Stool Sample

In preparation for my annual I went to the lab and had blood work, gave a urine sample, and then was asked to return with a stool sample. At first, I thought it was the one with the cards and the small stick that one samples with when you wipe off. I was told, “No, the doctor wants a stool sample.” I was then handed a small container and sent on my way with no instructions. Thanks to Google, I learned how it could be accomplished as gross as it seemed to me. I used saran wrap under the toilet seat, made it loose, and then tried a deposit. The first attempt missed completely while the second try produced a small amount of stool. The next task was to retrieve it from the wrap and get it into the container. I managed to push it in and thought, “Never again.” I returned it to the lab the next morning. I had to wait on line to hand it in as they had no receptacle for leaving a deposit.

If you don't mind answering, what exactly was the doctor trying to find from a stool sample? Was he looking for worms?

I've never heard of a doctor's office just giving you a container with no instructions or apparent reasoning, but Cologuard is an at home test to detect colon cancer. It's meant to not necessarily replace a colonoscopy, but it is a noninvasive alternative. If you do cologuard instead of colonoscopy, it needs to be repeated every 3 years I believe, which is more often than a colonoscopy (assuming there were no issues detected in either case).

Cologuard comes as a kit and includes everything you need to collect your poop in the toilet, obtain a sample, and mail it to the lab. The return box has “Cologuard” written all over it. So when you're standing in line at the UPS store, it's blatantly obvious you are holding a box of poop. My wife was so embarrassed by that, that I had to mail hers in for her.

I thought that it was most unusual to not provide instructions. I won't use that lab again. I just got a call from them that someone also tested positive for COVID the day I was there. I am fine as it's been 10 days since I was there but the whole thing seemed shabby to me. No abnormal test results were produced. I am still baffled as to why I was required to do this!

I went through this two years ago. They were testing for gut bacteria and parasites. I was given a plastic toilet bowl insert to catch the poop. That made collection easy. Drop off at the lab was discreet too. At least I knew why.

Wow. I got the stick type right before covid was big (looking back I probably had it). The tech handed me a bag with the supplies and said “this is the bag of fun”. Drop off was easy and discrete.