I'm prepping for a colonoscopy! Tell me everything!

[bluethruandthru]

This is my first one. Any advice?

[Fuzz]

1. I don't remember much

I was completely out. I remember discussing a few recipes with my doc (his wife tests recipes for a magazine) then out like a light I was.

The absolute WORST thing though is the prep. The stuff they make you drink beforehand and the amount of time you need to stay in and near a bathroom :(

[bluethruandthru]

2. I'm prepping now....

I sure hope I don't remember anything!

:hurts:

[elocs]

32. I had the long scope and was out for the entire thing.

And yes, that vile swill you have to drink to clean you out is the worst and was the worst part of the entire process for me. I couldn't drink the entire dose even when I was using Countrytime sugar free lemonade to flavor it. I woke up in recovery and laughed to hear all of the people farting until I realized that I was too.

[prole_for_peace]

33. i took my mom to her last one a few months ago.

when i was in the recovery area trying to get her going and dressed and all the other people around were farting...i thought i was going to die from holding in the laughter. my mom was still stoned so she didn't see me struggling with it but a nurse came in to check on it and she did notice. she said that sometimes it gets to her too and she starts laughing. then i didn't feel so bad. crap i am laughing now as i remember.

[Blue Diadem]

3. The prep is the worst part imo,

the rest is a breeze. I remember going in, the Dr. showing me the long cable/camera which freaked me out..then nothing after that. When I woke up it was all over. They showed me the clips of the film and everything was fine.

[bluethruandthru]

4. I'm glad everything was fine.

I'm a little worried about the twilight drugs. I had a twilight procedure years ago and it seemed to take forever to wear off.

[Blue Diadem]

10. I'm usually groggy from the drugs.

They can try to wake me..but it doesn't always work. With that particular procedure though, I don't remember being extra tired or out of it afterwards.

[bluethruandthru]

13. Maybe I can ask them

to give me a light dose.

[Blue Diadem]

15. It wouldn't hurt to ask the Dr. about that.

Good luck, I hope everything turns out ok for you.

[bluethruandthru]

17. Thank you! n/t

[Burma Jones]

5. If they don't knock you out for the whole proceedure....

it can be interesting to look at the monitor.....

I've had three, for the first two, I was knocked out for the insertion and woke up for the extrication, they had a monitor and the Doc explained what we were seeing, it was fascinating. I can remember having some polyps removed that looked like those chinese straw mushrooms, I saw little bits of the Lemon Jello I had had the day before and the whole thing was pretty cool. I also remember telling the Doc, as he was cauterizing a polyp, "Careful Doctor, I get my best ideas from just that spot."

The third one was polyp free......but I was out cold for the whole thing....next time, in two years, I want to be awake for the withdrawl......

And yes, the prep is far far worse than the procedure.

[bluethruandthru]

11. I wouldn't mind watching a monitor.

Did it hurt when they did the cauterizing?

I'm still waiting for the prep to "take hold" so to speak..... :)

[Burma Jones]

21. No, it doesn't hurt, there are no nerve endings there

Could you imagine what digestion would feel like if you had the sense of touch in your intestines.....

[rug]

6. Lay off the raisin bran.

[NC_Nurse]

7. The prep is the worst part.

Make sure you don't eat or drink anything in the morning beforer you go. Some let you drink clear stuff up until 4 hours before the procedure, but do whatever your doc's instructions say. They can't sedate you if you've ingested anything recently and that would be a bummer to waste a prep.
The procedure part is a breeze. The drugs wear off differently for eveyone - don't make any plans for the rest of the day. You won't be able to drive, play with a hot stove or knives...you should take it easy.
TV will seem much more entertaining though.
:)

[bluethruandthru]

16. I'm sure I'll enjoy laying around all day!

And..I'll have an excuse not to have to make dinner! :)

[Cannikin]

8. They pump you full of air which can lead to some embarrassing moments

in the recovery room.

[bluethruandthru]

14. I've heard about that!

:rofl:

I'll be more embarrassed if they tell me I was snoring during the procedure!

[petronius]

9. It was actually extremely easy (even the prep, really)

This may be TMI, but the night before, after taking the clean-out medicine, I just put a stand in front of the toilet for my wireless laptop, arranged beverages, gummy bears, and whatnot around me, and whiled away the evening on DU...

The procedure itself was nothing; the IV insertion was the worst part, and that's trivial. I have very vague memories of talking to the doctor and seeing the monitor during the event, but not much. I was completely functional within an hour of waking up in the recovery area, and I had zero discomfort from then on.

Good luck!

[trof]

12. I shouldn't tell you this. But I will.

I had scheduled myself for one and then got a hemorrhoid (and if you can spell that without "Check Spelling" my hat's off to you.).

I know...Too Much Information.

So...I postponed the colonoscopy.
Then I heard about a woman at Miz t.'s church who had one and wound up in a wheelchair.
Unbeknownst to the doctor, her bowel was pierced during the procedure.
After a few hours at home, when the "feel good" stuff had worn off, she felt lousy.
Called the doc.
He said "Take a couple of Tylenol and call me tomorrow if it's no better."
I'm serious.

It wasn't.
That night she passed out and her friend took her to the ER.
She was in a coma for some months.
Now has no short term memory.

Having said that...if their are indications you should have this procedure done (like family history of colon cancer, etc.) then by all means do it.

