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Totally unrelated. We briefly touched-upon Whoopie Goldberg's phobias. (*Back-story, if you will*)

Just a way to keep this very serious issue a bit light-hearted and fun-to-read!
 
Guys, at almost 52, I've had my share of digital checks done already. Like a lot of guys who post here, that doesn't bother me ;-). And my doc really stays in there a while compared to others who have performed this same check! No history of cancer in my family but the doc says that doesn't mean anything.

But recently I had a scare. One Monday there was blood in my urine, it appeared at the end of the stream, and of course I went to the doc right away. He found no trouble and said it was probably a broken vessel and to keep an eye on things. Well, it cleared up by the next day, but when I thought about it, I remembered that the previous weekend was a rather busy one for my partner and I, and I'm pretty sure what happened is that I took a Cialis at the beginning of the weekend and then gave it a "little" boost with 25mg of viagra on Sunday. I'm pretty sure the viagra boost is responsible, considering what this type of medication does to your erectile system, and I ended up with too much of a good thing, although it was still working "on demand" and not providing a constant "effect" if you get my drift, so there was no indication I had over-medicated. I only use the stuff as insurance anyway, and I have never since done this "boost" type of medicating as was suggested to me by someone else who takes both of these types of drugs. If anything, it proved to me that I don't need this stuff that much. Maybe it's just a quirk in my own system, but thought I'd share my experience.

So any of you guys who use E.D. drugs recreationally, moderation is key. Don't over do it, take as small a dose as will provide the desired result. Otherwise you might have the same thing happen that I did and give yourself a false alarm. At my age, you start thinking about worst case scenarios first.

And I checked with my friend that I mentioned further up. His doc is calling him back in due to the figures on the PSA in his bloodwork. I hope this is a case of a false reading as people further up have mentioned is not unusual with PSA's.
 
Whirlcool

How long ago was that bad colonoscopy experience? I'm terribly sorry someone in the medical profession treated you that way. Of course your BP went up, you were in PAIN! Yes it would be quite uncomfortable awake! I don't know how things are in TX, but I think it's highly unusual for a doctor to not offer sedation for colonoscopy. Here it's a matter of course. You take a nice little nap, and when you wake up it's all done. Over the years I've had a couple of patients refuse the sedation, but they usually change their mind after we get started. Only 1 person I have seen withstand the procedure quite well without any drugs, and he put himself into some sort of deep self hypnosis like state. If you lived here in South FL I'd hook you up with a good Doc & we'd take good care of you at our little outpatient center. Don't be afraid to try it again. Find a different doctor & tell him/her about your prior bad experience & ask about the sedation at the office, BEFORE you even make the appointment for the colonoscopy. HTH.
Virginia
 
I've only had one colonoscopy and it was a breeze. The doctor was very cool and kept checking with me to see that I was comfortable. I don't recall any sedation or medication. I guess since I'm a gay man, I knew how to receive the probe OK. The only thing the doc said would be uncomfortable was when he had to "inflate" the intestinal walls, which would be similar to gas pains. He was overly cautious about checking with me whenever he had to do that, and the discomfort was minimal. For sure the inflating part was more uncomfortable than having the equipment go up me. I think it's all about relaxation, and if you're not used to having anything up there, then the doc needs to provide the proper medication so you'll be relaxed for the procedure. Sounds like that doc who said to take it like a man might be into B&D and can't separate business from pleasure or whatever. I'd go to another guy next time you need to get one done, whirlcool, as they really aren't that bad even for guys who don't have two-way traffic happening.
 
Prostate

PSA test can not only have false positives, but also false negatives, so it's better to have your prostate examined.

I already have prostate problems for several years, but no cancer. I get Proscar 5mg (finasteride) for the symptoms. My prostate is chronically irritated due to the use of ibuprofen for a longer period. Ibuprofen can have negative effects on the prostate, but there is not much literature on that yet.

The university hospital overhere in Groningen is specialized in prostate cancer. Recent research has shown that 30% of the men suffering from prostate cancer have a very mild form that doesn't have to be treated. Still it is good to have it monitored. But there are other much more agressive forms as well. Prostate cancer became a lot of attention here because a famous Dutch singer had prostate cancer at a young age. He had his prostate removed in France, it seems that a hospital in southern France is specialized in that operation.

If you want to be kind for your prostate there are a few things that you can do.

- drink lots of water;
- don't eat spicey foods;
- at least three times sex per week.

Louis
 
whirlcool

THAT is part of the reason why I'm EXTREMELY phobic about Drs and Dentists. I've had bad experiences with both and I've been held down for shots and treated condescendinly by an abusive dentist over and over. I will definitely have to take Valium or something because my BP will go up and being nervous and tense, good luck getting anything up this str8 guy's butt.
 
Jason you're not alone. My partner needs to be sedated for MRI's and those aren't even invasive! Why is it that only dentists use laughing gas? That stuff makes every situation just fine & dandy.

