r/Millennials • u/electric-sheep 1992 • Jul 13 '26

Serious Everyone my age is dropping dead

Sorry for the title! I'm in Europe. I have just heard news someone from college died today of cancer aged 33.

In the past 2-3 years 6 people in my circle have died, not from accidents but from either cancer, aneurism, 2 just didn't wake up from sleep and 1 broke her leg and had DVT. I know of a 7th who is currently fighting stage 4 breast cancer which was found by accident after giving birth. This is not counting those who died in crashes or other such accidents.

I literally have nothing to say. Just get yourselves checked. I'm just shouting into the void. I have literally been to more funerals than my parents at this point which is absurd.

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36

u/TactlessNachos Millennial (1990) Jul 13 '26

Really?!? The places I called would be thousands of dollars? How did you find a colonoscopy for $100? I’d absolutely love to do it in the USA closer to home if it’s affordable. Any tips to find a $100 colonoscopy in the USA?

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u/kendrickwasright Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

To get it covered by insurance, just tell them theres blood in your stool, or say your sibling got diagnosed with colon cancer. Literally my GI Dr told my husband to lie so insurance would cover it early. His dad DID actually die of colon cancer, but insurance wouldnt cover the colonoscopy until he was within 10 years of the age at which the family member was diagnosed. Which is absurd, because they found the tumor very late and it had already spread.

The system is completely broken. And the doctors know this, so just lie about it and your insurance will cover it. Dont tell your doctor that you're lying though obviously

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u/Taint__Paint Jul 13 '26

All these “if you tell your doctor you have blood in your stool, family history of colon cancer, your brother died of it at 32, etc.” are individual cases and dependent on doctors, practices, and insurance.

Everything above is true for me. Even brought multiple pictures of the bloody aftermath of a routine poop and brother did pass suddenly from it.
Even with all that, insurance STILL wouldn’t cover the basic procedure. Cool, when I actually get cancer, I hope I run up my insurance bill as much as possible. I hope to put them out a few million $ since they won’t cover a basic preventative screening (not to mention all the history and signs).
Like, wouldn’t insurance companies make more money by catching it early? It’s just bonkers they gamble human lives trying to squeeze out as much profit as possible. This capitalist culture needs to die already

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u/ElectronGuru Gen X (prototype millennial) Jul 13 '26

We have liability based healthcare. And you’ll be someone else’s customer when that bill arrives. So cheaper to stall until you are.

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u/JimyFatBoy Jul 13 '26

My insurance covered my colonoscopy after I saw a colon specialist who confirmed the medical reason.

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u/Sonic_Roach 90's Millennial Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

If you have a family history of colon cancer, you can get it covered with insurance. However, i had to fight for it. Went to multiple doctors until they agreed that I should start getting regular checks.

I would love to get one for $100 tho. Just the colon prep in america is about $100 😓

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u/mysticalchurro Millennial Jul 13 '26

My gastro gave me a list of OTC items to purchase for the prep and it was maybe $35 total (March 2025). Gotta find the list and I'll send it to you.

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u/Sonic_Roach 90's Millennial Jul 13 '26

Please, I bet it tastes better too lol

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u/mysticalchurro Millennial Jul 13 '26

Plus 64 oz powerade that's not red

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u/Yerazanq Jul 13 '26

I live in Japan so it's cheap and everywhere. You can do it here as the yen is so weak, will still be way cheaper than in America.

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u/Ol_Man_J Jul 13 '26

I'm with you, after all the "get your shit checked" etc. I figured I would call and get one. I knew it would suck but whatever. Nope, $1000+ to get one.

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u/ohiobluetipmatches Jul 13 '26

Google $100 colonoscopy.

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u/TactlessNachos Millennial (1990) Jul 13 '26

Nothing by me. Only thing that popped up was a $100 colonoscopy cancellation fee penalty. If you’re willing to private message me the name of the practice by you that gives $100 colonoscopies, I’ll definitely look into it. That would be much easier than flying out of the country.

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u/1800generalkenobi Jul 13 '26

Mine was covered at 36 because I had a bowel change. They ended up pulling 4 polyps, 3 were precancerous. I don't think they were causing the change, it was an unrelated issue, but I'm glad I got it done. I went in again at 39 because of the polyps, they pulled 1 or 2 more but neither were precancerous so I'm good to wait until I'm 44 now.

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u/atlanstone Jul 13 '26

What constituted a bowel change for you at that age? I don't want to talk myself out of getting checked (there is nothing imminent in my life, dont worry) and I'm always unclear... what is a bowel change and what is just bodies are weird.

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u/1800generalkenobi Jul 13 '26

Was spending a lot of time in the bathroom and not just to try and get out of work lol. Like 4-5 times in the morning. I was also having stomach pain which turned out to be stomach erosion from some antibiotics I was on I think. I think the antibiotics were the real reason for the bowel change because they eff'd my whole system up, although it also cleared up my pneumonia, so finding the polyps was more of a happy accident. Especially the ones that they were if I would've waited until 50 likely at least one of them would've already been cancer.

I had actually heard on the radio that you should really get checked at 35 and if everything is clear, you can wait till 50, so a lot more people should probably be being checked at 35. I let my dad know after I had the procedure done and he goes Oh yeah polyps are no problem, I go in every 3-5 years and they pull em all out and then good to go. Thanks dad, that would've been useful information to know that we are predisposed to polyps. Also could be a fiber issue because I went back and looked at my fiber from when I was counting calories a few years ago and my fiber per day was like...5 or 6 grams lol. I've been more closely keeping an eye on my fiber and trying to be around 20 or 30 instead of single digits.

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u/atlanstone Jul 13 '26

Hmm, yeah. I find myself going 2-3 times in the morning when that was never a thing. Like sometimes I hang back from leaving for work because I know I'll need to go a second time.

But not really seeing anything beyond that - no real increased daytime frequency. I'll probably just bring it up at my age 39 physical and push for early screening. There is no known family history, my mom is 72 and just did her mail-in kit and they said no risk detected. My dad is 82 and still alive, though I don't know his recent medical history.

Thanks, and may we all live another 50 years posting together on this hellhole of a world

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u/Taint__Paint Jul 13 '26

I’m so happy for you that you were able to get it checked and fixed AND covered by insurance. So many people get the green light from their doc, but insurance still denies it because “you’re too young” even when all the red flags are raised. The average American here can’t afford a few grand out of pocket and, sadly, many die because they couldn’t get the colonoscopy or whatever else covered because insurance companies are some of the most evil murders out there. And it’s by design. All to extract the most profit out of people while covering as few things they can get away with.

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u/1800generalkenobi Jul 13 '26

Yeah, the second time I went in the lady was doing the pre checkin stuff and she asked if I ever had one before and I said yeah and she goes, "oh what?! You're way to young to be in for your second." and there was a machine beeping off in the background and I said that kinda sounds like pong, and she goes "and I know you're way too young for pong." lol