# Colonoscopy & EGD: Wish I'd Found This Site Two Weeks Ago!



## ManualShift

Sorry for the small novel.WOW! This site is a gold mine of information. I just wish I had found it before I *HAD* my colonoscopy and esophageal endoscopy. This is my first post but I've been reading for the last few days. After having experienced one for myself, I can definitely relate and wish to share my experience and see if this was normal and expected. I'm going to be blunt and brutally honest without offending anyone, I hope.Briefly, I've suffered mostly from diarrhea and rare constipation since before my emergency gallbladder removal in 2004. That made it worse but I never really considered it a medical problem to be solved. Just an annoyance I managed with fiber and immodium.I went to the doctor for something totally unrelated. I have a swallowing problem that has bugged me for several years. I finally had enough and went to get diagnosed. They did a barium swallow test that was normal so the next step was a to get an EGD (esophageal endoscopy) to have a look around.So I talk to the nurse practitioner about it and she asks about other symptoms. I'm good so far with the no eating after midnight before the procedure. When I told her I had minor digestive issues ever since my gallbladder was removed she wanted to get me to have a colonoscopy at the same time since I was over 40, had bowel changes and was going to be there already. I was just so happy to finally get my swallowing diagnosed and fixed that I agreed without much fuss. As I'm getting the date for the test and my instructions, I start reading the stuff. Doesn't sound too bad. After all, millions of people have had them and lived, right? So I thought, "No big deal."The week before I was to stop all supplements, fiber and NSAIDS. Not a problem. Then I called to get my preregistration out of the way. Went easily. Then my prep prescriptions and clear liquid foods were picked up. Didn't look too bad. I was given Miralax 255mg and 2 Zelnorm tablets. Plenty of jello, broth, ginger ale and gatorade, all without any red dye was on hand.The day before I was to have only clear liquids. I thought that was going to be the hard part. After all, I'd had some pretty bad diarrhea in the last few years. I ate two bowls of jello and a bunch of chicken broth along with about six 20oz gatorades. I was still starving by the time 5 PM rolled around. Did I mention I worked a full day the day before the procedure? I think I'd take the day off and start earlier next time to get more sleep.At 5 PM the evening before I was to take the two Zelnorm. My wife said she had taken it for a while and she wondered why I was taking it for a colonoscopy. I didn't know either. OH MY GOSH! By 5:20 PM I already had a liquid BM surprise! (Rule 1 at the bottom)That wasn't even with any of the Miralax yet. I mixed it up at 5:30 PM with cold lemonade gatorade and put it back in the fridge. Then I had two more liquid BM attacks before the 6 PM Miralax prep started.Does Zelnorm normally do that? Geez! I could only imagine what the Miralax was going to do to me. I was ill prepared for this by any means. I had lots of toilet paper, wipes and I thought I was set.At 6 PM sharp I drank the first 8oz of gatorade/Miralax. Didn't taste bad at all. Went down easily. I drank some ginger ale about half way to the next dose. I lost count how many times I visited the toilet in the first hour and a half. By the second dose I was pretty much dreading and nearly backed out. I was ready to stop and just have the EGD since this was worse than any D-attack I'd ever had.Not being a quitter, I stuck with it and got it all down by 10 PM with no gagging or vomiting problems. It seemed like it was coming out as fast as I was pouring it in. My rear was on fire after the second BM. Nothing helped. I gave up on toilet paper after the first BM. I finally found an old tube of Prep-H in the medicine cabinet but the burn was already there.I medicated as best I could stand before and after each BM. By 10 PM, I was passing green, cloudy water. This went on until 11:30 PM when it turned orange and was clearer. I drank gatorade and ginger ale until midnight. I finally got to the point I could lay in bed at midnight. I was still awakened several times before morning with urgency to evacuate even though it was hardly productive.The day of the procedures, I arose at 5:30 AM since I couldn't sleep. I had one more yellow water BM then as well. I showered and got ready for my 8 AM check-in. I weighed and had lost 4 pounds in 2 days. I had accumulated quite a bit of dirty laundry by this time as well. It happens, be prepared and get through it. I greased my rear liberally and used a feminine pad to keep my clothes clean for the ride to the hospital. My wife drove me to the outpatient entrance. We arrived at about 7:45 AM and I was registered, tagged and waited for a bed to become available. She then left, on my orders, since my procedure wasn't until 10:30 AM and she had a class until 9:30 AM. I was called back around 8:30 AM and given a gown and a robe. I was allowed to keep my socks on and was given over-booties to wear. Then across the hall I was given a bed. The nurse helped me into bed and then proceeded to ask my all the questions. I answered no to almost all except the one about ever having taken a hard fall. What can I say, I ride motorcycles and have crashed lots of dirt bikes in my youth. Then she fitted me with an IV line. I hate needles but I understand the process. She had a hard time puncturing my skin, said it was tough. She also had a hard time getting the vein to stand up because I was dehydrated. I wasn't going to get an IV drip, just the line started so I only got stuck once. It was then I asked if I could be allowed to watch the colonoscopy and not have so much of the sleepy medicine. She said she'd ask but they didn't like to do that. She left and I read some magazines I'd brought with me.I had two more small yellow mucousy BM's between check in and my wife arriving at 9:45 AM. We talked and I think she was more afraid than I was. The nurse returned and said they didn't allow me to be awake and it was better if I didn't. Wasn't happy about it but was in no mood to argue. I *CAN* argue with the best of them when I'm not dehydrated and weak. The procedure nurse then came in and asked the same questions the other nurse did. I answered the same and again asked if I could watch the procedure. What the heck, I'm paying good money for it so I should get to watch. She also said she'd ask but that he generally didn't do that.At 10:45 AM they came and rolled my bed to the procedure OR. I passed several patients that had already been procedurized. They were out cold and you could tell the endoscopy ones by the green mouth piece they still wore. I was to get one as well, I figured.Inside the OR there were two nurses, one for monitoring anesthesia and one to assist with the procedure. We were talking about what was going to happen. The procedure nurse told me that the doctor wouldn't allow me to watch it. I said I had a good tolerance to pain (reference motorcycle crashes and paintball hobby) and promised to behave. They could always knock me out if it was required. Still no go.Then the monitoring nurse hooked up the blood oxygen monitor to my finger and said I had good lungs. Then she fitted me with an oxygen line to nose, checked my IV and hooked me up to the blood pressure cuff and some EKG leads. The procedure nurse said the colonoscopy was first and the EGD was last. She brought in the equipment. I'll tell you, I remember seeing my BP and pulse shoot up when I saw how long that darned colonoscope was. She demonstrated it by pointing at something and showing me the big display. I wish I could have watched. We joked about them being sure not to mix them up.Then she rolled me over on my left side and repositioned my legs. My left leg was straight and my right leg was bent at the hip and knee to expose my rear. She pulled up my gown a bit and tucked a towel in under my rear and leg. I'm guessing this could get messy despite me not having anything left inside. I trust they used lots of lubricant.Then the doctor stepped in and said I might thrash and hurt myself and it was best I was not awake. At the time, I had no idea if this was true or not. The people I'd seen in the hall were fast asleep. The monitoring nurse fitted a mouth piece to keep my teeth apart and hooked up a syringe to my IV line. I remember watching her slowly squeeze about half of it and that's all I remember of it.The next thing I remember was seeing a face. It was the nurse that started the IV. She was telling me to expel the gas and I'd feel better. I had no idea I felt bad. My wife was there in recovery but I have no recollection of it. My wife says I was gone about an hour from when she left to when she was called to recovery. She spoke to the doctor during this time and he said I was clean and took a biopsy for comparison. My esophagus was dilated due to a lower esophageal ring and it should be fixed. It may reoccur at a later date but he said it went well. My wife tells me that the nurse told her she was going to get me dressed and to go get the car. This was about 12:30 PM. I have no recollection of it at all. I remember her asking me what I wanted to eat. Apparently they told her I could eat normally now. I do not remember anything else about the ride home. She said I was babbling constantly while she was making phone calls to friends and family to let them know I was fine. I remember stumbling into the house like a drunk with a milkshake in my hand. Someone gave me a cheeseburger and I ate it. Then I remember getting out of bed and it was 3:30 PM and I felt a little groggy but not sore or anything. The rest of the day I was pretty normal. I had one last watery BM at about 4:30 PM and it was pretty much over.Two things I was disappointed over where, obviously, not getting to watch and the fact that I got no reprieve from bowel movements at all. The next day, I had two in the morning and one at lunch. I've been keeping a food/BM diary to see how things go. I think I'm slightly worse after the process as far as the lower end goes. The throat is good and I wish I'd done that part sooner. *Rules of a Colonoscopy (Prep and Procedure)* Rule 1: Never pass gas after taking any prep medicationRule 2: Change clothes before you start the prep, put on something that pulls down easily and quickly like sweat pants, you will thank me laterRule 3: Lubricate your rear thoroughly immediately after changing clothesRule 4: DO NOT USE TOILET PAPER, use wet wipes only and pat, don't wipeRule 5: Laundry will fix most problem you will have, don't sweat itRule 6: If you need it, use some form of protection in your clothingRule 7: Take the pre-procedure day off if possible and start the prep an hour or two early


