Colonscopy appt. Thursday, tell me everything

[central scrutinizer]

My doctor started recommending this when I turned 50 and I have put it off for a while, but Thursday I am going in for my anal probe. Sounds like less fun than a barrel of monkeys. I just hope this doctor tells better jokes than the urologist who did my vasectomy ("Gee, I've always wanted to do a vasectomy" and then when he was done: "now make an appointment for next week and we will do the other side"). Any stories from DU-land?

[LiberalinNC]

1. Prep work is the worst

The actual test is not that bad, they will sedate you. It's the prep work 2 days before that is the hardest part of the test. BTW - good luck, as a cancer survivor, I don't wish anyone to have to go through chemo!

[burythehatchet]

2. Funniest billboard I ever saw

Shallowford Vasectomy Center
Buses Welcome, Drivers Free

[MichaelHarris]

3. I've had it done

it comes out better if you and the doctor have "drinks" later. Come on buck up it's just a doctor and his staff looking up your butt. Who knows they may find the missing remote. :)

[Burma Jones]

4. I've had three, they're nothing to worry about.

The worst part is the preparation......

I have them done because my Grandfather died from Colon Cancer, I am now 43. They sedate you, either with Valium or something a little stronger. Then you get the rotor rooter treatment, but you feel nothing. I woke up during my first one, when they were "pulling out" and watched what was going on on a monitor. When the Doctor got to a bend in the road, I told him, "Be Careful, that's where I get my Best Ideas from." he stopped and had a good laugh. For my first two, I had polyps removed, my last one, there were no polyps.....

[MichaelHarris]

6. dang I never got the flying V

I didn't get nuttin' just the lube. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be though, more discomfort than pain. The real problem is when the doctor starts slappin' your butt like in a porn movie or brings in a video camera.

[babylonsister]

5. Hubby had it done this year.

Other than drinking that yucky stuff and 'cleaning himself out', he doesn't remember a thing. When I went to bring him home, he didn't even realize the procedure had been completed!

[s-cubed]

9. Prep work is awful: ask your doc about drinking small amount

of yuck and gallon of plain water. It's got to be better than drinking a gallong of yuck. Also, I added some additional flavoring using crystal lite, (no sugar) since it was the only way I could get the stuff down. The procedure is nothing.

[TX-RAT]

27. that yucky stuff

Why they call it go-lightly I'll never know.

[T Wolf]

7. It is the most over-stated medical procedure in the world in terms of

the worry that people have about it.

I too, had one after turning 50 and it was no big deal. Some say the prep is bad. That too, was no problem.

Maybe men (some) have a "thing" about anal probing, but really, it was such a non-event that I cannot believe I put iot off for almost a year after I turned 50. Fear will do that.

But, having gone thru it, I really have to say that you have very little to be scared about. Plus, anything that involves hospital-quality drugs cannot be too bad.

I also had a vascetomy years ago. Another fear-filled procedure that in reality was not a problem.

What is it about us men that makes us sqeamish about things like this. But snap a finger in two playing ball and we are all, "Hey, I can still play."

[moez]

8. Open wide....

[MichaelHarris]

12. 'cue background music'

bowww-a-chicaa-waaaa-chica-bowwwwa-chicaaa (attempt at text porn music)

[DrZeeLit]

10. Good news: Nice drugs :) • Bad news: Prep sucks

[terrya]

11. Have a book to read the night before.

When you're sitting on the toilet. :-)

Seriously, it's no big deal. I had one 6 months ago. Drinking that nasty stuff the night before was the worst part of the whole procedure. And even that wasn't a problem.

I got to watch it while the procedure was taking place...sort of interesting. :-)

You'll do fine.

T

[MichaelHarris]

13. was that the video

Terrya's Fantastic Voyage we've been hearing so much about?

[terrya]

16. I don't know if I'd use the word "Fantastic"

Interesting, perhaps. But I wouldn't want to toot my own horn, so to speak. :-)

[MichaelHarris]

19. LOL

I got to watch mine also and all I could think of was, "hey, where's Rachel Welch?" funny what you think about during strange times.

[American Tragedy]

14. I have Crohn's disease so I had one when I was just 17

after my cousin died of colon cancer.

I'm now in remission so I haven't had one since thank God.

The prep is the worst, as you've probably heard. You have to fast for some time, and consume three ounces of Fleet phosphosoda - although it will seem like a lot more than that when you actually drink it. Mix it with some water and take it like shots as quickly as possible. Then, go to the bathroom. Stay there.

