@MiamiDAP, you can get an IV put in just in case you decide you are too uncomfortable; if you are in pain, they can put you under immediately. At least, that’s the way we do it at my center.
They can sedate you without putting you under.
My doctor mentioned both Cologuard and a colonoscopy. Yes, a colonoscopy is much more thorough but doctors would rather patients at least have the mail in stool test rather than opting for nothing at all.
Medicare covers Cologard. I didn’t go back to find @MiamiDAP 's first post. I believe you are talking about a screening colonoscopy or test vs. diagnostic? Big difference.
Much of the “westernized” world uses stool tests for screening rather than colonoscopy. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with going that route. I, too, am under pressure to get a colonoscopy but I refuse. It’s way beyond what I consider reasonable for a screening test on healthy people.
In my area you receive some kind of dope during the colonoscopy so that you’re awake but don’t remember anything. I’m sure it wouldn’t work for me, I’d probably pass out and that really freaks them out. I’ve had 2 babies without anesthesia but medical and dental procedures are something else.
Thank you everybody. It is screening colonoscopy, at least for now. I still did not make an appointment, but planning on doing so. In regard to “stool test”, it has been ruled out by my D. She respects it even less than Cologard, I guess.
I’ve had 1 baby without anesthesia or any kind of drugs. I have had many dental procedures when dentist strongly insisted on putting me down, but I refused. I do not understand this one. Dentists and dental surgeons are using so much Novocain, why they need to put you under, I have no idea. I need higher dosages, but so what, they can poke additional one, you do not feel the poke after few of them… One time, he had to literally yunk my tooth out using some heavy duty tools, including small hammer. I did not care a bit, I did not feel anything, but I was thankful for being aware of what is going on.
“Much of the “westernized” world uses stool tests” - because they do not want to pay for colonoscopy or any other a bit more sophisticated test. Most of the time they wait until it is too late anyway. As one of our friend who lives in Canada said: “Our health system is very good for the healthy people. Just do not get sick and you will to be fine!”
Ummm…Americans pay more for health care and have more tests…but do NOT have the health/longevity statistics to back it up!
Anyway, I was just trying to provide information to help with an informed decision. It’s an individual decision and there’s lots of information and misinformation floating around.
So, I’ve had to have colonoscopies every year since I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2002 and my GI doc said this week that I can skip a year since my last one was free from disease and polyps. Woooohoooo! I’m so stinkin’ excited! I can wait until November 2017 now 
Congratulations, @2016BarnardMom!
Bumping this for moral support. I’m about to begin my round of GoLytley and I am not a happy camper.
I’ve been in the ER for stomach issues twice in the last week. After a battery of tests, there are several “borderline” things wrong with me but they sent me home with the devil liquid (see above) and told me to call my GI (who called me this morning and told me to do the GoLytley and call them back later to check in).
Blech…
Good luck romani- it’s not fun, but I hope they’re able to find the issue and that it’s something very fixable.
I already had to down the barium crap. My poor taste buds lol
Sorry for my ignorance, but I thought there are alternatives from Golytley
There are for colonoscopy prep… but that’s not what I’m drinking it for 
romani, you might consider my method for downing the Golytley, which made it tolerable. I mixed it with the lemon flavored Crystal lite (sweetened with Stevia, so it was not disgusting), can find that at major grocery stores. I kept the Golytley crap chilled, and right before I drank it, I sucked on a piece of ice, a lemon, pinched my nose closed, gulped it down, instantly sucked on a lemon. It was much more tolerable than I’d heard it was, doing it that way, and that lemon Crystal lite stuff is actually pretty good. Just the amounts of it were what was hard to drink.
I’m doing something similar. Sucking on an ice cube, pinching my nose, gulping it down, and following it up with sprite (doctor approved!).
Blech.
I can’t recall if it was golytly or something similar but I remember getting sugarfree popsicles at the market (I believe there was a color – red? – I had to skip) but would take three huge gulps of the liquid, take a bite of the popcicle, take 3 more big gulps, another bite, etc. Definitely helped. Good luck, romani I hope everything’s okay.
It’s not fun, but there are worse things. I hope everything is OK, @romanigypsyeyes.
I’m such a baby when it comes to any liquid meds. Pills? IVs? No problem. Cough syrup? Nope nope nope.
Thinking about you Romani! Hang in there, baby.
My instructions said to dilute it up to 16 oz line by ginger ale or sprite or water. I used ginger ale and fizzy water and the drink was not big deal at all for me. I expected much worse, it practically was nothing special, just a drink. For me the biggest challenge was to drink the other 32 oz and then by far the worst, going to the bathroom whole night long until I had to take another dosage of exactly the same amount at 4am. I put my alarm at 4am, but did not need to use it, I was widely awake whole night long.
I can tell you with great authority that you don’t want to skip a colonoscopy if you’re 50 or over or if you’re having symptoms. It is the gold standard to diagnose colorectal cancer. A stool test does not do it! I was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer at 48 years old (I am now stage 4). The treatment, surgeries, radiation, chemo and utter fear makes a colonoscopy look like a day at the beach. I am stunned to read that anyone would opt out of such a valuable diagnostic tool.