Refusing colonoscopy?

34/m diagnosed at age 30 with L-sided UC, years of struggling but finally in symptomatic remission for the past year or so. My bowels are the best they've been since I was a kid. Formed stools (2 bm's per day max), no blood, no urgency... nothing at all.

Anyways, I recently got a new GI provider as my old one left, and the new one wants to do a colonoscopy "just to see" what's going on and I suppose check if my remission is clinical or not. Sounds OK I guess (though miserable), but the problem is with COVID19 going around, I don't have anyone to go with me for the scope. It has to be done at a specific hospital (that's how my insurance works), which has an ER and confirmed cases being treated. I refuse to bring my wife there with me because I don't want her exposed, and no one I know is exactly ready to volunteer for a trip in to the Hot Zone, which is understandable.

Thus, I'm thinking of just refusing the exam until this thing starts to die down.. but I'd like to hear from people if I'm crazy or not for doing that.

Smart IMO...cancel it. Your new GI can ' see' when things calm down. Good luck!

I would cancel it until a later date. I am surprised at the gi recommending it at this time.

I wouldn't go near a hospital or medical clinic right now unless I absolutely had to. In Arizona, I don't think anyone is even doing routine scopes right now. It's a waste of resources that are needed elsewhere.

Is the hospital even doing elective, non urgent procedures like that? I would be surprised. A family member in a low-risk New England state thought he was lucky getting the last scheduled scope mid-March before they shut it down for routine checks. Someone in the room tested positive and now he is in isolation at home.

There's no need for the procedure. Instead, have him/her run a decal Calprotectin stool test or C-Reactive Protein blood test to see how you're doing. Symptomatic Remission is enough.

You're 4 years in, once you reach the 8-10 year mark then you'll get regular colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screenings.