After 20 years - how often do you c-scope?

Hi guys, Long time no talk, which means life has been busy and I haven't been flaring. YAY! I have my cscope on the 15th and have to do the dreaded all the up to my brain covid test before and then the dreaded prep(with anti-nausea and anti-anxiety pill). I have had UC for almost 23 years. EEKKK.... HALF OF MY LIFE. Crazy. I hate c-scopes. Literally start having anxiety months before my appointment. For those that have had UC a long time, how often do you cscope? Obviously cancer is worse than a cscope. I am not stupid to want cancer, but ugh..... I had my last one a year ago but switched from UCSF to Stanford(due to major quality of care issues and c-diff) so my new doc wants me to scope. I typically only do every other year... How often do you guys?

Hope everyone is hanging in there and doing ok. 2020 really is the crappiest(pun intended) year.

Hi, *Jen*! Stanford Med Center is closer to your home, right? So that should reduce some of your pre-scope anxiety. I just had my 40th anniversary of UC DX on Sept. 12. For the 1st 5 yrs my doctor constantly pestered me to scope; it was the "let's take a peek"-era. How I hated that! Probably the main reason to repeat was that my initial c-scope turned up 2 polyps. During the past decade my gastro of 30 yrs has gotten very involved treating the worst cases, patients on several different biologics + clinical trials for new biologics, which takes the heat off me 'cause we found my saving med during a 2002-3 clinical trial for Colazal. Plus, thankfully, I didn't grow any new polyps so I was able to get away with a 5 yr interval, having just one flex-sig. Had c-scope in 2013 then acquired a malignant (non-hereditary type) endometrial tumor in 2015, which required trans-abdominal surgery (yuck!) ; then I was busy with gyn-onc check-ups that took precedence over everything so I didn't c-scope again 'til 2019. *** Can you use the Miralax/clear liquid mixture to prep? I've done that for my 2 most recent c-scopes & found it much less troublesome than the older purges. *** BTW, how are your children? I remember that you wrote us yrs back when your daughter had just kicked her 1st soccer goal, fun to read! / Old Hat (40 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

Coming up to 32 years since diagnosis and age 66...and November will be 1.5 year interval. I might just stay there.
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i have one anally or every 20 years - whichever comes last -

TT

I was told no seeds for 3 days before but other than that no diet restrictions.

I did split prep. Started at 6 pm night before. My appt the next day was 1 pm so I didn’t start prep until 9 am that day. I only did 2/3 of 2nd prep because I was cleaned out the night before. That stuff works a little TOO well on me. Instructions are to start 2nd prep 5 hrs before arrival time.

Hi Jen! I too have lots of problems with cleaning out for c-scopes. I have always been instructed to avoid things like seeds, etc, the week prior. This time I went beyond the instructions and ate completely low fibre for the week before. I think it helped. Yes I agree with the advice to start the prep earlier than what your instructions say. I think the split prep works better than when you do both doses the same day just a couple hours apart. I will find the thread Old Hat mentioned and bump it up.

Ok read the post but it had lots of topics in it. So if I am nervous about prep and my scope is 10am Thursday. Would you do 3pm and 3am?

Got my anti-nausea and anti-anxiety pills ready. My new GI was a bit surprised by the anti-anxiety request but this old dog needs to take the edge off after 20+ years of prepping. The struggle is real to keep the panic at bay. No shame in a pill. If you are reading this and need to hear it...ask your doc for an anti-anxiety pill!!!

Oh I wondered about asking for an anti-anxiety pill... but then again they make me sleepy and if I am sleeping, I'm not drinking liquids! Well maybe I will ask her about it anyway and see what she says.

Well good luck with it all, *Jen*, and let us know how it goes!

Ok read the post but it had lots of topics in it. So if I am nervous about prep and my scope is 10am Thursday. Would you do 3pm and 3am?

Got my anti-nausea and anti-anxiety pills ready. My new GI was a bit surprised by the anti-anxiety request but this old dog needs to take the edge off after 20+ years of prepping. The struggle is real to keep the panic at bay. No shame in a pill. If you are reading this and need to hear it...ask your doc for an anti-anxiety pill!!!

You guys are going to totally laugh. Did the first half my prep and set my alarm so that I would wake up at 5am and do my second. I slept through my alarm(likely due to the anti-anxiety pills) woke up at 7am in a huge panic. Chugged my prep, projectile vomited it, got half down. Called the nurse and told her what happened and luckily she said no problem. Finished my prep and went in. They were behind(I heard the nurses talking and someone took way longer because their prep was bad) so I was nervous but it was totally fine. I need to post my results. It sounded all good but my doc is on leave for required education units so can’t talk to him until January. I will set THREE alarms next time. What a panic!!

OH no, I can well imagine the feeling of panic when you slept through your alarm!! Whew, what a relief that it turned out so well in the end!

That's good scope news!! Congrats!

After 13 years with it I have a scope every 2 years and they found a 2mm polyp the last time and so yes a little scared.

I have my next one tomorrow (Tuesday). The reality is if you had a scope a year ago; and there were no polyps it’s highly unlikely you have any sinister polyps or anything other than inflammation a year later.

I read that polyps take over 10 years to fully grow so surely a 2 year colonoscopy somewhat prevents any new ones from growing bigger?

Would love to hear people’s thoughts.