Louis, thanks for the info. I take ibuprofen maybe a time or two a week and am hoping that's OK but considering I've had prostate issues in the past, I'm going to start keeping track of my ibuprofen intake.
 
Luigi, where did you get this advice?

I drink lots of water.
I don't eat spicy food.
Is two out of three good enough? Or is my prostrate going to self-destruct?

Boom.

veg
 
Zappa

I think Frank Zappa died an untimely death in his 40's due to early prostate cancer.

I was heavily sedated for my colonoscopy. Didn't feel a thing. I was, however, able to walk home afterwards (the hospital is only about six blocks from home).

Next time I'll drive :-).

One silver lining of my recent bike accident is that the trauma center did a full thorax CT scan. The doc said all my internal organs were just fine. At age 54, that's good news.

He said nothing about any of my "external" organs, lol.
 
Would anyone care for more fresh ground black pepper?

I have heard buzzing that this is not the best spice for one's prostate. Just hearsay. Can't back it up.

Then again lycopene (in cooked tomato) is said to be beneficial, IIRC.
 
I have heard buzzing that this [ground black pepper] is not

I'm just wondering how one goes about applying ground black pepper to one's prostate.

No, wait, please don't tell me, especially if it involves large pepper grinders.

;-)

I prefer fresh green or red hot chili peppers for adding spice to foods, anyway. Black pepper has its place but it's kind of boring.

For a while saw palmetto was supposed to be the cat's meow for prostate health. Then there was a study that showed it made no difference, and I don't see much hype about it any more.

I figure avoiding sitting for long extended periods, and/or getting a good amount of exercise, might be the best.
 
Peppers

As with many experiences in life, getting the most enjoyment out of hot peppers involves knowing the proper quantity, quality, and timing. As a kid I hated hot things, but as I've gotten older I appreciate the zing! that fresh hot peppers give various foods. Often one can greatly reduce the amount of salt one would ordinarily add to food simply by replacing it with a hot pepper. There is also a process of aclimatization to hot spicy foods that can only come with time. Plus, hot peppers help with digestion, they clear the sinuses, and may even kill bad germs.

And of course the active principle makes an effective deterrent to thugs.
 
Thanks for the advice on the colonoscopy guys. I called my GP back and told him what happened. I also told him that most people I know that have had the test were put out totally during the test and they didn't have any complications, why can't this be done for me? He said I was susposed to be put out and why the doctor performing the procedure didn't do this was beyond him. It turns out the doctor that I was referred to for the colonoscopy does ONLY colonoscopies, nothing else! But we will schedule another one and I will be certain to be put out for that one!
The last one was about two years ago.
A funny note about those tests. A few years ago one of our F/O's had the test done and was given photos of the event as a souvenier. He brought those photos to the trip and passed them around to crew members. Nothing like looking at a lot of pink!
 
Whirlcool

Yeah we send most everybody home with pictures, if the doc takes any, usually they do. It's funny to see peoples' reactions. Some are totally grossed out, some are very interested & ask lots of questions. Did you go to a GI doctor or a colo-rectal surgeon? GI docs only perform colonoscopies & upper endoscopies (EGD), while colo-rectal surgeons perform surgery on the lower digestive system and perform colonoscopies. So the fact that the guy you went to only does colonoscopies is not unusual. When you find another GI doctor, ask about a medication called Diprivan. If you have any more questions or just want to talk about it please email me. As a medical professional, I just hate to hear stories about people being treated poorly in a medical setting.
 
My experience

with colonoscopy started with my mother, in her later years. The first time she had one, she had the prep with "GoLytely." It is a gallon of nasty tasting chemicals. Effective, but still a gallon.

The subsequent ones were with "Fleets Phospho-Soda," and this is the better prep, for it is (according to the doctor who did Ma's colonoscopies, and later, mine) just as effective as "GoLytely," but about 4 ounces total, instead of 128 ounces. Tastes very salty and nasty, but just 4 ounces.

I have been having gut issues of (then) undetermined nature for over two years, and have had more colonoscopies than a 46 year old should have.

(Humour---partly true)

The last time, before I took my little nap, I asked the doctor to let me know if he found Waldo up there.
Or Jimmy Hoffa. The entire staff laughed, and when I woke up, they said "Waldo just left, and left a "sorry to have missed you" Post-it.

(End humour)

The procedure itself has been perfectly ok, it's just the prep that annoys me.

My gut is getting better now, it might be an advanced case of IBS, and a medication called Xifaxan seems to be helping.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
colon exam

Yes, it is a good idea to have all of this checked. Since colon cancer runs in our family, I have had 4 colonoscopys. Each time there have been polyups but have been pre-cancerous so it is a must to have this done.
Try this one at the doctor's when he asks: "How long has it been since your prostate was checked last?" and then I said: "Doctor, how long has it been since yours was checked last?" He was at a lose for words for sure; I thought I would die lauging. Gary
 
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