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I am really scared. I have never met anyone that has even had this and it has been 26 years since my last colonoscopy. I took the cologuard test and it came back positive. And my doctor gave me an appointment for the middle of JANUARY !
This seems like a very long wait and my question for all of you is there any suggestions on how I could get seen sooner or is this seem about the best I could do? Any suggestions are welcome.
I am really scared. I have never met anyone that has even had this and it has been 26 years since my last colonoscopy. I took the cologuard test and it came back positive. And my doctor gave me an appointment for the middle of JANUARY !
This seems like a very long wait and my question for all of you is there any suggestions on how I could get seen sooner or is this seem about the best I could do? Any suggestions are welcome.
Thank you
Ask for a referral to another doctor who can schedule you sooner.
The presence of blood( even a little bit) in the stool sample will also give a positive Cologuard result.
The blood might be from hemorrhoids, or some other non-cancerous source anywhere in the GI tract.
So a positive Cologuard result doesn't always mean cancer. But you do have to check out a positive result.
I just checked the Cologuard Web page and it finds "altered DNA and/or blood in the stool". I didn't realize it picked up both- I thought it was just the DNA. I agree with the others- it's not necessarily panic time. What led to my first colonoscopy was a positive result on a test that looked for blood only, not DNA. I did have am adenoma that would have had a pretty significant chance of turning into cancer in 5-10 years, but it was snipped out and it's gone.
Having said that- what's the hold-up on the colonoscopy? In my area there are plenty of places to get them done and the one I use is a free-standing facility and the doc was recommended by my PCP. I don't think I've ever had to wait that long for an appointment. Can you check with others? I know insurance coverage can be an issue.
That's a long wait for a colonoscopy. That being said, we have had four friends in the past two months aho have gone through what you are going through. All positives with Cologuard, all negatives with Colonoscopy. They all agree they would not use it again. Good luck and try not to worry too much.
That's a long wait for a colonoscopy. That being said, we have had four friends in the past two months aho have gone through what you are going through. All positives with Cologuard, all negatives with Colonoscopy. They all agree they would not use it again. Good luck and try not to worry too much.
I like it as an interim- I get colonoscopies every 5 years because of my history and like to do a stool sample test in the middle of that. They've turned out negative so far, but have made me more comfortable about waiting the full 5 years. Colon cancer is nasty and I love prevention. My DDIL's Dad just had 14 inches of his colon removed and since they found a few cancer cells in the margins, he's going to get 6 weeks of radiation followed by 6 weeks of chemo- so chemo will span the Christmas holidays. Not fun. He had no symptoms and I don't know how often he was getting colonoscopies.
That's a long wait for a colonoscopy. That being said, we have had four friends in the past two months aho have gone through what you are going through. All positives with Cologuard, all negatives with Colonoscopy. They all agree they would not use it again. Good luck and try not to worry too much.
Don't panic. But I kind of did, too, when my Dr. called with the positive result.
She said, "Now I'm not saying you have cancer, but..."
That was a crummy approach, imho. If she would have said, "There can be many causes for the positive result (bleeding, non-cancerous polyps, hemorrhoids, genetics), but you need to get it checked out..." might have been much better. But once I heard the "C" word, I focused on that!
Docs--don't panic your patients!! Stress is bad....
Anyhow, my colonoscopy went fine. Did find internal hemorrhoids which were asymptomatic--likely the cause of the blood...
Don't panic...I waited a few months for my procedure, too. Its rough, the waiting, but focus on a happy outcome and continue to eat well and exercise...
She said, "Now I'm not saying you have cancer, but..."
That was a crummy approach, imho. If she would have said, "There can be many causes for the positive result (bleeding, non-cancerous polyps, hemorrhoids, genetics), but you need to get it checked out..." might have been much better. But once I heard the "C" word, I focused on that!
Docs--don't panic your patients!! Stress is bad....
Wow. I bet she flunked Bedside Manner 101. Thank heaven for Dr. Google.
This is why I work to steer as clear as possible from the docs, they will find something if you let them.
That's the bread and butter of their business and it IS a business, no denying that. It's money first, your health second. No money, no treatment. Same with the insurance and pharma SCAMS.
The other day I went in for an office visit, I needed a prescription for my BP meds. My current insurance has no copay, it's supposed to be a negotiated rate. So I called in ahead of time to ask how much it was for an office visit, private (cash) payment, they told me $120 which i thought was high. Later on when I actually went in, I gave them my card, they ran it through and demanded $150 before I even saw the doctor and she was rude about it to boot. I told her they quoted me 120 for cash. I had not been in several years, I didn't have a need. Anyway, I said cancel the whole thing. I went to my old doctor and paid $60. Moral of the story, they charge more with insurance than without. I know why.
As for the topic, this crappy insurance I have does cover a free colonoscopy 100% and includes the office visit, it's got a 5k deductible. My first and last one was over 5 years ago. They found one polyp, benign. The biopsy was not covered since it is diagnostic, they sent me a bill for $3600.
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