I had previously done the fecal occult smear-your-poop on the slide thing and that came back negative.
I did some research online at www.realage.com and discovered that the only risk that I seemed to have for colon cancer was age. I'm 65. In my case they said that with a clean, recent fecal occult test the procedure would be "questionable" for me.
I think I'll pass.

[bluethruandthru]

18. That's awful!

The doctor went over the risks with me and I decided that this is something I really need to do. I'm having this done mostly because of a family history of polyps...but I recently lost a good friend to colon cancer. In fact, in an 18 month period, 3 women in my office were diagnosed with colon cancer...only one was over 50.

[wain]

19. If you can, ask to be awake to watch on the monitor

It's in living color. No pain, maybe just air pressure discomfort. No pain when polyps are lasered.

Absolutely fascinating to watch - it's like a long tunnel.

The funniest part is afterward with the nurse congratulating you for farting!

Yes, the worst part is prepping - no food, just Jello and clear liquids. Then there is the flushing of your bowels.

Good luck. It's a very smart thing to do.



:)

[Katina]

20. have lots of soft TP

and having those "baby wipes" isn't a bad idea either. It's not the "intake" that will get you, it's the "cleansing". :hurts:

obviously, I'm referring to the "prep" drink and cleansing.

[bluethruandthru]

23. I'm drinking the prep drink now.

No taste....just so much liquid to drink that I think I'm going to float away. :)

[Katina]

25. and when it kicks in

remember what I said about the soft toilet paper...or you will be sore. The procedure is nothing compared to this.
COngrats to you for doing it. It's a good thing to do.

[NewWaveChick1981]

22. I had my baseline at age 40.

My mother is a nine-year colon cancer survivor, so my doc recommended a colonoscopy earlier than what they usually recommend. I'm supposed to have them every five years, so my next one is due in two years. I hated the prep work, but it was necessary. When I went into the hospital to have it, they gave me an IV sedative and got me all set on the gurney. When I went into the procedure room, the doctor and the assisting nurse were there, and they were both very soothing and kind. Just as the doc told me to count to 100, I nodded off and didn't wake up until after it was over. I felt nothing, and my husband drove me home since I was groggy (and it was required :P). Everything was fine---no polyps or indications of any other problems. I believe the term the doctor used was "squeaky clean". :P

You'll do fine!

[bluethruandthru]

26. Thanks for the encouraging words!

That's wonderful about your mother! Doc said people shouldn't wait til 50 to get one. My older sister had hers at 48 and she's been bugging me to do it. It took awhile for me to get up the courage to do it.
:)

[NewWaveChick1981]

28. My doc said most people shouldn't wait either.

My mother started having problems at age 61, and she'd never had one. (This is the woman who is so fastidious about all other aspects of her health---go figure!) She was having a lot of problems and went to her doc, and they scheduled a colonoscopy. Three days later she had a large portion of her intestines removed because she had a cancerous tumor that was just about two millimeters from growing completely through the colon wall. It had not spread elsewhere, but if it had been detected as a polyp, she would not have had all the issues that come with surgery or had to go through chemo. I'm so glad she caught it when she did, though---no signs of recurrence! :)

Be glad you're getting a colonoscopy now! :D

[Katina]

27. I had mine at 50

but my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer a year and 1/2 ago. They did surgery and got it all. I found out that I have a diverticulum but not polyps, so I have to watch what I eat. Unfortunately, my older sister has polyps, so the family history is there, so I have to pay attention.

[NewWaveChick1981]

29. I'm glad the surgery for your dad was successful!

You're exactly right to pay attention to your family history and your own issues. :)

[Crabby Appleton]

24. prep's the worst part

by far.

[ldf]

30. i will heartily echo

the prep is the worst. x(

you can't sleep because you have to jump up so often and RUN to the bathroom. :eyes:

you get REALLY, how shall i say.... "sensitive"...? :blush:

but it is good that you are getting it done. :thumbsup:

they knock you out, all you remember is them telling you that you will soon go to sl.... zzzzzzzzzzz

what? it's over? :wow:

now can i see those "glamour" shots???? :silly:

hope everything turns out ok.

from us, to you :grouphug:

[Blue-Jay]

31. Open up and say "Ahhh".

AahhhhOOOOOOOWWW!

[GoneOffShore]

34. You will never want to drink ginger ale again

[w8liftinglady]

35. I'm a nurse who worked in GI lab for awhile...

I've helped with a million of them...my mom will have her first on thursday..she has COPD and is O2 dependent.They generally use enough sedation to make you comfy,but not totally out of it...and you'll hopefully have someone like me saying"hey,doc...let's give her another 0.5mg versed:)ask me anything.

[begin_within]

36. Stay near a bathroom after you drink that gallon of stuff they make you

drink the night before. It clears out your whole system, and you will make 10 or 12 trips to the john. At least that's what my Mom went through. The good side is that you will feel clean and light inside.

[trackfan]

37. I am 5 years overdue for one

They're not THAT bad. But I am a nervous person. I hate going to a new STORE, let alone the hospital. So I have avoided going back.

[Floogeldy]

38. Pump air up their butt, lube it up, and just shove that scope gently

. . . yet firmly and evenly.

The patient will never know. While you're there, give him or her the courtesy of a goddam reach-around, okay? :)

[TheBaldyMan]

39. don't post it on YouTube afterwards n/t