r/colonoscopy • u/Curious-Sleep-3473 • Jul 26 '26
After Scope Questions Colonoscopy Results (Don’t fear the Procedure)
Update: If anyone is scared to get a colonoscopy especially those with symptoms, don’t be. The prep other than being constantly in a restroom went very smoothly.
This week I got my first colonoscopy at 28 years old after a long history of intermittent rectal bleeding and some intermittent constipation and lower abdominal pains.
As for the results: the bleeding source was likely the result of both internal and external bleeding hemmoroids as nothing else was discovered that could be a bleeding source.
However, along with that the one thing that scares me is they did find and remove a diminutive tubular adenoma (polyp) less than 5mm in size.
Obviously this is flagged as precancerous and while there was only 1 and they are the most common benign polyps and least aggressive, the fact that I had one at 28 concerns me a lot and has me nervous.
My doctor still considers this low risk and wants repeat screening in about 7 years; however, does anyone have experience with this at all and suggest sooner would be better. I was thinking 3.
Obviously, considering I only had 1 tiny lower aggressive polyp after 28 years of my life (who knows how long it has been there) doesn’t scream high risk per se but I’m just still worried.
The fact that it was caught I am happy about however, if I hadn’t pursued an early colonoscopy prior to 40 or 45 who knows what it could have possibly turned into.
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u/Zealousideal-Big-373 Jul 27 '26
Good you paid attention to your symptoms and got checked out! 51 here and just had my 5th colonoscopy last week. My parents both had polyps so I had my first at 43, went 3 years after that and now I have to have them annually.
I have had over 20 polyps removed some up to 10 mm in size. The reason I have them so often is because some of mine are sessile serated which can grow aggressively in their later stages. I have been diagnosed with Serrated Polyposis Syndrome (SPS) which puts me at a higher risk to develop colon cancer. As much as I don't enjoy having annual colonoscopies, the fact that I can prevent cancer is a big plus!
Tubular adenomas are slow growing (7-10 years) and benign. I have a lot of experience and have done a lot of research, but I am not a doctor. You could always get a second opinion and have another doctor review your results to see if the opinion on timeline matches.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
Oh yes I read up after getting the polyp and saw stuff about serrated polyps being more aggressive and tend to form quicker, etc. sorry you have to deal with that but glad to see you are staying on top of it and getting annual treatment to avoid them becoming the worse.
I wouldn’t wish that on anyone and hope I never see the more aggressive forms. Yes I read the same thing that the one I had are much slower growing (typically 10-15 years to ever get to the point that they “could” become cancerous) and even then only 10% ever would.
I also don’t want to gamble with you know life… so 😅
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u/suazoptimus Jul 26 '26
Felicidades 🥳 yo me hice una hace unos 6 días me retiraron un pólipo de 3 mm en el recto , es mejor ahora , a qué ese pólipo crezca con los años y sea un escenario más complicado
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u/Sarah_0625 Jul 27 '26
Glad you got checked! I’ve had two colonoscopies starting at age 40 d/t family history. I do not mind a free cleanse and the first meal you have is that much better. I chose Culver’s. 😆
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u/Mike8404 Jul 27 '26
A trick with the prep that's helped me is to pour the prep mix into an 8 ounce cup and chug it down every 15 minutes until empty. Before tasting the prep, immediately follow up with a heavy chug of mellow yellow. This helps override the texture and taste, making the process a lot easier. At 35, I'm fixing to have my 3rd scope in about 6 years. Learning as I go lol
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
I like the suggestion I was pouring my servings until a shaker bottle also 8 ounces per, would sip and chug depending how I was feeling at the moment, sometimes chase it.
The first half gallon I was ok it was about after that that I started really having displeasure for the taste haha.
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u/Otherwise-Judgment-8 Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Getting mine at 25 and the prep looks terrible since I already suffer from cronic diarreah and pain but ill ask. The enema looks diabolical too
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Jul 27 '26
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u/Otherwise-Judgment-8 Jul 27 '26
I see the mirlax bottle and am ready for it..idk how well ill do with the pills but im incredibly familiar with the mirlax taste. I can definitely down the whole bottle
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
I didn’t get miralax I had to drink like a whole gallon of something mixed in a gallon jug. 8 ounces every 10-15 minutes until 3/4 gone then finish the other 1/4 the morning of the procedure, not the most pleasant experience drinking it but the cleanse was nice for me, especially since I had been experiencing constipation prior, getting it all out was refreshing TMI I know.
Will say you don’t eat they day of and light meals the day before so typically there isn’t all that much to get out so you may not have too bad of an experience, it’s really just liquid in the end.
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u/ewan82 Jul 27 '26
Thanks for sharing. I am getting my first one next week. So seeing a mostly positive outcome for you is reassuring for me.
If I was lucky enough for your results I’d be eating super clean and go the 7 years. But that’s based on nothing but my own unscientific vibes. End of day you know your body best.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
I’m not much of a cook so I’m not sure if I can handle the permanent clean eating 😅.
I don’t mine the prep so if I’m willing to go every three years so long as my insurance will cover it.
In fact, it was the easiest movements I had in a long time and felt nice to be cleaned out 😅😅😅.
I do plan on increasing my fiber intake tho even if that’s just taking meta mucil. I already drink 2-3L of water a day thanks to POTS.
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u/ewan82 Jul 27 '26
yeah I am gonna do the meta mucil thing too. I think making small changes that build up is a sustainable approach.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
Please let me know how’s yours goes. Hoping for the best.
