Colonoscopy Experience

[mark500]

This post is for anyone thinking about getting a screening colonoscopy, but putting it off.

I turned 50 a few months ago and decided to get one. I tried to talk myself out of it, however, as a "health care provider", I had seen to many people in their 50s with advanced colon cancer.

It's not bad. Others have said the prep is the worst part and I found this to be true. It consisted of clear liquids at noon the day before with was phosphosoda at 2:00Pm and 4:00Pm with a ducolax chaser at 10:00PM. Don't plan on getting working that afternoon or getting much sleep the night before. Your colon must be clean or lesions could be missed.

I arrive at 6:30AM and was promptly seen, processed, IV started and waiting for the physician.
3 people were in the procedure room besides me. The doc and two nurses. One nurse monitored me and gave the sedation meds. The other assisted the doc. They were all younger than me and the nurses were rocking to some radio tune that wasn't from my generation. One nurse told me to roll on to my left side and the other told me she was giving the IV meds (versed and fentanyl) and I might feel a little dizzy. That's the last thing I remember.
Then I woke up on my couch at home.
Apparently, I had a good amnestic response, because all I remember of the procedure is mild cramping. I don't recall the recovery room, or my spouse driving me home, or any conversations. My spouse did tell me that in the recovery room, it was like Robin William's description: I was an Evinrude motor. YouTube - Robin Williams Colonoscopy

Fortunately, the study was negative. I got pics of my terminal ileum and base of my appendix to take home.

The risks of a colonoscopy are very small and it is highly accurate, although not perfect. Sedation protocols vary between physicians and different people react differently to sedation meds. Other options exist ACS :: American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer, but a good colonoscopy is the "gold standard", and they can remove polyps if they find one.

If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for your family.

 

[REWahoo]

I predict this thread will be the butt of many jokes.

 

[A854321]

A negative colonoscopy gives you great peace of mind.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Believe it or not, we've got threads somewhere on the board about this. It went predictably south but never lost its sense of humor.

Though the San Antonio thread this evening was hysterical - candidate for the "best of..." archives.

 

[unclemick]

I predict this thread will be the butt of many jokes.

Yep. Like the BB gun joke:

'You're gonna s**t your brains out!'

heh heh heh - It's on my bucket list. No kidding.

 

[2soon2tell]

Mark,

Now you can truly state that your problems are behind you.

 

[Sue J]

My husband had his last February. He described his very much like yours but with less amnesia. One difference was that his prep instructions allowed him to eat hard boiled eggs! I'd never heard of that but the doc said that they leave no residue in the colon.

 

[travelover]

My husband had his last February. He described his very much like yours but with less amnesia. One difference was that his prep instructions allowed him to eat hard boiled eggs! I'd never heard of that but the doc said that they leave no residue in the colon.

That's a great tip. After the prep, the hunger was the second worst part of the experience for me.

 

[Jeb-NY]

The prep can be a lot easier if you can talk your doctor into Visicol pills. Same diet regiment but you take 40 pills over a period of time instead of the evil tasting liquid. You take the pills with whatever clear liquid you chose, even water. Hint don't use a liquid you really like a lot, you drink a lot of it and you associate it with the effect for a long time.

Doctor resisted letting be use it and it turned out he just didn't know about it. After he looked it up he said OK with the warning if it didn't work we would start over with the nasty stuff. Worked fine, was clean as a whistle, no problems.

Jeb

 

[oma]

Thanks for posting about your experience. Something I've got to do in the near future -

 

[73ss454]

My husband had his last February. He described his very much like yours but with less amnesia. One difference was that his prep instructions allowed him to eat hard boiled eggs! I'd never heard of that but the doc said that they leave no residue in the colon.

I would think the nurse who gave those instructions was trying to pull a prank on the Dr. It musta stunk in the OR that day.

 

[Achiever51]

I would think the nurse who gave those instructions was trying to pull a prank on the Dr. It musta stunk in the OR that day.

TMI....seriously. That's just waaaayyy too much information for my addled brain to process today.