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If OPs mother won't participate in the prep, they won't do the procedure. It sounds like she won't, so leave her alone.
If she were a fit and otherwise healthy 77 year old, I'd say she should continue have the procedure a few more times. You make it sound as if she has never had a colonoscopy before, so maybe she doesn't understand that it is a painless, spa-like procedure...nothing to be afraid of.
I learned the hard way that doctors are test happy with older folks, they see $$$ signs of easy billing.
At 91 my wonderful Mom had fallen and we had her in the hospital for a few days. They found some internal bleeding and could not locate the source, so they insisted on a very painful bone marrow test for cancer.... Cancer is not in my family ANYWHERE. :-(
The next year, my poor lovely sweet Mom was 92, she had constipation, and the dr. insisted on an MRI. WTH !!!! The MRI techs hurt her (I went after the doctor, the facility and the techs but to no avail) and she was never the same, in constant pain, she passed about 2 months later. All we needed was a laxative.
Nope, please do NOT force your Mom if she does not want to. OMG the prep alone is grueling for anyone, much less someone at 77.
The doctors just want the fees from the procedure. Period. Especially if there is no cancer.
If OPs mother won't participate in the prep, they won't do the procedure. It sounds like she won't, so leave her alone.
If she were a fit and otherwise healthy 77 year old, I'd say she should continue have the procedure a few more times. You make it sound as if she has never had a colonoscopy before, so maybe she doesn't understand that it is a painless, spa-like procedure...nothing to be afraid of.
Really? spa-like?
How many colonscopies have YOU had? The prep is horrific and leaves you exhausted and drained. Electrolytes totally depleted and that might harm a 77 year old!!!
I have had a colonoscopy and while the prep was the worst part, I certainly wouldn't call it horrific. More like an inconvenience (which resulted in me losing about five pounds). The procedure itself was absolutely nothing (except a little funny due to all the gas afterwards). After I was released in about 45 minutes, my husband took me to eat a huge breakfast. Then I went home and got into my jammies and lazed around the house, though I actually felt fine.
I have had a colonoscopy and while the prep was the worst part, I certainly wouldn't call it horrific. More like an inconvenience (which resulted in me losing about five pounds). The procedure itself was absolutely nothing (except a little funny due to all the gas afterwards). After I was released in about 45 minutes, my husband took me to eat a huge breakfast. Then I went home and got into my jammies and lazed around the house, though I actually felt fine.
I agree. I had my last colonoscopy a year ago and the prep was far less demanding than the one that I had five or six years ago and far, far less demanding than the one that I had 15 or so years ago. So, if you have not had a colonoscopy recently you may be pleasantly surprised in the changes.
My husband had colon cancer a number of years ago. It was not discovered until his colon was completely blocked and he nearly died. His surgeon said that the tumor that was blocking his colon could easily have been discovered & removed if he had a colonoscopy at any time in the previous ten years.
Having recently experienced it, in a word the prep is AWFUL.
Having to help my husband through his successful fight with colon cancer I would say that his surgery, six months of chemotherapy, months off of work and over a full year of recovery time after the surgery was probably worse than one day of prep & having a colonoscopy. That is not even mentioning him having to use a colostomy bag for nine months.
Plus my husband was near death at several points before his emergency surgery and during his recovery period. Of course, without the emergency surgery he would have been actually, permanently dead instead of just near death.
My husband really, really, really regretting his decision not to have colonoscopy when the doctor asked him to have one.
But, I understand that it is your choice if you feel the prep is AWFUL.
BTW, my husband said that wearing a colostomy bag can be pretty "awful" at times too but it beat being dead.
Back to the thread. Your mother should make her own decision but she needs all of the facts to proceed with an informed decision.
Last edited by germaine2626; 06-04-2016 at 09:55 AM..
The colon prep is not only demanding; it has to be done exactly right, no deviating from instruction, or else bowel prep will be "inadequate" (which the surgeon will mention in his/her report) and cancers could be missed. The patient must empty the bowel until there is nothing pigmented in there (whatever comes out, looks like thin urine) and after that, the patient cannot have even a drink of water until the procedure is done (which could be 8 hours after the final bowel movement). That is a lot of getting on and off the toilet.
In my research, I learned that if there is any fecal matter left in the colon, it is likely to adhere to those flat pre-cancerous polyps so they cannot be seen.
If it is really inadequate, the surgeon may refuse to proceed, which would result in the patient being sent home, all the preparation gone to waste, and of course there will still be a bill from the dr. and clinic.
Unless the patient is totally understanding and committed to doing the prep 100%, might as well just skip it. That's not to say that she shouldn't have a colonoscopy just because she is 77. I know someone who is 85 who had one, and the surgeon found and removed some pre-cancerous polyps. That's just saying that there is no point to making someone do it, who does not want to.
No one should force any sane, capable adult to do anything that they don't wish to do.
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NO Please do not force her
