# My First Colonoscopy Experience (Almost as Good as it Gets)



## 17876

Hi! I'm brand new to this board, but would like to encourage others here as I have been encouraged by this message board. I have bolded the best tips from my experience and some found on this message board.My Experience: I fearfully make my initial appointment with the g.i. doc (2 month wait) and after the visit he schedules the colonoscopy date (3 month wait), letting me know he will be using a great drug on me for the procedure â€" a general anesthesia, which I understand will be *propofol*. In fact, it is so great that he will be using it on himself for his own procedure next year (itâ€™s fun to remember that the docs get this procedure done on themselves by their colleagues and friends!)







General anesthesia!! Whatâ€™s up with that?! I am not so worried about waking up during the procedure as others have feared; I am worried about not waking up at all!! While waiting another 3 months, and full of fear and anxiety about the actual procedure and the anesthesia, I spend a lot of time talking with people who have had a colonoscopy and also surfing the internet for info. In the process, I stumble across this *support group*, which I believe is a Godsend. I read for hours about otherâ€™s experiences, both good and bad, and I laugh and cry with you, and somewhere in this process I am encouraged and strengthened, my fear is greatly diminished, and a sense of peace begins to settle in. I am not alone in this. I decide a *good attitude* and a *sense of humor* is key, and I attempt to make this an adventure rather than an ordeal. Informed by tips on this board, before prep day â€" which I will appropriately call D-Day -- I gather up enough *library books and magazines* for a week on the commode, including one on climbing Mt. Everest (this should be easy in comparison!!), enough bottles of *assorted clear flavored drinks* for a large party, *jar of vaseline* and enough *soft toddler wipes* for 10 preps, _I Love Lucy_ DVDâ€™s, (anyone remember the â€œVitameatavegamin girlâ€? I will be watching this as I attempt to down my 2L of *half-lytely*, lemon lime flavored, which my doc believes is the easiest prep). I have enough stuff now to camp out by the bathroom for a week. Thanks to message board tips, I make sure I am *well hydrated* several days before D-Day, and *eat very lightly for a couple of days before the big event* (â€œEat lightlyâ€ should be double bolded!) This involves toughing it out through a going away party, a special business lunch, a graduation party, a barbecue, and another going away party on the actual prep day. By this time I have collected quite a stash of desserts for later. 4:00 D-Day arrives. I down the 4 dulcolax with water and *settle in near the bathroom* and wait for the 7:00 nasty drink. And wait. And wait. I want to get this over with. 2 Â½ hours later Iâ€™m thinking something is not working, when I start to feel queasy and make my first trip to the bathroom. I am now really worried how I will drink the nasty drink (in only a half hour!!) when I am already nauseated. But this feeling passes quickly and I am good to go (ha ha) at 7. I have mixed my half-lytely with cold water. I remind myself that people have swallowed much worse on _Fear Factor_.







Although I also have *straws* ready if necessary, I decide to *quickly chug down the first glass without pause* while concentrating on my *funny DVDs*. This seems to work well as I donâ€™t really taste the solution (too much) until done. Definitely has a very odd salty taste. Itâ€™s really not that awful, but I wonâ€™t be offering it to my dinner guests. Thanks to a GREAT tip here, I *rinse my mouth out with sprite*, and it totally takes the strange flavor away. I do this another 7 times, one 8 oz. glass every 10 minutes and I am done. Only about 80 total seconds of tasting the stuff over the entire prep. Then, after spending a grand total of only about 15 minutes on the commode over 3 or 4 very short trips, I am basically running clear yellow by 10 p.m. (as someone said, peeing out the butt is a good description), and nothing else happening, I finally decide to go to bed at midnight. I realize I didnâ€™t get to read very much of my mountain climbing book. Nor did I really need the Vaseline or toddler wipes. Nor did I drink my huge cache of drinks. Well, I was a little liquid weary at that point. Iâ€™m strangely almost a little disappointed, but also relieved at the same time, that the prep was such a non-event. C-Day: One quick trip to the bathroom and I head out for a 35 minute drive to meet my best friend/sister-in-law/*humorous companion*/ride home (all the same person). Thirty minutes later we arrive at the hospital and spend another 15 minutes looking for parking in the â€œbowelsâ€ of the earth â€" 3 levels underground. We then realize that neither of us has brought parking money. Oh well â€" maybe theyâ€™ll let me work in the cafeteria. Check-in: I ask for a designer colored hospital wristband, but they are not fashion conscious here. Ah, star treatment! My friend accompanies me to my very own private dressing room where I am given a very immodest







, unfashionable gown, but I also have a robe and a warm heated blanket. Nurses in and out with questions. I chat and joke with everyone.







