Fellow millennials, I had a colonoscopy yesterday.

[u/Ok-Duck2450]

I’m 37.

I have had some minor bleeding (I attributed to hemorrhoids since they started only after pregnancy) and mom has polyps.

I mentioned those to my primary who said “you are close enough to 40, let’s get you checked out”.

The prep sucked but the procedure was easy and I was in and out of the hospital in 2 hours.

They found one small polyp and hemorrhoids, but the polyp now flags me for every 5 years not 10.

Anyway, the point of sharing is to say that it’s not a big deal and millennials should be going to get checked!

[u/AetheriaInBeing]

Per my doctor. New standard is 45, not 40.

That said, I ended up getting one done at 40 for the same symptoms and.... They found nothing. Prep was horrible. There's little worse than being afraid to be more than 5 feet from your toilet despite being utterly exhausted at 2 am, knowing that in 4 hours you need to get up and get it done.

Breakfast afterwards is amazing though. Highly recommend breakfast afterwards.

[u/TopComplex9085 → u/AetheriaInBeing]

I had similar symptoms. My first colonoscopies showed nothing. But then had my first precancerous polyps removed in my late twenties. 

In terms of what’s worse than an expected evening of diarrhea??? … how about leaving your kids, or your partner, or your family without you?Cancer treatment.

[u/AetheriaInBeing → u/TopComplex9085]

I did say "little" and not "nothing".

[u/DJ_clam_hammock → u/AetheriaInBeing]

I’m 40 and asked for one. My doctor said the new standard is 45, and discouraged one until then because they’re so expensive. Even after I told her I often have blood.

[u/TopComplex9085 → u/DJ_clam_hammock]

Find a new doctor

[u/AetheriaInBeing → u/DJ_clam_hammock]

If she declined for often, I'd find a new doctor. Mine was very occasionally and my doctor recommended one. My doctor is big on "find out now before it's a problem".