How can I get a colonoscopy if I don’t have a ride?

[Anonymous]

I actually used Uber and they never knew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can also do Cologuard if you are low risk! Much simpler, and the overall outcomes (prevention of death from colon cancer) is the same.

Please work to this. It only tells you if you have cancer and isn’t that accurate. I’m 49 and just did my first. I had a polyp removed. Polyps can truck into cancer. Cologuard will just let them grow. Op can you ask around to friends? I was supper anxious about mine and a lot of my friends offered to drive me. Turned out that many of them had already done it because of family history or some other issue. FWIW, you are supposed to go at 45 now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some doctors will provide colonoscopies without sedation - it's somewhat briefly painful at times, but not too bad. You must make clear arrangements ahead of time. Be prepared for them to possibly try and convince you to have sedation when you arrive.

My husband had an unsedated colonoscopy in his home country. I think that's why he's now stalling from having one here

My DH is an anesthesiologist, and he chose to get an unsedated colonoscopy.

Why? My Dr said in med school she did this on many people in the few clinic. She said they didn’t seem to be in terrible pain, just uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is so sad about our culture that people have to usu a stranger for this small favor.

(I am single, so I get it, but we are not as “rich” around here as we like to believe 🙁)

Why do you think this is unique to our culture? I've lived abroad where people hire drivers for this sort of thing. And it's not inherently sad.

That said, I suggest OP either use medical transportation or just ask around. It can be hard to find people that don't have to work though.

In many cultures (non-Western), families live in close proximity, neighbors all know and help each other. The US is much more individualistic (vs collectivist).

This.
It is a different sort of wealth, out of reach in an individualistic society like the US.

That is why I said it is sad. We have money but very limited social support.

No bueno.

[Anonymous]

Someone mentioned a concierge service. This. You will pay them for x hours but it's likely to be useful for other similar things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also do Cologuard if you are low risk! Much simpler, and the overall outcomes (prevention of death from colon cancer) is the same.

Please work to this. It only tells you if you have cancer and isn’t that accurate. I’m 49 and just did my first. I had a polyp removed. Polyps can truck into cancer. Cologuard will just let them grow. Op can you ask around to friends? I was supper anxious about mine and a lot of my friends offered to drive me. Turned out that many of them had already done it because of family history or some other issue. FWIW, you are supposed to go at 45 now.

I had a clean cologuard but a new Dr told me to get the colonoscopy anyways. I did in fact have a polyp that was removed. I will go back in 5 years. I will never did a cologuard again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a neighbor if colleague or friend? They aren’t going to liable if you don’t get a colonoscopy. Or, try the hired route like pp suggested. Try your local listserv and maybe you offer a fee to a college student. Call the doctor and see if Ubers count - usually not because they want to see your escort. Might also try a driver, like an airport driver.

I suspect OP has neighbors, colleagues and friends, but it's a big ask if you aren't close. I do it for close friends and family. I had a spouse have major complications (yes, rare, but it happens) and I would do anything for him, but knowing there is always the chance I cannot do that for someone I am not close to. I hadf to be aggressive getting in touch with doctor, insisting on ER, etc and thank goodness I was. I was up all night to advocate. OP I would spend the money to hire an aide to drive you and pay the person to stick around for a few hours hust in case. You will know within a short period if all is well and you can send the person home. It's worth taking a loss on the money to have peace of mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also do Cologuard if you are low risk! Much simpler, and the overall outcomes (prevention of death from colon cancer) is the same.

Please work to this. It only tells you if you have cancer and isn’t that accurate. I’m 49 and just did my first. I had a polyp removed. Polyps can truck into cancer. Cologuard will just let them grow. Op can you ask around to friends? I was supper anxious about mine and a lot of my friends offered to drive me. Turned out that many of them had already done it because of family history or some other issue. FWIW, you are supposed to go at 45 now.

I had a clean cologuard but a new Dr told me to get the colonoscopy anyways. I did in fact have a polyp that was removed. I will go back in 5 years. I will never did a cologuard again.

My doctor said cologuard is for people who can’t or won’t get a colonoscopy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend lives out of state. She’s early 50s and hasn’t had one yet, and I’ve been encouraging her to get one. She finally found a friend to give her a ride home, but then the dr’s office told her that person has to sign something agreeing to stay with her the whole day—and she’s not comfortable asking someone to do that. So she still hasn’t done it.

That’s crazy. Your friend needs to shop around for another provider.

+1
That’s not the norm.

Yeah, I agree. I need to ask her if she worked anything out--she was really frustrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also do Cologuard if you are low risk! Much simpler, and the overall outcomes (prevention of death from colon cancer) is the same.