Strangely enough, I am not very hungry or thirsty. Nor have I been throughout. The t.v. is tuned in to a Spanish station, so I channel surf and youâ€™ll never guess whatâ€™s on! _Fear Factor_! I have to laugh when the nurse arrives for my EKG and I let her know that my heart is now probably racing due to watching _Fear Factor_, and she jokes that maybe we should cancel the procedure. Ha ha. A short time later I am escorted to the procedure room, (I remind my friend to pray as she goes off for food, the rat!) climb on the bed, and ask some questions of the anesthesiologist. She says my veins have all run away, and takes 10 minutes trying to find one, and wonders which arm other docs have used. I say they try one, then the other, then back to the first one again, but joke that â€œif youâ€™re really good, youâ€™ll get it in the first arm.â€ She says â€œno pressure there.â€ (BTW, you are not intubated for this procedure with Propofol anesthesia, but they do constantly monitor heart, blood pressure and oxygen level, and also give you a little oxygen.) My doc and several other men/women in white arrive. I notice the screen and ask them if anyone brought the popcorn for the movie. I tell them Iâ€™d rather be at the beach and they say theyâ€™ll take me there. Iâ€™m looking at the R.N. and the thought crosses my mind â€" wonder if I can manage to stay awake. She is smiling and waves goodbye.







In the next second they are preparing to take me to another room. All done. A small polyp was removed. The actual scope took no more than 10 minutes. I feel great â€" awake, alert, chatty, happy to be alive, and ready to be done with this adventure. I ask them if I said anything while under, and they mention the popcorn, but I remind them that I was still awake at that time. I happily wave at a guy in an exam room as I am wheeled by. I want to get dressed, out of here, and on with my life, but they say I have to wait 30 minutes. My friend arrives in a panic â€" â€œmy beeper went off â€" I thought something had happened â€" I canâ€™t believe youâ€™re done already!â€ Nurse reviews the follow-up info with me and says doctor recommends to come back in 3 days (ha ha) â€" uh, 3 years, for the next colonoscopy. Results available in 7 â€" 14 days. Try to place an order, but am only given juice and crackers. Very little gas. Propofol = no after effects: no pain, no sickness, no memory loss, no grogginess, no loss of the day following the procedure. Feel very chatty and refreshed as if waking up after taking a pleasant nap.







Walk out, go with friend to her company picnic, daughterâ€™s softball playoff game, other daughterâ€™s sports banquet, and motherâ€™s house to pickup son that evening. There is food everywhere! My theme song for the day is â€œFood, glorious food!â€ from _Ice Age: The Meltdown_. Although I am somewhat restrained, I probably eat more than I should, and discover that there is actually some prep left in my system. *Eat lightly after the procedure*







Fortunately, bathrooms are scoped out ahead of time, so no big deal. I manage to forego the cabbage and potatoes my friendâ€™s mom has made but add that to my stash. Although I feel great and alert, I will be a good girl and obey the emphatic orders not to drive that day







, and stay overnight at my friendâ€™s house. Intestines feel a little sore the following day, so I eat lightly. Today is the 2nd day after, and the plumbing is working properly again. For me, the worst part of the whole thing was not the procedure, nor the prep, but was my unfounded fears and anticipation of the ordeal â€" mostly of the unknown â€" (and the intrusion into my daily life schedule). This board helped to alleviate many of my fears. Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone. _Special note to ladies_: This procedure is less painful than a mammogram, (really, no pain with propofol) and less embarrassing than a pap test. I have two friends who have said they are never having this procedure done, but my C-Day friend is finally calling to set an appointment up â€" with my doc. And I will be with her for her adventure! I will begin working on my friendâ€™s brother, my brother, and my husband to get theirs. Please donâ€™t let fear or embarrassment keep you from taking proper care of your health. Could I do it again in the nurseâ€™s â€œslip-of-the-tongueâ€ 3 days? Iâ€™d rather be at the beach, but I could do it, including the prep. (I read that Miralax is a good prep, but that wasnâ€™t an option for me). This procedure is so Not a Big Deal. I wasted too much of my life worrying about it. My motherâ€™s friend died of colon cancer in her 40â€™s. THIS PROCEDURE COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE. Sorry this was so long, but I pray that something I have said here is as helpful to someone else who is fearful and either considering or in the process of having this procedure done, as you all have been to me.Blessings, Dixie Girl


