Should my grandfather get a Colonoscopy?

IMAN:

About the colonoscopy: "most of the family doesn't want it and some of the family do." What does your grandfather want? After all, it's his body.

Hummm, when our family faced this question 5 yrs after my Father-in-Law had colon cancer, we asked ourselves - what would DO with the information? Would it help with any decision making? Would it change a treatment course? Would he want, or be able to withstand, surgery if they found the cancer had recurred? We (FiL, son & I [daughter-in-law] decided to forgo the colonoscopy.

Good luck finding a geriatric doctor. I have tried to find one for my folks, but there isn't any around here. I don't understand why more young doctors don't go into geriatrics, I think there's money to be made in that field. Since your grandpa is a vet, have him go to the veterans. We have a veterans hospital here in Oregon which my dad gets all his medical needs met. It's NOT a fast process with the vets, but for him it's free. The symptoms don't sound good, and maybe your relatives are thinking that if he has colon cancer or something, it's better for him not to know. But even IF it is cancer, they still have ways to make him more comfortable. I never did like the hiding my head in the sand approach. Good luck.