Please work to this. It only tells you if you have cancer and isn’t that accurate. I’m 49 and just did my first. I had a polyp removed. Polyps can truck into cancer. Cologuard will just let them grow. Op can you ask around to friends? I was supper anxious about mine and a lot of my friends offered to drive me. Turned out that many of them had already done it because of family history or some other issue. FWIW, you are supposed to go at 45 now.

I had a clean cologuard but a new Dr told me to get the colonoscopy anyways. I did in fact have a polyp that was removed. I will go back in 5 years. I will never did a cologuard again.

My doctor said cologuard is for people who can’t or won’t get a colonoscopy.

Cologuard is designed to catch cancer and large precancerous polyps.

Only 5% of polyps ever turn into cancer.

Colorectal cancers only acct for about 8% of new cancers yearly.

So if you are low risk with no family history, pooing in the box is a legit diagnostic tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also do Cologuard if you are low risk! Much simpler, and the overall outcomes (prevention of death from colon cancer) is the same.

Please work to this. It only tells you if you have cancer and isn’t that accurate. I’m 49 and just did my first. I had a polyp removed. Polyps can truck into cancer. Cologuard will just let them grow. Op can you ask around to friends? I was supper anxious about mine and a lot of my friends offered to drive me. Turned out that many of them had already done it because of family history or some other issue. FWIW, you are supposed to go at 45 now.

I had a clean cologuard but a new Dr told me to get the colonoscopy anyways. I did in fact have a polyp that was removed. I will go back in 5 years. I will never did a cologuard again.

My doctor said cologuard is for people who can’t or won’t get a colonoscopy.

Cologuard is designed to catch cancer and large precancerous polyps.

Only 5% of polyps ever turn into cancer.

Colorectal cancers only acct for about 8% of new cancers yearly.

So if you are low risk with no family history, pooing in the box is a legit diagnostic tool.

Well my neighbor who died of colon cancer since it wasn’t caught early told me don’t $hit in the box. Do the real thing. I was honestly terrified of it as a SA survivor, but I couldn’t even tell that I’d been violated there. The prep wasn’t fun but I made it through and they did find and remove a polyp. I know too many people in their early 40s/late 30s who have colon cancer to skip it. It’s too important and totally curable if caught early. I would give anyone I knew a ride home from it. I was there maybe 2 hours total and DH dropped me off and picked me up. Nbd.

[Anonymous]

They tell you that you have to wait till someone comes, but they don't hold you in a jail cell. Husband was supposed to pick up but running late with work meeting. I just walked out after 15 minutes and called an uber. No issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a friend drive me and home

Some of us don’t have friends

You have bigger problems than getting a colonoscopy then!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also do Cologuard if you are low risk! Much simpler, and the overall outcomes (prevention of death from colon cancer) is the same.

Please work to this. It only tells you if you have cancer and isn’t that accurate. I’m 49 and just did my first. I had a polyp removed. Polyps can truck into cancer. Cologuard will just let them grow. Op can you ask around to friends? I was supper anxious about mine and a lot of my friends offered to drive me. Turned out that many of them had already done it because of family history or some other issue. FWIW, you are supposed to go at 45 now.

I had a clean cologuard but a new Dr told me to get the colonoscopy anyways. I did in fact have a polyp that was removed. I will go back in 5 years. I will never did a cologuard again.

My doctor said cologuard is for people who can’t or won’t get a colonoscopy.

Cologuard is designed to catch cancer and large precancerous polyps.

Only 5% of polyps ever turn into cancer.

Colorectal cancers only acct for about 8% of new cancers yearly.

So if you are low risk with no family history, pooing in the box is a legit diagnostic tool.

Well my neighbor who died of colon cancer since it wasn’t caught early told me don’t $hit in the box. Do the real thing. I was honestly terrified of it as a SA survivor, but I couldn’t even tell that I’d been violated there. The prep wasn’t fun but I made it through and they did find and remove a polyp. I know too many people in their early 40s/late 30s who have colon cancer to skip it. It’s too important and totally curable if caught early. I would give anyone I knew a ride home from it. I was there maybe 2 hours total and DH dropped me off and picked me up. Nbd.

And were you aware of your neighbor's health history and risk factors and if she stayed on schedule?

You do the cologuard every three years and colon cancer is extremely slow growing, hence the 10 year rec for people with low cancer risk and no previous polyps. The cologuard is the "real thing."

Again, if you have risk factors or family history, you absolutely should get the colonoscopy, but for many many many people, it is unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Cologuard is so inaccurate that I don’t know why anyone would bother with it.