a question. WHO are you doing this for? Your Parent or YOU to keep them alive as long as possible for your own desires, not THEIR'S.
To quote my own Mom who passed over 20 years ago, "If you go against my wishes, I will come back and haunt you for the rest of your life." Clear enough? I have quoted Grandma when discussing this with my own kids, and husband, when I reached 65.
It is HER choice and nobody else's, for whatever reasons she chooses, whether for preventive testing, or treatment.
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