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## 22959

Awesome story and well written Dixie Girl.Yup prep is worse than procedure by farrrrr.I am going in 2 weeks for my 2nd colonoscopy. They found a polyp 2 years ago and the doc said, I have to have another one right now I had my first at 37 and I am 39. The polyp was not cancerous and they took no biopsys. The doc said, they usually redo colonoscopy's if they find polyps the first time. Then I can wait 4-5 years before I do again. So I'm not looking forward to the procedure but I'm not afraid it so easy once in the hospital out in a jiffy!! PREP is worse than procedure. I do not look forward to starving all day on June 21st this I can't stand I feel sick when I drink that prep stuff but it passes. I miss food most of all te he. My last colonoscopy as soon as I got home I ate a whole box of macaronni and cheese so much for starting light and moving on..I WAS STARVING but life was good and back to normal. So one day of starving is worth a lifetime of knowing you are protecting your colon from cancer. Colon cancer is one of the top cancers in the USA so its worth doing the colonoscopy!Lisa


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## 16026

Dixie Girl,Thanks so much for this post. I know you wrote it a while back but I am reading it for the 1st time tonight, the night before my colonoscopy prep. I feel somewhat less tense after reading your post. My father died recently of colon cancer and I am sure that what I saw him go through is much worse than anything I'll face tomorrow.


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## 14834

Tando2,Please share your experience with this procedure. I had a colonoscopy a few months ago and I would agree with others who say that the prep is the most difficult part (If you find it that way!). The actual procedure for me was fantastic. I was sedated, didn't feel a thing. In fact when I woke up I thought they would just get started. My GI said that he took some biopsy samples from 3 different areas (everyhting turned out normal). I had no pain or discomfort at all afterwards. I couldn't believe how uneventful this whole procedure turned out to be!!! In terms of the prep, it was rather dificult for me. I don't want to scare you but for some reason I experienced severe spasms/ pain for approx. 2-3 minutes which felt horrible!!! I guess it felt so badly because I totally wasn't expecting anything like this. Honestly, I have a very low pain/ discomfort threshold and my husband was so concerned he thought he would have to take me to the ER. But once my mother-in-law reassured me that this was normal and it would pass, I felt a lot better. I think I panicked and made it worse. Again it was just a couple of minutes and then once I went to the bathroom it was all okay. I share this with you because I think that if I had known this was a possibility I wouldn' have freaked out and instead just allow the pain to go away. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask. I'm sure others would not mind sharing their experience. I wish you all the best, good luck and let us know how it all goes.


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## 16026

Thanks Molly. I am waiting nervously to start the cleanout, in about 2 hours. I'll keep you posted. By the way, I was wondering if you have any trouble maintaining a vegan diet with IBS. (I assume you are vegan...) I am close to vegan but do eggs... but all of the veggies and beans can give me trouble. Just wondering.