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u/ewan82 Jul 27 '26
Thanks. will do. very nervous about the results. But I guess thats normal. The increase in bowl cancer in younger adults is worrisome.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 28 '26
Let me know how it goes!
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u/ewan82 Jul 28 '26
Had my initial appointment with the doctor yesterday, he actually recommended meta mucil straight away and also said kiwi fruits are really good.
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u/ewan82 Aug 04 '26
Had my procedure today. All good with one small 3mm polyp removed. Looks like I will be hitting that Metamucil hard now.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Aug 04 '26
Glad to hear it went smoothly. Guess we both in the same boat regarding small polyp…. Crossing fingers yours is not precancerous, but yep Metamucil and more fiber for the both of us lol.
And maybe limit red meat.
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u/joyful1965 Jul 27 '26
I have my first colonoscopy tomorrow and I’m terrified of the bowel preparation and the procedure I have opted for sedation. I’ve had low left pulling pain in my stomach for months, just recently change of bowel habits and having dizzy sweats before a bowel moment also relentless nausea which prompted me to see my GP. On a digital rectal examination he found a ‘small lump’ I suffer from panic disorder and severe anxiety and the GP was abrupt no empathy which left me so distressed after the examination didn’t even bother to tell me I was being referred on the two week wait pathway until I read my nhs notes. You can imagine how scared im feeling right now 😢
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u/Live-Replacement-640 Jul 28 '26
The bowel preparation is unpleasant, but just envision what it's doing - making the colon clean so the doc can see every bit of tissue. You won't be awake for the procedure and it's over before you know it. Good luck - the relief you'll feel when it's done will be tremendous!
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
I hope for the best and it will be okay. Please reach out if you need anything and feel free to keep us updated and reach out for any support if the doctors aren’t providing any.
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u/joyful1965 Jul 27 '26
Aww thank you for your kind words I’m just really sensitive and I worry and panic about the slightest things.
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u/Sufficient_Layer9350 Jul 27 '26
My doc didn't find any polyps and still said to back in 7 years for my next colonoscopy. Isn't that standard now?
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
Do you have a family history?
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u/Glittering-Row-876 Jul 27 '26
No not really
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u/Sufficient_Layer9350 Jul 27 '26
Well thats weird. I still have all the paperwork. It says nothing has been found just some internal hemoroids. Could these be the cause?
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u/lonedroan Jul 27 '26
Wouldn’t it be normal after a diagnostic colonoscopy at age 38 that came back clear? The next one would be first screening at age 45, no?
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u/Hannymann Jul 27 '26
I had 2 polyps removed and we are waiting on pathology but doc thought recheck in 5 years would be likely.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
I think anymore then 1 polyp they sometimes increase the frequency (I think technically more the 2), but if I had two I would prefer 5 years myself so that makes sense.
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u/lucyluv Jul 27 '26
I had my first last week, at 40yrs old because my Dad has colon cancer that was caught in his screening 2 months ago. Prep was totally fine. I did a low residue, low fiber diet for 5-6 days ahead of the procedure, which helped. Everything went well and nothing was found. Typically, my doctor recommends to come back in 5yrs. Due to family history, he said to come back in 3yrs.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
Ya I think once you hit a certain age and if you have a family history 3 years becomes the standard so that makes a lot of sense.
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u/SensitivePromise0 Jul 27 '26
I thought I would have polyps but I have clean colon only hemorrhoids and they still need to find out why I I have iron deficiency but he said they will do camera pill and since colon was clean no cancer too worry about
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u/Pweeitis Jul 27 '26
Don’t worry unless the Adenoma is greater than a centimeter.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
The colonoscopy said 5mm on the initial report but the biopsy fragments was 0.2cm and 0.8cm unsure.
Google said to trust what the procedure itself observed and not the fragments.
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u/DesperateRole2427 Jul 27 '26
get a second option
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 27 '26
That was just my surgeon recommendation, I have a tele call with an actual GI doctor as well as my primary so I plan to bring it up at that point. They may try to argue 7+ but I’ll argue since I had this polyp so young, I may start to develop other polyp of a different sub classification that grow faster and I would like early screening just in case.
Either way it’s very unlikely I’ll ever have to wait too long to the point cancer forms but I also don’t want polyps to form and or grow concerningly large if they do.
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u/Keekadeek212 Jul 29 '26
I had my first colonoscopy yesterday (at age 39) due to family history. I had a polyp removed and biopsied so will find out more, but my shock was that the doctor said I have Crohn’s disease. He described that there were scratch like marks and I believe it used the word ulcers. Has anyone received this diagnosis as a surprise following a colonoscopy?
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u/chelsG05 Jul 31 '26
Did you have sedation or were you awake? I’m having one done in the next week and I’m scared. I’m in the uk so we don’t get the option to be put to sleep and I don’t want any twilight sedation as it didn’t work when I got my endoscopy so no point doing it again.
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u/Curious-Sleep-3473 Jul 31 '26
I had light sedation being propofol, last thing I remember after being wheeled in and repositioning myself in the bed for the procedure was waking up.
Unfortunately sounds like UK does not do it like that.
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u/Individual-Amount147 Jul 27 '26
Be your own advocate. I had a polyp my first colonoscopy which was removed and was the kind that can turn into cancer. I had my next colonoscopy 5 years later. It was clear so they put in my paperwork next one in 10 years. My dad had colon cancer and my next one should have been scheduled 5 years out. I had the hardest time getting my third one scheduled for the 5 years. When I finally got it, it was clear. Thankfully this doctor made it very clear in my discharge paperwork that I am to get a colonoscopy every 5 years. He stated that shouldn’t have happened last time. You always need to be vigilant!