I'll take Colonoscopy for 1000, Alex!

[Chris in VA]

Having some issues that make it imperative for this 47 year old bod to undergo a colonoscopy. Any advice?

I have a good friend who has to get them at least yearly--she's told me about the solution you drink that causes all-day bathroom visits, so I know about that. Anything else? Soreness after/whatever?

[Dobela]

My dad has them regularly as well. He says one of the hardest things is the rollercoaster blood sugar levels for him. By the time he completely empties his stomach and all tht follows it, can't eat for hours before, experiences a delay or 2 at the hospital, and then for the ok to leave, he is starving and his levels have plummeted. He heads to the nearest buffet before heading home and eats a good healthy, fast meal.

[Parrothead]

Have someone go get you something to eat just as you go back for the procedure. Dh is always so hungry after the procedure.

[Blueridge]

Here is an article concerning colonoscopy procedures that I recently read. You may or may not agree with the author's opinions, but it's interesting reading, nonetheless. :)

 

http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/aug/colon.htm

[AuntieM]

I have to have them regularly due to colon cancer in the family. You are picking the right time to start, they are much easier than they used to be years ago! Even the awful prep is easier! I had my last one under general anesthesia, it was the easiest of all.

 

Plan the afternoon/evening before to be spent in your bedroom, near the bathroom. Think loose clothes and a good book, dh take the kids out for a meal. You might want to get some wet hygienic wipes, they are easier on the skin after a while.

 

Try to schedule your appointment as early in the day as possible. You can't eat from the day before until the procedure is over, no sense making a 1pm appointment and have to hold on that long. You must have someone drive you to and from the appointment. Even with an early appointment, plan on taking it very easy for the rest of the day.

 

Do eat as soon as you can, but nothing greasy or heavy. A deli sandwich is great. By dinnertime you will be back to eating anything you want.

 

And don't worry! The peace of mind you'll have from knowing you've had a thorough check will outweigh the trouble of having the procedure.

 

ETA Oh yeah, you will want to ask the doc what you should have on hand if you need help releasing air afterwards (maybe some Gas-X or the like). During the procedure they expand your colon with air to get a clear view. It takes a bit of time to totally expel it.

Edited September 14, 2010 by AuntieM

[whitestavern]

I've had two as there is a family history w/cancer. The prep is horrible...just know this up front and expect it. You are in the bathroom constantly. You will be sore. Pick up some Balneal (sp?); it helps. If you haven't scheduled one yet, try to get one first thing in the a.m. If so, you will start prepping around 4ish the evening before. The best thing to do is eat light that entire day; maybe even the day before. Just less contents to evacuate :) I like to mix the powder solution with juice; it just makes it more pleasant to drink . I think I did white grape juice. Pick a juice you like because you drink a lot!! You are allowed to drink some liquids during the evening. I like jello because it gives the illusion of something solid. That's about all I can think of...the procedure itself isn't bad at all becuase you are out of it!

[Colleen in NS]

.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Colleen in NS

[emubird]

It was only the prep that bothered me -- the not eating for 24 hours. The procedure itself wasn't really that bad. There was some pain from them putting in the gas, but really, I've had a lot worse gas pains than that. (Food intolerances are way worse than that procedure -- speaking from experience, here.) However, I didn't find the bathroom visits to be all that terrible. I got a book to read but never got very far in it. I just wasn't in the bathroom that much. I only had to get up a couple times in the night.

 

You probably will need something to soothe the area. It was suggested that I use vaseline, but I couldn't find it when I finally discovered I needed it. I ended up using a little unscented hand lotion on toilet paper.

 

My husband got to feeling really weird when he was doing it, until he thought to have some chicken broth. That really helped him. The juice just wasn't enough to keep him going. I learned from his experience and had a lot of broth on hand.

 

You do have to expect that you aren't going to accomplish much while you're doing the prep.

 

Afterwards, I went right out and had a McDonald's Angus 1/3 burger with no problem.

[emubird]

Here is an article concerning colonoscopy procedures that I recently read. You may or may not agree with the author's opinions, but it's interesting reading, nonetheless. :)

 

http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/aug/colon.htm

 

This:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-colon-cancer-screen-20100913,0,3928734.story

seemed to me to be a more evenhanded discussion of this controversy.

 

There does seem to be some doubt as to whether the whole colonoscopy is really necessary. It seems the sigmoidoscopy might be just as good, but there isn't yet a lot of evidence.

[AuntieM]

This:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-colon-cancer-screen-20100913,0,3928734.story

seemed to me to be a more evenhanded discussion of this controversy.

 

There does seem to be some doubt as to whether the whole colonoscopy is really necessary. It seems the sigmoidoscopy might be just as good, but there isn't yet a lot of evidence.

 

I haven't read the links yet, but I've had both. Just the sigmoid flexoscopy would not have revealed a couple of my issues, they were farther "north" in my intestinal tract.

[emubird]

And since the topic's come up, maybe there's someone here who has an opinion on my odd case?

