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- May 6, 2010
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This thread is concerning early intervention into using diagnostic test's to lengthen your longevity.....you may live outside of the NYC area....BUT .....the particular test's dealt w/here most probably are applicable where you live....... Vascular Diagnostic in Flushing NY is & has been an excellent place & a Lifesaver for many FDNY BROTHERS....they have been involved w/us since the early '80s Thanks to the late great Ret BC John O'Reagan RIP.....a lot of the friendly Staff have been there since back then......all of the tests are non-invasive & simple to go through.....even the nuclear stress test (if called for ) which sounds involved is really a regular stress test except they inject some dye into your wrist during the treadmill test then take some pictures while you lay on a table afterwards.....the Aortic sonogram is nothing more than what they do to a pregnant woman....just some jelly on your skin & they run a small instrument over it....IF there is an abnormality noticed A non invasive CT scan can be done for a more definitive evaluation.... the Aorta is outside your heart but must not be overlooked (BELIEVE ME )...........all of this testing is just a few hours of your life that very well may save it.
On the precautionary testing subject........ i would like to include Colonoscopy as a possible lifesaving endeavor.....myself like many others after reaching age 50 (awhile ago) would go to my Dr. for a checkup ....he would say "you never had a colonoscopy & you should..see the Nurse on the way out & schedule one & get the "prep kit".....i would quietly nod OK ...but when i left his office i went straight out the door figuring that i had no symptoms or Family history of anything in this area so why do this .....this SEEMED to work for me for the next 10 years or so.....then one day while no other symptoms were present & everything was great w/the world i hit the bowl & saw some blood ......needless to say i went to my Dr. the next day.... he said... "NOW you will go for that colonoscopy you have been avoiding"......i did the prep 2 days later & went for the procedure the day after that..... they found 5 polyps in the colon & 2 in the rectum.......to backtrack a little.... the test prep that some talk about as "so horrendous" was not a big deal at all .....fasting the day before then the evening before chugging 8oz glasses of water/prep every 10 min for 1 1/2 hrs was not hard ....hitting the bowl several times that evening ...annoying but not the worst......the next morning at the test site they put a needle in your wrist (for the anesthesia ) .......the Anesthesiologist starts to tell me a joke... he says "did you hear the one about... 2 guys walk into a bar"......the next thing i wake up & he says... "& they ask the bartender"... & he finishes the joke .......you lay in the recovery room for awhile then walk out & go home ....a half hour later you are eating breakfast ......this is the basic scenario....my problem was that i waited over 10 yrs to do it ...the result was that 1 of the polyps found in my rectum required several repeat procedures because i had waited too long..... (polyps in the colon hang like a grape & during the procedure they can snip them off w/a tool on the same scope they have inserted....however polyps in the rectum are flat like a wart & are harder to remove when they get too big....they have to inject saline into them to make them swell up & then slice layers off carefully so as not to perforate the wall of the rectum or you would wake up wearing a bag)......luckily in my case all went well......BUT ....because i waited too long & 1 of the ones in the rectum had grown too big i had to go back 4 times for them to carefully remove it.... which they did.....to make a long story short......after ducking it for 10 + years i wound up going (& doing the procedure) 5 times in 1 year.....bottom line... i should have started going at 50 when my Dr. said to go......after my 1st revelation w/this back then i convinced my Lady (who also had no history) to go for a test at 49 & She was found to have what the Dr. called "a gigantic polyp"........luckily after the biopsies all of of ours each time were negative.... but do not roll the dice .... the years of sitting around in the FH kitchens & the Bars listening to guys talk hype about the preparation had me avoiding a BASIC FAIRLY SIMPLE lifesaving test.....i would rather do this procedure than have most Dental procedures......Anyone who wants my 2 cents ...(not Medical .... but more seat of the pants type stuff.... as i have lived my life).....feel free to PM me if you want more info.
On the precautionary testing subject........ i would like to include Colonoscopy as a possible lifesaving endeavor.....myself like many others after reaching age 50 (awhile ago) would go to my Dr. for a checkup ....he would say "you never had a colonoscopy & you should..see the Nurse on the way out & schedule one & get the "prep kit".....i would quietly nod OK ...but when i left his office i went straight out the door figuring that i had no symptoms or Family history of anything in this area so why do this .....this SEEMED to work for me for the next 10 years or so.....then one day while no other symptoms were present & everything was great w/the world i hit the bowl & saw some blood ......needless to say i went to my Dr. the next day.... he said... "NOW you will go for that colonoscopy you have been avoiding"......i did the prep 2 days later & went for the procedure the day after that..... they found 5 polyps in the colon & 2 in the rectum.......to backtrack a little.... the test prep that some talk about as "so horrendous" was not a big deal at all .....fasting the day before then the evening before chugging 8oz glasses of water/prep every 10 min for 1 1/2 hrs was not hard ....hitting the bowl several times that evening ...annoying but not the worst......the next morning at the test site they put a needle in your wrist (for the anesthesia ) .......the Anesthesiologist starts to tell me a joke... he says "did you hear the one about... 2 guys walk into a bar"......the next thing i wake up & he says... "& they ask the bartender"... & he finishes the joke .......you lay in the recovery room for awhile then walk out & go home ....a half hour later you are eating breakfast ......this is the basic scenario....my problem was that i waited over 10 yrs to do it ...the result was that 1 of the polyps found in my rectum required several repeat procedures because i had waited too long..... (polyps in the colon hang like a grape & during the procedure they can snip them off w/a tool on the same scope they have inserted....however polyps in the rectum are flat like a wart & are harder to remove when they get too big....they have to inject saline into them to make them swell up & then slice layers off carefully so as not to perforate the wall of the rectum or you would wake up wearing a bag)......luckily in my case all went well......BUT ....because i waited too long & 1 of the ones in the rectum had grown too big i had to go back 4 times for them to carefully remove it.... which they did.....to make a long story short......after ducking it for 10 + years i wound up going (& doing the procedure) 5 times in 1 year.....bottom line... i should have started going at 50 when my Dr. said to go......after my 1st revelation w/this back then i convinced my Lady (who also had no history) to go for a test at 49 & She was found to have what the Dr. called "a gigantic polyp"........luckily after the biopsies all of of ours each time were negative.... but do not roll the dice .... the years of sitting around in the FH kitchens & the Bars listening to guys talk hype about the preparation had me avoiding a BASIC FAIRLY SIMPLE lifesaving test.....i would rather do this procedure than have most Dental procedures......Anyone who wants my 2 cents ...(not Medical .... but more seat of the pants type stuff.... as i have lived my life).....feel free to PM me if you want more info.