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## 22802

Does entire process of a colonoscopy should be performed by a medical physician M.D. or a medical assistant? In order word, moving or inserting equipment into patient's colon or body and pulling out equipment from patient's body should be performed by a licensed M.D. doctor, not by a medical technician?Does a M.D.doctor should perform ANESTHESIA to put patient to sleep before performing a whole colon colonoscopy? A nurse tells me that nurse will perform ANESTHESIA, not by a M.D. doctor. Is it tue? May I ask only M.D. doctor for ANESTHESIA to give me a shot to put me in sleep before colonoscopy? My doctor asked me to have colonoscopy two years ago when I had IBS. My stool contained a lot water 40% of times and I ate fiber to reduce the problem. My parent, sisters and brother do not have any colon problem. My two old sisters and younger brother have done their colonoscopy for their lower colon, and found no problem. My younger sister had a complete colonoscopy, whole colon examined, and found no problem but she had IBS but not serious as me. I am afraid to have colonoscopy but I am worry about why my colon does not absorb water in my colon which might a lower colon problem or a IBS problem. If it is not a IBS problem, it might be a colon problem, such as tumor, which will scare me. A nurse tells me that I could not ask tool used for children for their colonoscopy because the length of tool is not longer enough to examine my colon. What is the risk for colonoscopy? Does colonoscopy will damage my rectum, two spinker muscles, scratch or damage or broken my colon or cause out of control of bowel movement for life time? Any one has such problem after colonoscopy?I am so afraid to have colonoscopy. but I think I need it because water in my stool might not from my IBS, might from my colon problem.


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## 14834

Hi BlueBird,While I may not be able to answer all of your questions I do want to share a bit of my own experience with a complete colonoscopy. Unlike you I honestly did not do as much research about my GI doctor who is the one that performed the procedure. The anasthesia was given by an anasthesiologist (an MD)and I was deeply asleep as the colonospy was performed. Prior to having it done I was asked to sign a consent form which indicated the risks of it but after having suffered with numerous symptoms (gas, bloating, constipation, extremely painful cramps) for so long to the point where they were imparing my normal functioning, including having to take days off from work and limiting my social life, I decided to go for it and just find out what was wrong with me. After the procedure was done my doctor told me that he had biopsied some samples of my colon although everyhting seemed ok. Of course I was scared: I thought to myself that if he had taken some samples I would be in terrible pain once the sedation wore off and I was scared about eating. But I had absolutely no problems afterwards and certainly none of my symptoms were aggravated by the procedure itself. I commend you for doing your research, I guess I was just to desperate at the time to bother to take the time to do any research. At the same time from my personal experience I believe that having all necessary testing done to rule out any problems that could be potentially more troublesome than even IBS is important. I wish you all the best and let us know what you decide to do.


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## 22802

My stool has contained water 40% of times since I had IBS one and half years ago. Does this symptom is for IBS or something wrong on my colon which could not absorb water before my stool is exited. I have found bath tissue has fresh red color small spot on it after my bowel movement since three months ago. It is from my Hemorrhoids or from my lower part of my colon? A nurse told me the scope and tub and picture taken tool entered into a patient's colon is one whole body. What is the widest size in its diameter in this whole body? Does the scope part is the widest size in its diameter and the other tube and picture taken tool will be entered into patient;s rectum and colon through the scope? If so, what is the wide size of the scope in its diameter? My symptoms are IBS, constipation and noise from my colon sometimes, feeling gas or something travel from one place to another place, a short distance, inside my colon sometimes and my throat occasionally. Anyone has same kind of noise in colon or throat as me?Older people has IBS because their body is older, like old car has many problems. What is reason young people has IBS and how many young people have IBS in USA?


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## 19883

You know, when I had mine done I wanted to know as little information as possible. I figured I'd just go in and get it done and leave it at that. The more information I knew, the more I obsessed about it and the more it freaked me out. I can't answer your questions, but I wish you the best of luck.


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## 16259

Thank you so much Dixie, you rock - I have been dreading this (Sept 13 is my day) and you made me feel much better about it. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis last month and now I can rest easy. *(Til September,







)


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## 16698

> quote:Originally posted by BlueBirdUSA:My stool has contained water 40% of times since I had IBS one and half years ago. Does this symptom is for IBS or something wrong on my colon which could not absorb water before my stool is exited. I have found bath tissue has fresh red color small spot on it after my bowel movement since three months ago. It is from my Hemorrhoids or from my lower part of my colon? A nurse told me the scope and tub and picture taken tool entered into a patient's colon is one whole body. What is the widest size in its diameter in this whole body? Does the scope part is the widest size in its diameter and the other tube and picture taken tool will be entered into patient;s rectum and colon through the scope? If so, what is the wide size of the scope in its diameter? My symptoms are IBS, constipation and noise from my colon sometimes, feeling gas or something travel from one place to another place, a short distance, inside my colon sometimes and my throat occasionally. Anyone has same kind of noise in colon or throat as me?Older people has IBS because their body is older, like old car has many problems. What is reason young people has IBS and how many young people have IBS in USA?