 

I had a colonoscopy done last week. The doctor found nothing, except for a bulgy area up at the top of the large intestine. She did a biopsy. It came back completely negative. She then insisted I have a CAT scan (this is why I avoid doctors. Things just snowball out of control.). The CAT scan showed, well, nothing. The doctor reading the CAT scan was of the opinion that that bulgy thing was just a bit larger than normal fold in the intestine.

 

OK, so I'm feeling all right about that, but the original doctor now insists that I have to have another colonoscopy in 3 months "just in case". I cannot figure out why. She can't explain it to me. She just found it "odd" and wants to look at it again. She's got her office calling me up and bugging me to make another appointment.

 

I'm inclined to ignore her and put this off for another 5-10 years as would be recommended if she'd found nothing (which I think she found). But am I being stupid? Does this ring a bell with *anyone* as cause for alarm? Or is this doctor just afraid of being sued if she doesn't do enough?

 

I'm finding absolutely nothing in googling.

[jeri]

I had one in July due to family history. I was very stressed just thinking about it! But I found it to be almost entirely mental.

 

I was at a Cub Scout swim picnic the day before, left early from there (3 pm) so I could start the liquid blow through. Expelled until bedtime. Up twice in the middle of the night, but that was it. Very nice tech/RN had me very relaxed. I was knocked out for it (at least I don't remember a thing). Woke up drowsy, hung out a bit, dh adn I got a snack and he drove me home. HOnestly, no pain, no flatulence later, nothing horrible with the stuff you drink (although it does taste lousy!). As someone said, eat lightly the day before and it works better.

 

Best news--everything perfect, come back in 4 years!

 

 

Jeri

[TX Bluebonnet]

I just had one this morning! I was not allowed to eat anything yesterday which was bad because I am nursing. I had to drink the prep at 4 and 10 pm. It took about an hour to work each time and the next hour was spent mostly in the bathroom. The taste of the drink wasn't so bad for me, I added Crystal Lite to it, but the texture was awful. It felt like I was drinking snot. Sorry:tongue_smilie:.

 

The actual procedure was a breeze. I don't remember anything. I barely remember getting dressed and I certainly don't remember texting my dh that I was done. At least that's what we think it was supposed to say, it was mostly gibberish!:lol:

 

I was pretty sleepy all day but I don't have any pain or cramping. It will be fine if you can just get that nasty drink down.

[elfgivas]

there are differences depending on which country you are in. in the usa, i've only had them done under anaesthetic. in canada, i've only had them done while i'm awake. and whether a full scope or a sigmoidoscopy is called for will depend on what they are looking for....

 

to the poster who's doctor wants a second look. i'd ask her how many she does a year. if she does a ton, then i'd give a fair amount of credence to her "it just looked odd". if she does only a half a dozen a year, then i'd ask her to be Very Specific about what it might be.

 

good luck!

ann

[emubird]

 

to the poster who's doctor wants a second look. i'd ask her how many she does a year. if she does a ton, then i'd give a fair amount of credence to her "it just looked odd". if she does only a half a dozen a year, then i'd ask her to be Very Specific about what it might be.

 

good luck!

ann

 

That's the thing -- I asked her to be specific and she just said she didn't know. Just had never seen it before. She strikes me as rather young. She said she'd "ask around" at her office. So far I haven't heard from her. I think she expects I'll just show up for another colonoscopy, where she can tell me that Dr. so-and-so told her it was nothing after all. But our insurance is not going to pay for the 2nd one. I'm not real thrilled about paying for a 2nd one unless it's really absolutely necessary.

 

I do get the feeling that most doctors don't consider cost AT ALL.

[Audrey]

Having some issues that make it imperative for this 47 year old bod to undergo a colonoscopy. Any advice?

I have a good friend who has to get them at least yearly--she's told me about the solution you drink that causes all-day bathroom visits, so I know about that. Anything else? Soreness after/whatever?

 

 

Make sure you have someone VERY experienced doing it. My aunt (in the States) had one done and they perforated her bowel during the process. It was an intern who actually did the procedure. After several surgeries attempting to correct it, she is wearing a colostomy bag. :sad:

[keptwoman]

I had my first one last year, I was nervous as heck, but I made sure I was going to be knocked out for it, so I don't remember a thing. No discomfort after, except for the gas.

[Lawana]

I had one last year due to occult blood in a stool sample taken during a routine gyne exam (plus I was 50, ready for the "approved" first screen). After further research, I would have been looking for a sphigmoidoscopy instead. As far as the actual procedure, the worst, by far, was drinking the prep solution. It was just plain nasty. The drug for the procedure itself was awesome. Very fast acting, and cleared the system very quickly. By the time I got home, I was ready to take on the rest of the days activities without any problem.

[Michelle O. in MO]

I had my first one last week and it was pretty easy. The only thing I'll add is to suggest having something ready-to-go for dinner before you have the procedure done. I had dinner in the crock pot the day of my procedure - I'm so glad I did. Gets ate well - I slept off my sleepies from the drugs.