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## 21989

You wanted to watch? That's nuts! Glad everything turned out okay though.


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## Jannybitt

I wish they would give me a good enough drug so I go nighty-nite during mine! I don't want to see it, hear it, feel it, nothing, thank you very much!Glad things went well for you, and thanks for the tips!


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## ManualShift

I am very curious. I would have watched them take out my gall bladder had I had the option. I'm not very squeamish. I used to drive a tow truck and have seen more blood than some doctors. I've seen plenty of my own blood on various occasions as well. It is all part of the human body and bodily functions. Everyone has them and does it. Nothing to be afraid of or ashamed of.At any rate, I go back on 3/6 for a follow up. Other than the usual D that fiber/immodium handles pretty fairly, I'm as normal now as I was before the tests. That first week after the scope was pretty tough though.I had a bruise on my lower left abdomen and one of the monitoring electrodes left a big place on my rib cage from the glue. I must have had a reaction or something.


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## lujen13

Hoping that what I read and hear is correct about being asleep. I'm also a breast cancer survivor and I have endured enough torture to last a lifetime. I never had anxiety until I had a mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time. Now it doesn't take much to make me "freak out". My appointment is 3 weeks away and I have to daily remind myself not to cancel my appointment. I get in the mood that I just want to be left alone and take what ever happens. I know in reality I can't and shouldn't do that. I was mentally preparing myself for the colonoscopy but then they added the EGD and that wasn't what I wanted to hear


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