A Virginia man inadvertently left his phone recording while he was under anesthesia for a colonoscopy, which captured audio of the doctors: mocking him, instructing a medical assistant to lie to him, and discussing giving him a false diagnosis of hemorrhoids. In 2015, a jury awarded him $500,000.

[u/tyrion2024]

[u/troveofcatastrophe]

*Losing weight without trying
*Fatigue
*Change in poop: Black, tar like, or reddish, diarrhea or constipation or both.
*Belly pain (may come and go)
*Feeling full quicker than norm
*Feeling like you still need to poop after pooping
*A lump or mass that can be felt on your abdomen
*Anemia (low red blood cells, hemoglobin)

The link may have more

If anyone has a family history of colon cancer, I would recommend getting tested or genetic testing.

[u/Vast-Building-6886 → u/troveofcatastrophe]

Man most of those symptoms are common.

[u/Art-Zuron → u/Vast-Building-6886]

That's exactly the issue. IBS, Crohn's, hemorrhoids, gas, appendicitis, etc

Even if you show up with these symptoms, doctors often aren't in much of a hurry to figure it out.

[u/Megneous → u/Art-Zuron]

Dude, doctors in my experience don't give a shit about patients and take "look for horses, not zebras" way too seriously. I had testicular torsion, and the first doctor I went to literally told me to go home and rest, that it was all in my head. Second doctor fondled my balls and said, "Yep, feels like you're torsioned, let's get you an ultrasound to check bloodflow." We did an ultrasound, and booked an OR immediately afterwards. If I hadn't gotten a second opinion, I would have lost my testicle.

[u/Art-Zuron → u/Megneous]

Lots of doctors arent just not expecting zebras, they are quite blatantly denying the possibility of zebras in many cases

[u/NewAgeLand → u/Vast-Building-6886]

I don’t want to be that guy BUT none of those symptoms, besides anemia, are common. Even if you have a high stress job, life, et al. If you are always feeling full for no reason, constantly fatigued even with 8 hours of sleep, randomly losing weight with no explanation or change to exercise/diet, lumps on your body, feeling full but still hungry, please go see a doctor ASAP

[u/That_wet_vaporeon → u/troveofcatastrophe]

Well bye guys I guess I’m dying

[u/That_wet_vaporeon → u/That_wet_vaporeon]

Well bye guys I guess I’m dying, I got like half of that.

[u/troveofcatastrophe → u/That_wet_vaporeon]

Get checked. Half of these are indications of cancer that may not be colon. Weight loss, without trying and unnatural fatigue for example. They don’t necessarily mean you have cancer, could be another disease but get checked.

The mail in cologuard and cancer guard are cited for 45yrs and older. Idk if this is for insurance purposes or they haven’t been tested on younger people but if I had the choice to do nothing or an OTC test, I’d take the mail in test.

Better to be safe than sorry

[u/Typical2sday → u/That_wet_vaporeon]

Get a colonoscopy. Colorectal cancer is not a pleasant way to go out.

[u/WVildandWVonderful → u/That_wet_vaporeon]

Action plan for right now:

Go get on your primary care provider’s app or leave them a message for Monday. Say, “I have many GI symptoms and want to get a referral for a colonoscopy. I also want to ask about insurance coverage. Please help me make this happen.”

If you don’t have a PCP, get one now.

[u/Normal_Opposite_9864 → u/That_wet_vaporeon]

its not a joke. I fucked around, lost half my colon, and spent 8 months on chemo. its no joke

[u/WVildandWVonderful → u/troveofcatastrophe]

In what way is “genetic testing” a viable alternative to getting a colonoscopy?

It’s not ~ don’t give people a way out of getting the diagnostic test they need.

[u/troveofcatastrophe → u/WVildandWVonderful]

Apologies. I was referring to specific genetic testing to see if you are more prone to getting colon cancer (KRAS mutations, Lynch syndrome etc). This is if you can’t get a Dr to ok a colonoscopy because US healthcare is a travesty and the expense often holds young people back.

Then you can force a colonoscopy, along with any family history. Many older generations didn’t talk about cancer, especially colon or breast, so your grandparents could have had it and you’d never know.

Also, step off, I was the one who posted the call for colonoscopies in the first place. Can you guess why that is??!!

Edited to add Lynch syndrome.

[u/WVildandWVonderful → u/troveofcatastrophe]

Ok, this was helpful. I did not read your post as if your suggestion of genetic testing was a first step to getting a colonoscopy covered. Duly stepping off now.

[u/troveofcatastrophe → u/WVildandWVonderful]

No problem, I should have been more specific. It just sucks.

[u/LairdNope → u/troveofcatastrophe]

"If anyone has a family history of colon cancer, I would recommend getting tested or genetic testing."

My mother died of colon cancer, I have some of these symptoms and triage refused to test me until I was 45

[u/troveofcatastrophe → u/LairdNope]

You need to push, bring studies about the increases, etc and if they still won’t, I would get genetic testing for lynch syndrome or mutations. It was $165 bucks where I am. Or buy the over the counter Cologuard, it’s about $200.

Idk how old you are but if you have symptoms I would make it so uncomfortable for them that they relented or find a new Dr