[Pippen]

I've had two done and the hardest part for me was getting all the liquid done.

 

The first prep I was able to mix the prep stuff with any clear liquid and it went down much easier with homemade chicken broth. The second time I was required to drink Gatorade and even though I opted for the least sweet tasting variety I could find, it hit me all wrong and I had a hard time keeping it down. I wish I'd asked in advance about options because it was after office hours by the time I got to that part.

 

The most absurd part of it all is that where I go, on the wall as you leave the waiting room to the pre-op area, they have a historical display of endocopes used through the years. I suppose the intent was not only education but to reassure patients on how small today's technology is, but my eyes about popped out when I saw what they used a few decades ago. :w00t:

[My3Boys]

I had one done a year and a half ago. My experience ended up being different from what most people told me to expect. The solution was nasty. I mixed it with Sprite or else there would have been no way it was going down. I had to take 2 other things that weren't so bad. One was a solution I mixed with Crystal Light, and other was Dulcolax (sp?) that was supposed to take care of anything left over after the 2 solutions. The office told me they found this method, which was more than most require, to be more efficient and resulted in better visibility.

 

I never experienced much cramping. I expected it to be like having an intestinal flu, but mostly I just felt urgency. I didn't stray far from the bathroom, and it was for the most part over by bedtime. I think I started around 2 pm the day before. I did get up twice during the night.

 

The thing I feared the most, the general anesthesia, was actually the best part. I had propofol, and woke up feeling like I had just taken a really good sleeping pill. I was a little woozy, though. I was surprised with the poster who said she was able to drive herself home. They wouldn't release anyone who didn't have someone to drive them home there in the waiting room.

 

I was also told that I would be starving after not eating for so long. My experience was quite the opposite. The last thing I felt like doing was eating. The most I could deal with was a cup of tea. The nurse told me most people go to a late breakfast or lunch afterwards. All I wanted was that cup of tea and a long nap!

[Vida Winter]

I had this done a couple of years ago. The pharmacist gave me a prep tip that I was grateful for -- use vaseline to sooth irritated tissue every time you use the toilet. I was out for the procedure and no problem afterward. I don't remember being especially hungry or shaky but I did not drive myself.

 

At my follow up, my surgeon said there was a new kind of prep that involved swallowing pills every so many hours and drinking lots of water. If this is true I would inquire about it -- sure would be better than drinking a lemon scented gallon of yukk (drinking it is the worst part of the whole ordeal).

 

It's helpful to keep your sense of humor about it (hard, I know). Here's a classic Dave Barry column for you:

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html

[Colleen in NS]

I was surprised with the poster who said she was able to drive herself home.

 

I was awake and unmedicated for the procedure.

[AuntieM]

Thanks, Dana

At my follow up, my surgeon said there was a new kind of prep that involved swallowing pills every so many hours and drinking lots of water. If this is true I would inquire about it -- sure would be better than drinking a lemon scented gallon of yukk (drinking it is the worst part of the whole ordeal).

I will definitely ask about this, I need to schedule my next scope before the year is out.

 

It's helpful to keep your sense of humor about it (hard, I know). Here's a classic Dave Barry column for you: I am so glad you posted this! I wanted to do it yesterday but got distracted. HILARIOUS!

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html

[Laurie4b]

Having some issues that make it imperative for this 47 year old bod to undergo a colonoscopy. Any advice?

I have a good friend who has to get them at least yearly--she's told me about the solution you drink that causes all-day bathroom visits, so I know about that. Anything else? Soreness after/whatever?

 

Put the solution you have to drink in the freezer so that it gets to "slushy" consistency. It's not bad to drink that way. I had lots of anxiety about the humiliation part of the procedure, so got some Valium to take prior to going; that plus the stuff they give you during the exam (if you ask for it) made it an experience I will never remember---which is what I wanted. No pain at all.

[My3Boys]

I was awake and unmedicated for the procedure.

 

Wow! My hat is off to you!

[My3Boys]

I had this done a couple of years ago. The pharmacist gave me a prep tip that I was grateful for -- use vaseline to sooth irritated tissue every time you use the toilet. I was out for the procedure and no problem afterward. I don't remember being especially hungry or shaky but I did not drive myself.

 

At my follow up, my surgeon said there was a new kind of prep that involved swallowing pills every so many hours and drinking lots of water. If this is true I would inquire about it -- sure would be better than drinking a lemon scented gallon of yukk (drinking it is the worst part of the whole ordeal).

 

It's helpful to keep your sense of humor about it (hard, I know). Here's a classic Dave Barry column for you:

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html

 

My family physician told me about that when she recommended I get the colonoscopy. When I went to the dr who would perform the procedure I was told that it had a higher incidence of causing kidney damage and even total failure and that they would only give it to people under the age of 50.

 

I think he said they were working on improving it but didn't know how long it would be before it could be used on all ages.

[dripdripsplat]

I really have nothing to contribute, I just wanted to let you know that your title gave me the best laugh of the day. Thanks! :lol: