I am 42 years old, female and had my first colonoscopy on Monday. I had no symptoms, but my father had colon cancer when he was 63 y/o. He didn't die from it (he had a heart attack), but they discovered it then and it was very advanced. My sister who is 8 years older than me had polyps removed 3 years ago. The decision to have a colonoscopy was mine and mine alone. Everything was fine and so I don't have to go back for 5 years. The procedure was easy, the prep wasn't that bad.

I have a friend that is 45 y/o and was diagnosed one year ago with colon cancer that had already invaded her liver and she is fighting for her life right now. She has to young girls. She did have symptoms (bleeding) but her doctor said it was probably hemorrhoids, how unfortunate.

So, if you are procrastinating, please go ahead and get it done, I am so glad I did. Listen to the folks on this board that are fighting cancer.

Faith

I'm 36 (almost 37), and I just went to the doc today for rectal bleeding. There are bright red streaks of blood on some of my stools, blood (a little) in the toilet water once, and I am wiping a little red blood sometimes. I was afraid my GP wouldn't want to set up a colonoscopy for me, and that I would have to fight tooth and nail for it, but I didn't. She set one up w/o me even asking. She didn't do a rectal exam. She didn't look "back there" at all. Not sure if that's the norm or not...... She did ask me if I had had any black, tarry looking stools, and I told her no. And she did listen to my breathing, and she mashed around on my abdomen (I guess feeling for lumps), but she didn't find anything.

Now I wait for the GI doc's office to call me to schedule a time for colonoscopy. Not looking forward to it, but at least I'll know why I'm bleeding. Chances are, it's no big deal, but better to be safe than sorry.