HiI also started hearing very strange noises starting in my throat like bugbbling, gurgling, rumbling, growling that goes downwards towards my intestines and colon ... it's so FRUSTRATING !!!Another problem I have is conbstant BURPING/BELCHING throughout the day even if I drink some water or eat a fruit and ESPECIALLY AFTER A MEAL







Has this happened to u ??? Thanks


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## 16698

> quote:Originally posted by Dixie Girl:Hi! I'm brand new to this board, but would like to encourage others here as I have been encouraged by this message board. I have bolded the best tips from my experience and some found on this message board.My Experience: I fearfully make my initial appointment with the g.i. doc (2 month wait) and after the visit he schedules the colonoscopy date (3 month wait), letting me know he will be using a great drug on me for the procedure â€" a general anesthesia, which I understand will be *propofol*. In fact, it is so great that he will be using it on himself for his own procedure next year (itâ€™s fun to remember that the docs get this procedure done on themselves by their colleagues and friends!)
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> General anesthesia!! Whatâ€™s up with that?! I am not so worried about waking up during the procedure as others have feared; I am worried about not waking up at all!! While waiting another 3 months, and full of fear and anxiety about the actual procedure and the anesthesia, I spend a lot of time talking with people who have had a colonoscopy and also surfing the internet for info. In the process, I stumble across this *support group*, which I believe is a Godsend. I read for hours about otherâ€™s experiences, both good and bad, and I laugh and cry with you, and somewhere in this process I am encouraged and strengthened, my fear is greatly diminished, and a sense of peace begins to settle in. I am not alone in this. I decide a *good attitude* and a *sense of humor* is key, and I attempt to make this an adventure rather than an ordeal. Informed by tips on this board, before prep day â€" which I will appropriately call D-Day -- I gather up enough *library books and magazines* for a week on the commode, including one on climbing Mt. Everest (this should be easy in comparison!!), enough bottles of *assorted clear flavored drinks* for a large party, *jar of vaseline* and enough *soft toddler wipes* for 10 preps, _I Love Lucy_ DVDâ€™s, (anyone remember the â€œVitameatavegamin girlâ€? I will be watching this as I attempt to down my 2L of *half-lytely*, lemon lime flavored, which my doc believes is the easiest prep). I have enough stuff now to camp out by the bathroom for a week. Thanks to message board tips, I make sure I am *well hydrated* several days before D-Day, and *eat very lightly for a couple of days before the big event* (â€œEat lightlyâ€ should be double bolded!) This involves toughing it out through a going away party, a special business lunch, a graduation party, a barbecue, and another going away party on the actual prep day. By this time I have collected quite a stash of desserts for later. 4:00 D-Day arrives. I down the 4 dulcolax with water and *settle in near the bathroom* and wait for the 7:00 nasty drink. And wait. And wait. I want to get this over with. 2 Â½ hours later Iâ€™m thinking something is not working, when I start to feel queasy and make my first trip to the bathroom. I am now really worried how I will drink the nasty drink (in only a half hour!!) when I am already nauseated. But this feeling passes quickly and I am good to go (ha ha) at 7. I have mixed my half-lytely with cold water. I remind myself that people have swallowed much worse on _Fear Factor_.
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> Although I also have *straws* ready if necessary, I decide to *quickly chug down the first glass without pause* while concentrating on my *funny DVDs*. This seems to work well as I donâ€™t really taste the solution (too much) until done. Definitely has a very odd salty taste. Itâ€™s really not that awful, but I wonâ€™t be offering it to my dinner guests. Thanks to a GREAT tip here, I *rinse my mouth out with sprite*, and it totally takes the strange flavor away. I do this another 7 times, one 8 oz. glass every 10 minutes and I am done. Only about 80 total seconds of tasting the stuff over the entire prep. Then, after spending a grand total of only about 15 minutes on the commode over 3 or 4 very short trips, I am basically running clear yellow by 10 p.m. (as someone said, peeing out the butt is a good description), and nothing else happening, I finally decide to go to bed at midnight. I realize I didnâ€™t get to read very much of my mountain climbing book. Nor did I really need the Vaseline or toddler wipes. Nor did I drink my huge cache of drinks. Well, I was a little liquid weary at that point. Iâ€™m strangely almost a little disappointed, but also relieved at the same time, that the prep was such a non-event. C-Day: One quick trip to the bathroom and I head out for a 35 minute drive to meet my best friend/sister-in-law/*humorous companion*/ride home (all the same person). Thirty minutes later we arrive at the hospital and spend another 15 minutes looking for parking in the â€œbowelsâ€ of the earth â€" 3 levels underground. We then realize that neither of us has brought parking money. Oh well â€" maybe theyâ€™ll let me work in the cafeteria. Check-in: I ask for a designer colored hospital wristband, but they are not fashion conscious here. Ah, star treatment! My friend accompanies me to my very own private dressing room where I am given a very immodest
