What's your "sell by" age?

[wdfifteen]

Sell by = not much life left in it.

My wife is out driving a woman to the clinic to get a colonoscopy.

The woman is 95 years of age. Getting a colonoscopy.

I guess I have to admire her optimism, but if I make it to the age of 95 I will be well past my last colonoscopy or prostate biopsy appointment. I'm thinking maybe 75 is my cut off age. What's yours?

[Steve Carlton]

What are they looking for, ancient cave drawings?

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

What are they looking for, ancient cave drawings?

OMG hahaha. I just spit out my coffee! Thanks for the laugh.


Yeah at 95 this is pretty silly unless you plan on living to 105 or theyre trying to confirm diagnosis of colitis for treatment perhaps?

[911 Rod]

I don't know if I'll ever be at the age where I just tell them to cut it off

[herr_oberst]

I reckon she's always taken good care of her health; women, as a rule, seem to be very good about this - much more than us men, so it's maybe as much a habit as anything. Or just afeared of dying...or both.

That said, I'm on the 3 year plan for colonoscopies and the six month plan for prostate exams, so I think if I can get 75 or 80 out of this old bag of bones, I'll probably let someone else have my place in line at the examination clinic.

[rockfan4]

I just had my annual "wellness exam". Not a physical anymore. I don't think I've been "probed" in 15 to 20 years.
I'm in my early 60's. I asked my doctor about a PSA test, since a classmate recently went though prostate cancer.
She said she could order it, but even if it came back a high number, something else would likely kill me before the prostate cancer.

They still want me to do another colonoscopy however. I'm on the 5 year plan, although it's been 6 or 7 since my last one. Haven't scheduled it yet. Around here the cutoff for them is 70, so maybe this is my last one? Maybe one more?

My wife refuses to schedule her second one. She threw up from the prep mix, and says she won't go through that again.

[stevej37]

I was just reading about the age of quitting colonoscopies.

Most said 70-75 years is about it. The fear of perforating the bowel gets more after that age.

I'm sure every Dr. has their own opinion.

[wildthing]

If I am no longer mobile, I'd probably just do everything to make my last days/months/years comfortable. Not being able to at least walk somewhere would be the end for me.

[JackDidley]

I am 70. Got my first colonoscopy last year. May get another at 74 ?? If I make it that long. Not sure but I think I am done with things like that before 80.

[SCadaddle]

My Aunt had a hip replacement surgery at age 95. She was so happy with it she had the other one done at age 97. She lived happily until the age of 99.

Her brother, my Uncle, had a heart valve replacement surgery at age 98. He lived to 101.

[stevej37]

I just had my In-Home Health Assessment done last Friday. The nurse left a mail-in FIT test. (Cologuard)
I mailed that in yesterday. If it comes back negative...I'm done with the scopes. I'm 70 years old.

[Evans, Marv]

What "wildthing" said. I pretty much feel this way. I had my last colonoscopy at 77, and my PSA has always been super low, so I won't get any more. I read that after 75, it was not particularly productive or beneficial to go for any major operations or procedures. I'm subscribing to that.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

I just had my annual "wellness exam". Not a physical anymore. I don't think I've been "probed" in 15 to 20 years.
I'm in my early 60's. I asked my doctor about a PSA test, since a classmate recently went though prostate cancer.
She said she could order it, but even if it came back a high number, something else would likely kill me before the prostate cancer.

...

This.
Thing about cancer. It's always growing in everyone's body. Your body just triggers the bad cells to die. Seems that there's other factors at play then the most aggressive screens can catch.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I was just reading about the age of quitting colonoscopies.

Most said 70-75 years is about it. The fear of perforating the bowel gets more after that age.

I'm sure every Dr. has their own opinion.

I've gotten a colonoscopy every two years due to chronic colitis. Always clean. Now that I'm 70 my Gastro just meets with me every three months until something changes.

[wdfifteen]

Vic just got back from the trip. So much wrong here.
The woman isn't 95, she's 90. This was a regular, periodic exam. We didn't understand why the Council on Aging wanted us to meet them at their bus barn instead of just coming and getting her in one of their cars, the collecting the woman. (Vicki wasn't her driver, she was there to accompany her). It was so they could pick her up in the bus, instead of using one of their cars. Maybe this was an old folks colonoscopy field trip or something? Turns out she is so obese they have to use a vehicle with a lift because she has trouble getting into their cars.
It's sad. I wonder how someone can get into that state. I'm glad Vicki is helping her out. She says she's a real sweet lady.

[craigster59]

I read somewhere once that 80% of your healthcare dollars are spent in the last 30 days of your life.

Which seems to prove the old adage "You come into this life crapping yourself, and you go out crapping yourself".

[masraum]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Sell by = not much life left in it.

My wife is out driving a woman to the clinic to get a colonoscopy.

The woman is 95 years of age. Getting a colonoscopy.

I guess I have to admire her optimism, but if I make it to the age of 95 I will be well past my last colonoscopy or prostate biopsy appointment. I'm thinking maybe 75 is my cut off age. What's yours?

Yep, at 95, I'd be done. I'm 52 and haven't started yet. Yeah, I know, I'm 2 years in. I'll blame CV19.

I kind of feel like a colonoscopy for a 95yo is something that Drs wouldn't be requesting or recommending.

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I reckon she's always taken good care of her health; women, as a rule, seem to be very good about this - much more than us men, so it's maybe as much a habit as anything. Or just afeared of dying...or both.

Right, my grandmother is in her late 90s. I'm pretty sure that she's done with colonoscopies. My grandfather died many years ago. Her mother lived until she was 98, so granny's running on good genes. She's out lasted her son, her youngest. I know that she's ready to shake off the mortal coil. She's told my mother (her daughter) that "she's ready to go be with the Lord." But, since covid hit, she's been avoiding people and covid like they were the plague. Granted, wanting to go to sleep and not wake up is not the same as wanting to get sick and die on a ventilator in a hospital.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

My Aunt had a hip replacement surgery at age 95. She was so happy with it she had the other one done at age 97. She lived happily until the age of 99.

Her brother, my Uncle, had a heart valve replacement surgery at age 98. He lived to 101.

THere are exceptions for every rule. You're relatives clearly have GREAT genes!

[JackDidley]

Seems like past 80, the hospital is just milking the insurance doing the colonoscopy.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

I'm over 5yrs past my 'sold' date