Positive at home colon test

That happened to me this year. I'd done the at home test for several years and it was always fine. Then I got a positive result.
I was very nervous, but I have a friend who is a colon-rectal surgeons nurse, and she assured me not too worry. There's a lot of false positives with the at home tests.
I went in for a colonoscopy, and before the procedure, the surgeon said he hates those tests for that reason. My scope was fine, no problems found.
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I'm sorry his test came back positive. That must feel mighty scary.

My father died from primary colon & stomach cancers, and I have had a lot of polyps removed in each of my 3 colonoscopies. But I’m actually the least worried about this kind of cancer for me because with colonoscopies you have the opportunity to remove the polyps before they can turn. So I feel some measure of control over the possibility of me developing colon cancer.

And if your DH has been testing regularly, as a previous pea mentioned, if there is anything you’ve caught it early. Most are not caught until symptoms appear and that’s one of the reasons for such poor prognoses. I just verified (American Cancer Society) that most colorectal cancers are slow growing, they say over many years. So you doing these screenings is great news!

The best advice I can give you is don’t Google. If you have any specific questions ask someone to look them up for you. Heck, post your question here and I’m sure someone would be happy to help. I’ve learned the hard way over half a dozen instances (at least) where I just knew one of us had cancer, and what I read really seemed to verify that. Spoiler alert: neither of us has ever had cancer. But I’ll be damned if I didn’t have my DH see an oncologist out of town who had his fellowship at the place where Lance Armstrong was treated. (And I was calling to make an appointment out of state but she recommended this doctor a couple of hours away). Because back then it wasn’t well known and I wanted the best. Did you miss the part where I had him at an oncologist? Without a diagnosis? Yeah. His advice? Don’t Google. 

Okay, that’s my second best advice. The first best is take your test. And when his colonoscopy comes back clear, both of you continue screening/getting colonoscopies as advised by your doctors. 

DH took a home test which came back positive. So he had to go for a colonoscopy anyway, which he had been trying to avoid (dope!) by taking the home test. They removed 10(!) polyps and two more which he will have removed in a few weeks. All 12 were biopsied and he found out today that all were negative.

Thanks monicad. The man drives me nuts because he doesn't take care of his health. He's almost 65 and this was his first colonoscopy. I was the one sweating the biopsy results.

I'm sorry you have to sit with this until after the holidays, but as others have said, there is a fairly high incidence of false positives.

I have one of those tests sitting here that I’m supposed to do. What irritates me is that I had an actual colonoscopy in 2017 and it came back clear, the doctor doing it said I was good for another ten years. Yay! So why has my health *insurance* (not the clinic) been hounding me for the last three years to do a home test? WTH. My insurance has a high deductible, like $7500 per person $15K per family. They will cover one test like that per year, so if this one pops a false positive and I have to go in and have another followup actual colonoscopy, I would be on the hook for that much higher cost OOP because we haven’t met my deductible. I think that sucks.

Due to polyps a few years ago, I've had several colonoscopies, and done several of these at home tests.
Don't be lazy, and do the testing. It can absolutely save his life. (I'm not suggesting that you were going to, just that lots do wait).

That being said, the at home test mostly tests for blood in stool. He could have a hemerroid, not eating enough fiber, a polyps, or other things.
The colonoscopy is 100% painless and they remove everything at the same time. You're basically asleep and feel nothing.
The prep is the worst, but have him start eating less "roughage" a few days before. Ask for the pills over the liquid. It's really not that bad.

Hope things go well!

You've gotten all positive comments - but I can't just let it go by without sharing.

One of my best friends did her first home after she turned 50 (it flicks a switch here in Ontario and you get sent all the over 50 things). She had something on it, and was sent for a colonoscopy.

The colonoscopy revealed she had colon cancer - but it was caught super early. She's had it removed in September, and has received the all clear. No follow up radiation or chemo. She's back at work and all is well, just the follow up testing more often.

I have had Kaiser for many years and get the colon test in the mail regularly. My previous doctor mentioned that they can give a false positive and told me not to panic if it does come back that way, especially if all previous tests were fine. None of mine have shown anything suspicious so far, but I will do my best not to panic if it ever does. As others have mentioned, if it is cancer it will be early stages and dealt with promptly and successfully. Your husband had the test last year show nothing, right?

I really do appreciate the aggressive preventative approach that Kaiser takes and although it is an annoyance sometimes, I show up for all of the testing they recommend and take every pill they add to my pile. And be prepared, it sure increases as you get older, so tell your husband there is a lot more coming at him as he nears 65.

In addition to regular mammograms and PAP smears, I recently had the bone scan which added a pill to my routine as well as learned I was prediabetic, another pill, slightly higher blood pressure, another pill, and at my last appointment she started me on a pill to prevent heart attacks. This also added a blood pressure cuff and a blood sugar testing gadget to my arsenal to self monitor.

My bloodwork recently showed the need for a Vitamin D with calcium pill and a thyroid pill. Oh, and I get the regular flu and Covid injections too as well as had an injection to prevent pneumonia recently added to the injection list. I also have allergies and asthma, two more pills. And of course, there is the pill I take for my fibromyalgia and two more pills for the chronic severe pain I was left in after what they term a “failed” spinal surgery. And those pain pills necessitated a pill for constipation. 👍

No disease is going to want to mess with me through all these preventative measures.

I get my blood work done twice a year to monitor everything going on within my body. I am currently overdue for an eye scan and just got a text yesterday telling me that my blood work is already due again. It feels like I am being monitored for something monthly these days. I know Kaiser’s preventative approach is financially based, you know, to catch everything early before expensive procedures are required, but if gives me peace of mind to know they are watching out for anything that could develop as I get older. My dad always said getting old sucks. I just didn’t realize it came with a bucket o’ meds, a drawer filled with equipment, and a long list of monitoring medical tests.

Please let us know how your husband is doing after he gets the colonoscopy done.

Same. This is timely as I’m doing my clear liquid diet and colonoscopy prep today. I’m sure I won’t enjoy it but grandpa died of colon cancer so it’s a necessity.

I used the white gatorade, as the prep they had me drink was an over the counter laxative. MUCH nicer than gallons of water.

DH is a repeat offender, so he gets the prescription stuff and drinks it with water.

OP, I want to reassure you that even if they do find something the treatment is often removal of the polyp and that's that. DH went in for one at 48 and they found a cancerous polyp, scared the crap out of us. They removed it, went back in 3 months later and were able to get clean margins and we were sent on our way. No further treatment necessary. So even if and it's a big if, they find something the fact that you've had previous negative tests means it hasn't had time to turn into something beyond early stages and it's very treatable.

That said, it sounds like there's a high change it's a false positive which means the worst part is the prep, and honestly it's not bad just disruptive to your schedule. The procedure day is a nice nap and real food.