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> , unfashionable gown, but I also have a robe and a warm heated blanket. Nurses in and out with questions. I chat and joke with everyone.
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> Strangely enough, I am not very hungry or thirsty. Nor have I been throughout. The t.v. is tuned in to a Spanish station, so I channel surf and youâ€™ll never guess whatâ€™s on! _Fear Factor_! I have to laugh when the nurse arrives for my EKG and I let her know that my heart is now probably racing due to watching _Fear Factor_, and she jokes that maybe we should cancel the procedure. Ha ha. A short time later I am escorted to the procedure room, (I remind my friend to pray as she goes off for food, the rat!) climb on the bed, and ask some questions of the anesthesiologist. She says my veins have all run away, and takes 10 minutes trying to find one, and wonders which arm other docs have used. I say they try one, then the other, then back to the first one again, but joke that â€œif youâ€™re really good, youâ€™ll get it in the first arm.â€ She says â€œno pressure there.â€ (BTW, you are not intubated for this procedure with Propofol anesthesia, but they do constantly monitor heart, blood pressure and oxygen level, and also give you a little oxygen.) My doc and several other men/women in white arrive. I notice the screen and ask them if anyone brought the popcorn for the movie. I tell them Iâ€™d rather be at the beach and they say theyâ€™ll take me there. Iâ€™m looking at the R.N. and the thought crosses my mind â€" wonder if I can manage to stay awake. She is smiling and waves goodbye.
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> In the next second they are preparing to take me to another room. All done. A small polyp was removed. The actual scope took no more than 10 minutes. I feel great â€" awake, alert, chatty, happy to be alive, and ready to be done with this adventure. I ask them if I said anything while under, and they mention the popcorn, but I remind them that I was still awake at that time. I happily wave at a guy in an exam room as I am wheeled by. I want to get dressed, out of here, and on with my life, but they say I have to wait 30 minutes. My friend arrives in a panic â€" â€œmy beeper went off â€" I thought something had happened â€" I canâ€™t believe youâ€™re done already!â€ Nurse reviews the follow-up info with me and says doctor recommends to come back in 3 days (ha ha) â€" uh, 3 years, for the next colonoscopy. Results available in 7 â€" 14 days. Try to place an order, but am only given juice and crackers. Very little gas. Propofol = no after effects: no pain, no sickness, no memory loss, no grogginess, no loss of the day following the procedure. Feel very chatty and refreshed as if waking up after taking a pleasant nap.
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> Walk out, go with friend to her company picnic, daughterâ€™s softball playoff game, other daughterâ€™s sports banquet, and motherâ€™s house to pickup son that evening. There is food everywhere! My theme song for the day is â€œFood, glorious food!â€ from _Ice Age: The Meltdown_. Although I am somewhat restrained, I probably eat more than I should, and discover that there is actually some prep left in my system. *Eat lightly after the procedure*
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> Fortunately, bathrooms are scoped out ahead of time, so no big deal. I manage to forego the cabbage and potatoes my friendâ€™s mom has made but add that to my stash. Although I feel great and alert, I will be a good girl and obey the emphatic orders not to drive that day
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> , and stay overnight at my friendâ€™s house. Intestines feel a little sore the following day, so I eat lightly. Today is the 2nd day after, and the plumbing is working properly again. For me, the worst part of the whole thing was not the procedure, nor the prep, but was my unfounded fears and anticipation of the ordeal â€" mostly of the unknown â€" (and the intrusion into my daily life schedule). This board helped to alleviate many of my fears. Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone. _Special note to ladies_: This procedure is less painful than a mammogram, (really, no pain with propofol) and less embarrassing than a pap test. I have two friends who have said they are never having this procedure done, but my C-Day friend is finally calling to set an appointment up â€" with my doc. And I will be with her for her adventure! I will begin working on my friendâ€™s brother, my brother, and my husband to get theirs. Please donâ€™t let fear or embarrassment keep you from taking proper care of your health. Could I do it again in the nurseâ€™s â€œslip-of-the-tongueâ€ 3 days? Iâ€™d rather be at the beach, but I could do it, including the prep. (I read that Miralax is a good prep, but that wasnâ€™t an option for me). This procedure is so Not a Big Deal. I wasted too much of my life worrying about it. My motherâ€™s friend died of colon cancer in her 40â€™s. THIS PROCEDURE COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE. Sorry this was so long, but I pray that something I have said here is as helpful to someone else who is fearful and either considering or in the process of having this procedure done, as you all have been to me.Blessings, Dixie Girl


