A bit off-topic but this seemed the best place to post this.

The docs want my mum to do a short colonoscopy. Last year we had a disastrous attempt at a full length colonoscopy. She didn't do the preparation properly and in short she suffered incredibly for nothing.

The prep for the short test is a lot more straightforward but I just can't see her doing it. I just see another source of suffering for and for me with little benefit. She has done CEA blood test which came out OK and the family doc says that as far as her finger goes there is no abnormality. Even if we did find something I can't see her pulling through treatments.

What would you do?

Starman, Frank will no longer have a colonoscopy, as you have stated, what if they found a problem, with us, we wouldn't have any procedures done, so no point of going thru a colonoscopy. Others have gone ahead with it and were relieved to find everything was fine. Good luck with your decision.
Gerry

Derek has had two colonoscopies since Lewy--the last one being last March and it went smoothly. The first one--similar to your mother's--involved his throwing the prep solution across the room and never being really 'prepped'. Whether or not to do invasive testing is open to question in these situations. Even though I have had him undergo more testing than was probably prudent, I have finally asked that PSA tests, for instance, be eliminated, along with lipid panels. We want to continue liver and renal function tests and basic chemistries but, as you are wise to point out, if we would not opt for treatment, why get the diagnosis?

It is a very personal decision. I would decline. What good would finding an abnormality be if there isn't going to be treatment? Why go through the discomfort and the expense of the prep and the exam?

Starman,

You might want to do some reading on the "slow medicine" movement to see if their ideas sit well with you. One of the champions of the movement is Dr. Dennis McCullough. He wrote a book called "My Mother, Your Mother." See:
http://www.mymotheryourmother.com/

Robin

I'm of the opinion, too, that tests and invasive procedures at this point would not be prudent to put our LOs through. I was very glad when my dad said "no more tests" about 2 years ago, and I would have declined them on his behalf if he hadn't, because I know that's what he would have wanted. There is quite a bit of discussion about colonoscopies and other tests on here in various places, including the Slow Medicine topic, as Robin pointed out. Good luck, Lynn