They may sedate you, in which case you will need someone to drive you home. I refused to be sedated because I don't like anaesthesia and I wanted to be fully conscious during the procedure and able to leave on my own. It only really hurt whenever they turned the tube through the curves of the intestine, since my illness had caused the intestines to twist around into sharp angles.

Sorry if that was too much information. :)

[MichaelHarris]

17. mmmmmmm

sedated

[TyeDye75]

15. I had one in May

I had mine without sedation (damned NHS) Even so its was only mild discomfort and I found a morbid pleasure in seeing my own insides on screen.

[American Tragedy]

20. Hey, whatever happened to that legendary free healthcare in the UK?

I don't actually know how it works since I don't live there; I just watch PMQs.

Oh, that's something else I should mention to the original poster. Sedation raises the cost of the procedure significantly, if that is a concern for you.

I know what you mean. It is kind of cool seeing your internal organs in such sharp, real detail. Maybe this sounds stupid, but I normally only thought of them abstractly, in the sense of a textbook illustration, not as something that is part of me. I had a barium series as well, during which I stared up at the screen and faintly saw my heart and lungs pulsing within the rib cage. Weird.

[TyeDye75]

28. I was just kidding, I didnt want sedation

The NHS is getting better but still has problems, however I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so if it werent for there Id be spending an awful lot on medication and various procedures.

[DemBones DemBones]

18. Drinking that gallon of stuff is the worst part but you CAN

and should drink it all, and if you think it tastes bad, console yourself by knowing that it's lots better than the old stuff!

I've had two colonoscopies done without being sedated -- you get to watch on the monitor if you're awake -- and so has my husband. We don't like being doped up and it's not that bad, except when the nurse has to help push the rotor-rooter equipment around a bend. That's kind of like when the nurse pushes on the abdomen after childbirth, encouraging the uterus to shrink (encouraging me to want to punch her!) Having a polyp removed doesn't hurt, you don't even feel it.

Unsedated, there are times you want to stop and rest a bit, which our gastroenterologist will do. (He's a personal friend but a nice guy besides.) Sedated, you don't know a damn thing until it's over.

Good luck!

[MichaelHarris]

21. I hope my weak attempt at humor has lightened your spirits, everything

will be fine. But seriously, if you hear porn music ask questions.

[terrya]

22. AND...you get cookies right after!!

Hell, after I left the hospital, I went to a restaurant and had the biggest damn breakfast I could order...I was HUNGRY. :-)

T

[MichaelHarris]

24. weeeeeee

cookies and anal probes, Oh how I love America. Actually you get cookies when you give blood, for anal probes you should get like prime rib.

[terrya]

25. I got cookies and coffee right after the anal probe.

Yes, they should have served a full course breakfast right after. :-(

[MichaelHarris]

26. at the very least a

McMuffin

[The empressof all]

23. I'm glad I did it finally

Like you I kept putting it off---Finally got it done a few weeks ago and they found two benign polyps and one pre-cancerous one. They were all removed. I would never have known what was up there until they took a look.

I was semi-sedated through the procedure. Was able to talk to the Dr about world travels but really don't remember much of what he was saying. The turn in the bend moment was memorable but far less difficult than childbirth labor pain.

The prep wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I developed a strange interest in jello for a day--but that too passed.

Over-all the worst part was my anxiety which was only exacerbated by my procrastination.

[Minstrel Boy]

29. Like everyone's said, it's the prep that's the worst.

The test itself was no problem. Kind of cool, actually, watching the monitor.

And I quite enjoyed the sedation. For the first time, I could see the benefit of addiction.

Glad to have done it. My mom went years with undiagnosed bowel cancer, so gotta keep on top of my ass.

[Sgent]

30. Sedation

Also, ask what kind of sedatiion they are using. The most popular is Versed (your knocked out completely), or ketamine (Special K). Ketamine is becoming more popular because it "makes you not care", but doesn't knock you out in lower doseages. Unlike Versed, there is less worry about an anesthesia problem -- your fully consious, just completely spaced out, so it can be used in an outpatient setting without an anesthesiologist.

Just a reminder, it is now recommended that everyone have one at least every 10 years after the age of 50, and it is covered by Medicare and many insurances.

[central scrutinizer]

31. Thanks for the stories

I'm not scared and I've always been casual about being naked so showing my butt to some medical personnel is no big deal. Mostly I put it off because it is expensive. I hope they TIVO the procedure and burn me a DVD copy afterwards. The center where I am going won't do it unless you have a ride home since the drugs make you sorta loopy afterwards.