a general anesthesia for a COLONOSCOPY ????????????????????????OMGIs that necessary ???Thanks


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## 20179

> quote: By the way, I was wondering if you have any trouble maintaining a vegan diet with IBS. (I assume you are vegan...) I am close to vegan but do eggs... but all of the veggies and beans can give me trouble. Just wondering.


Tando, I've been vegan (and dealing with ibs) for years now, so I'll be happy to answer your question about vegans and ibs diet as best I can. Honestly, I find that it depends on your personal symptoms. I have mostly consitpation issues that then trigger the bloating, etc, so generally what sets me off are refined carbs like pasta, bread, etc. For the most part, beans and their infamous "toot" can be tamed for me with a dose of Beano. Also, there are other options like seitan, tempe, and other such "un-meats" that I find pretty easy to digest. But that's just what I found best for me; you may have to do some experimenting to see what works best for you.My big C exam is in 3 days! What makes me sad is that I have to break my veganism to take the half-lytely prep kit. It's got gelatin and lactose in it! But without any other option available, I have to forgive myself just this once...


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## 19407

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am having my first colonoscopy on Tuesday morning and I've been dreading the prep for the last month. I will read more on this site about how to prepare, but just reading your post has given me priceless information. Tomorrow I shall get plenty of Sprite, jello, apple juice and those baby wipes. I only hope my experience is as good as yours!


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## 17876

Well, my husband finally caved and had his first colonoscopy yesterday, after putting off his doctor's recommendation for many years. He has also had some problems with acid reflux, so had the endoscopy at the same time. As he had decided to use my excellent g.i.doctor, he was given a similar prep. However, he had to drink 4L of the Colyte whereas I had to consume only 2L (Halflytely). He decided to "embrace the taste" and didn't have any problems downing it. Said it didn't taste that bad. Our doctor is the head g.i. at our hospital and does more colonoscopies than any other g.i., and he also used Propofol for DH for anesthesia. What a great drug! DH woke up very alert, happy, joking, and talking non-stop. (What is in that drug! I haven't figured out if the happy feeling







is from relief that you survived the procedure, or if Propofol is truly just a happy juice.) However, I have one major piece of advice to add to my initial post. *Don't cheat on the liquid diet*! I had reminded DH that the instructions were for a *clear liquid diet the entire day before the procedure*. But stubborn man that he is, and as his procedure was scheduled for late afternoon, he calculated that he could eat just a little on prep day. So he had some pretzels, crackers, and apple slices. Big mistake!







