Perhaps this is something you already know but nevertheless as long as you are able to relax and remain calm throughout the procedure nobody should stop you from choosing to just take some benzos and do some breathing exercises throughout the procedure.

(Not a doctor but I worked briefly on endoscope tech in the past) The use of propofol depends greatly on their protocol and the country you are in, but it is not something mandatory to perform a colonoscopy. In some places they give it to everyone in others they give to people that are at a higher risk of freaking out and messing with the procedure. My point is just that it is not indissociable from the procedure itself.

Having seen now 3 people die of colon cancer in their early 30s, I can see why early and frequent detection makes sense.

> It's not that onerous, except that I assume going under propofol + midazolam comes with cognitive risks each time, and this might be cumulative.

Do you have any sources for this? I'm also wary of going under, even if it's once every 3 years.