The colonoscopy is over!

[csziggy]

No problems with the vile tasting prep. The last time they had me take the entire gallon of stuff as fast as I could drink it. This time the instructions were to drink half last evening and the rest early this morning.

I dealt with it by adding only half of the water to mix the concoction, then as it chilled I mixed a flavor stuff that also included electrolytes and I froze that into ice cubes. For each one cup of the stuff, and a cup half of flavored flavored ice cubes and half plain ice cubes. Dumped the whole mess and made a nasty slushie. Froze my taste buds and I almost tasted nothing.

They found a few small polyps and I guess the lab results will get back to me in a week or so. Yay! Survived this round!

[Dagstead Bumwood]

1. Congrats on completing it.

The time right after a colonoscopy is the best time because you're at the farthest point from the next colonoscopy!

[csziggy]

3. Unless the polyps turn out cancerous I don't plan to do this again - ever

But time will tell...

[Dagstead Bumwood]

5. I was told I was ok

but they saw some cells or something that can turn into something in some instances. So, rather than having a 10 year window between procedures as they had told me beforehand would be the case, I was informed that I would have to come back in three. Oh well.

[csziggy]

7. Yes, my first one was six years ago

But apparently the prep wasn't sufficient and they couldn't see everything clearly.

I found a diet from the Kaiser Permente to get ready for this prep (https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/html/public/specialties/gastroenterology/colon-diet). Mostly starting five days before the noxious prep stuff, you leave out everything with fiber - hard for me since I eat a high fiber diet - and take Miralax every single day. The follow the clear liquid diet the day of and take the prep stuff. That sure made it easier!

I highly recommend this way of doing it.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Enjoy the next Five years...it will then be time to do it again!

I am two years from that particular joy, myself.

[csziggy]

4. I've been told every ten years unless there is a risk of problems

So long as this one's clear on the results, I may refuse to do it again.

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. I've got family history, so am on the 5 year plan.

oh well. good for you!

[csziggy]

11. Yeah, with a family history, not a bad idea

I'm very lucky to have no family history but they still wanted me to get checked after six years. I'll see what they recommend after this one.

[we can do it]

6. I'm up next week!

[csziggy]

9. I found two things that made the prep easier

One follow the low fiber diet here: https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/html/public/specialties/gastroenterology/colon-diet

Follow the clear diet the day before. To make the prep stuff less disgusting, I made flavored ice cubes from a lemon-lime mix intended to add to bottled water. I put half the water they recommended in with the prescribed mix (two quarts instead of an entire gallon). Chill the mix well.

Put 1 cup of the mix and a cup of flavored and plain ice cubes into a blender and blend it like a smoothie. Drink with a straw to get it to the back of your mouth. It froze my taste buds and I pretty much didn't taste most of it. I did drink lots of chilled water with it since you really need water to keep hydrated and not screw up your electrolytes.

Ask about a split prep - half the afternoon before and half early the morning of. I certainly got more sleep that way.

Good Luck!

[we can do it]

10. Thank you!

[Laffy Kat]

12. I'll have to try that.

I have to have a repeat soon. HATE that vile stuff and I have to drink twice as much because I have a redundant colon, which is exactly what it sounds like.

[csziggy]

13. Oh, god, that sounds awful

A gallon is bad enough - two would be beyond my capability.

Someplace a person talked about blending it until it was foamy, but since I've been making diet smoothies, I decided to try this method - and it worked. It's still vile, but this morning when I had limited time to do the second half, I got down two doses in twenty minutes.

The only side effect is because I am sensitive to cold - I'd get cold enough to start seriously shivering. Then I would heat up some chicken broth or a cup of tea, have it then start again.

[onethatcares]

14. just had my first and wondered

why the container that was supposed to be 1 gallon of prep fluid was way larger than any one gallon milk jug I ever saw?

Jeez!!!

[csziggy]

15. I think so you can shake it up thoroughly

I only put in half a gallon of water. Then while it was chilling, I made flavored ice cubes (lemon-lime) and froze them. I'd measure out a dose, put that with some flavored and some plain ice cubes in the blender and blend the mess up. Using a straw I got the worst case of brain freeze, but I couldn't taste any of it and got it down.

It dissolved fine in half a gallon - I think the rest of the water is to make sure you get enough water in your system. Between my ice cubes and the plain water I drank, I had plenty of water in my system.