The g.i. said they know when people cheat, so now DH gets to do it all over again in only two years, and is now also scheduled for a 2-day prep for the next event. DH ended up with a diagnosis of gastritis, and was given some lovely full-color pictures of his inner self, which freaked out our college age son







(who has zero aspirations of having anything to do with a medical career). DH also just found out that a friend of his had recently been diagnosed with colon cancer. So this is just another plea and my best advice to you all: Please don't put this procedure off. It's really not a big deal, yet it is a REALLY BIG DEAL. It may save your life, or the life of someone you love. Blessings,Dixie Girl


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## Jannybitt

Dixie Girl;Thank you so much for sharing your story about your colonoscopy. Not only was it amusing and entertaining, but also very informative. I have a problem with a amnesiac drug, versaid, to be exact, working for me, and I went through an epidural steroid injection where they threaded a needle to my herniated disk, and injected a steroid into it. Needless to say, I remember EVERY detail about it! Not pleasant to say the least. I had to have a 2nd one this past December, and he upped the versaid, but I found out that I could also take my normal pain medicine in the morning, soo... I made sure I was nicely drugged up before I even went in and he upped the dose of versaid, and it went ok. I want to be able to have an alternative, and my husband's GI did the versaid, so I am taking a printout of your wonderful post and going to ask about this propofol and see if this could be an option for me. Thank you, Dixie Girl. I've had to have alot of testing done lately, and sort of reaching the end of my rope, so anything I can find to make things easier, I'm going for it! You have no idea how much better I feel after reading your great post! {{{hugs}}} to you!







P.S. Did you ever think of writing short stories? You seem to have a talent!


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## Joycee

Dixie Girl, Thank you so much! I am going for my first colonoscopy on April 24th and I am so nervious about the prep since I have IBS-D. I had a terrible time with the prep for a Lower GI about 7 years ago that I passed out in the middle of the test. Hopefully my test will go as smooth as yours.Thanks again!


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## 16127

Thanks Dixie Girl! Your story was great entertainment. It's wonderful that you're willing to share. So many people are needlessly afraid of a colonoscopy.I was totally cleaned out after only about half of my prep solution. I had no recollection whatsoever of the actual procedure (wonderful drug it is)! Afterwards I ate two double cheesburgers and fries!!


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## 20749

Hi, everybody, I'm an old person, but new on this board.Can anybody comment on cramps during the prep? I've been avoiding this for years, even though I've been suffering with IBS for 45 years or so. It's getting REAL old. But whenever I have an attack of D, the cramps are just so horrible. That's my main source of fear concerning the prep. I'm afraid it will be excruciating.Thanks for encouraging a little old chicken lady.Angie in Texas, US


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## 17876

Hi Angie!







With my half-lytely prep, I did not experience any cramping at all, just a few minutes of queasyness. However, if you have read many of the posts on this board, you will notice that each person's experience is a little different, depending upon a number of factors. I would suggest that you express your concerns to your g.i. doctor and hopefully he will take that into consideration for your prep. If he blows your concerns off, find another doctor. Please don't put this off any longer. I hate using "scare tactics" but it does make a point. [Although it took my own internist "twisting my arm" and many interviews with other colonoscopy "alumni" before I finally agreed (kicking and screaming) to sign up for one myself.] Our family member who is dealing with colon cancer now would tell you that what he has gone through for the last 3 years is much worse than any discomfort he experienced from the colonoscopy and prep. And honestly, I think many if not most of us here were also "chicken" for our first one.







Please keep us posted, and I know that many of us will be happy to pray for/encourage you when prep time arrives. ((Hugs)) Dixie Girl


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## 21989

Dixie Girl, that was awesome!You and others will get me through the prep today. I have finals this week, so I have plenty of reading material ready by the can.


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## 17876

Hey Zack!I'm sure that there are many here willing to help if you have any questions or need some encourgement. Remember that it (prep day) is only one day out of your life, and it sounds as if you have a plan for making very efficient use of that time.







And good luck on your finals! My son has finals this week also, so I'll be sending up extra prayers for you, too! Dixie Girl


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## kimaesha

I had a colonoscopy 2 months ago, due to irregular bowel movements. I was so nervous so I searched the net and researched on what is colonoscopy, what will I feel after the procedure and all about it. And I found out that the pain after the procedure depends how my body respond to anesthesia and its up to the anesthesiologist as well. So I searched for the best anesthesiologist in our state and has found one. Then after the procedure I didn't felt much pain. Thanks to my surgeon and anesthesiologist. And now they found out that my irregular bowel movements is due to the stress I encounter everyday, in my work and at home. So they advoce me to lessen my stressors.


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