The issue with Cologuard is that its NOT always reliable, so if it comes back positive for blood you will need a colonosocpy regardless and you might have extra worry over nothing or it can come back as negative and give you a false sense of security. Did your insurance company tell you if the cologuard comes back positive your colonoscopy will be covered? To me colonoscopy is best but it all depends on your insurance
I’m on my fifth colonoscopy, my last just 2 months ago with only 1 benign polyp found. The prep is far worse than the procedure and I have found a doctor I am actually good friends with and trust completely. I could use the cologuard test but why bother, if it’s positive you’ll have to have a colonoscopy anyway. My 2 cents.
All I can tell you is that Medicare paid for my colonoscopy.
Not sure if this will be helpful, but per my specific insurance situation and age (58), it was wiser to just jump in to the colonoscopy. Glad I did, as it turned out that the doctor wanted a second one, months later, to double check some things. Bottom line for me was greater peace of mind and mitigation of minor polyps. (Sorry for the “TMI”!)
I used the Cologard box to send a stool sample to theexpose.uk because they axed for donations.
I had two colonoscopies when I was on the insurance from work. Both showed benign polyps. I am now on Medicare and will be visiting a doctor soon to find out my colonoscopy options. They’ll probably try the Cologuard BS on me, too. I have Medicare with a plan G supplement. Do you have a supplement or a Medicare Advantage plan?
I would not wish colon cancer on anyone. Yeah, a colonoscopy is somewhat unpleasant, especially the prep. But, the alternative far worse.
Agree with jumping to the colonoscopy. The cologard is $600 if you have used them within last three years because they call it “preventative.” Used it once, it was easy.
Thar being said, watch the colonoscopy prep. Sent me to the ER.
I took mine to the local dog park to get a sample. It came back cancer free, but it seems I have a mild case of distemper.
correct = NO to the cologuard, yes to a SCREENING colonoscopy...
Is a Cologuard just a partial ???
The coloscopy finds polyps with cancer cells most of the way in ...
The partial would miss a lot ...
I have had 4 colonoscopies in the last 25 years.
1st, felt ok, tired the next day.
2nd, felt ok, tired for a couple of days.
3rd, hurt for a couple of days.
4th, hurt for a week.
Colo-guard was not available, and insurances only recently started covering it.
If given the option, I would go Colo-guard.
Not sure what your question is, exactly. Cologuard measures pre-cancerous DNA, not just blood. I wasn’t very impressed with it when mine came back positive. Then I went in for my ‘scope and they found three very small polyps, all of which came back as adenomatous (the kind that can develop into cancer). So I’m pretty impressed with Cologuard, in retrospect.
Here’s how folks can donate to TheExpose.UK.
Convenient stool sample packaging ready-to-mail.
My physician does that test when he checks my prostate, I’ve had three colonoscopies and should have another one in a year or so. No brainer.
I will never get another colonoscopy. They couldn’t finish because of a health condition I had gotten, and they didn’t give me enough to put me under.
The VA keeps pushing for one, and I tell them come up with a better way. They had their chance. I no longer trust it. Nothing is getting shoved up there ever again
Don’t bother with Cologuard, just get the real thing and be done with it. There are no false readings doing the colonoscopy.
I did read on the internet that some insurance changes a follow-up colonoscopy after a positive cologuard from preventive care to a diagnostic procedure, and there can be a lower reimbursement as a result. The reason I chose the cologuard is:
The guy in the video is a Chiropractor and not a M.D. But in the video, if this is the right video I saw of this guy, he claims that 1 in a 1000 colonoscopies result in a serious complication. And the odds of the colonoscopy catching a cancer is also 1 in a 1000. So it didn't make sense to him, given that there are non-invasive tests to go through a colonoscopy. If I recalled that correctly.
I mentioned that to my doctor and he said he wasn't sure he would agree with that.
And it may be that the serious complications occur because they find something that needs to be removed and a complication occurs as a result. I don't know.
The Cologuard test was pretty simple. And there are youtube videos on how to collect the specimen and mail it off.
After mailing the specimen, I mentioned on our work group chat that I had just mailed a box of poo. And that either there was a politician I really didn't like or that I was avoiding having a colonoscopy.
A coworker accused me of creating a hostile work chat environment and that my comment was exactly the reason nobody should be required to be in a work group chat.
And my box told me I was oversharing.
My apologies if I just created a hostile FR environment for anyone. But you knew the topic of the thread when you chose to keep reading. LOL
Had them both with no problems found. Had the colonoscopy, woke up put my clothes on and left. The nurse came running down he parking lot to give me some papers.
My sis was in medical malpractice insurance business and never will have a colonoscopy. Too many incidents of perforations causing life-long issues. Personally, I suspect minor perforations myself, as hours after having a couple of them I’ve had brutal UTIs.