# colonoscopy



## Nelly (Mar 15, 2002)

I have to go for a colonoscopy.







I have absolutley no idea what this intails. All I know is that they will stick a camera up my poop shute. Could somebody fill me in on the exact proceedure, and what happened to them. I'm kindanervous and I think I would find it easier if I knew exactley what they were going to do before I get in there.


----------



## hihosilvers (Dec 14, 2001)

I'm going for my colonoscopy next week.You will be sedated and relaxed while they stick a lighted camera (scope) up where the sun don't shine, and guide it through the entire lenth of your colon, getting a very detailed view. If there are polyps, they can be removed at this time; if there is bleeding, the sites can be cauterized; if the doctor wishes to take a biopsy of tissue, he can also do this. They will also blow air into your colon in order to expand it for a better view. This may cause some cramping, and definite flatulous afterward. The procedure should take around 30 minutes. It's really not a big deal.Good luck.


----------



## vikee (Feb 5, 2000)

Some people are well sedated as I was and was asleep and felt nothing. Others have reported pain during the exam. I think it depends of the sedation and dose used. Ask what they will use for your sedation. Then post it and people will respond.The preparation is the bad part. Ask what preparation you Doctor uses and if he uses alternatives and what they are. There is a lot of information on different preps so find out your choices and post it. Then we can help you out!


----------



## fuel90 (Feb 9, 2001)

I had a colonoscopy last week and it went very smooth. The day before is the worst part. The day of the colonoscopy I was nervous since I did not know what to expect, but I was put to sleep (at least sedated enough that I don't remember it) and all went so fast and painless that I felt it was cake! I will never fear this procedure again. As far as pain (he took a biopsy) or having gas afterwards, I had nothing! As long as you are put out, you have nothing to fear


----------



## Guest (Mar 24, 2002)

I had my second one last Monday the 18th...Ive had haircuts that were more uncomfortable...piece of cake.


----------



## nuderomous (Mar 29, 2002)

Nelly,Don't spend another second worrying about this procedure. I had one yesterday and it was a breeze. One minute someone was injecting something into my IV, the next I was sitting up drinking ginger ale and talking to my wife and doctor. (It was actually pretty neat to wake up in mid-sentence!) The prep you do the previous day is pretty easy too. Think of it as pressure-washing that pesky organ that gives you so much trouble. Just make sure you're very near a toilet. By the time you go to bed you'll be clean as a whistle! My test confirmed the IBS diagnosis and revealed a few hemorrhoids. Best of luck to you!


----------



## nuderomous (Mar 29, 2002)

Nelly,My prep was called Fleet Phospho-Soda. It's a 1.5 oz bottle of salty fluid you mix with 8 oz. of water, followed by three more 8 oz. glasses of water. I had to do it at 4:00PM the day before and repeat it at 8:00PM. It really wasn't bad. You just slam the first glass containing the solution and the rest is all water. You'll be on the toilet within an hour of the first glass and returning pretty often until about 11:00PM when you'll be blasting out your last geyser of yellowish water. The important thing to remember is that this IS NOT painful diarrhea. Think of it as a cleansing flush of water through your colon. You really don't feel anything when it comes out; you just hear it splashing. As for the procedure, they give you a nice long gown to put on that ties in the back. They even put a thick cotton blanket over you. After putting your IV in, they'll wheel you into a suite where the procedure is done. They'll put a blood pressure monitor on your right arm and about the same time inject the first dose of sedative into your IV. For me this first dose was two syringes of Demerol.Then they tell you to turn onto your left side and pull your knees up about 1/4 of the way up to your chest, which is just slightly bending them. The doctor then lifts up the blanket behind you and opens the back of your robe to gain access to your pooper.The first thing you'll feel is some kind of lubricant and then a finger as the doctor does a preliminary rectal exam with his finger. Next comes the scope. If you feel any discomfort whatsoever, they will immediately inject another syringe of Demerol into your IV and the next thing you know you'll be in recovery talking with a nurse or whoever took you to the hospital. Simply put, they CAN'T have you experiencing pain or putting up a fuss during the procedure. That's why they hit you with the second dose of medicine as soon as you show the first sign of discomfort.It's a piece of cake!


----------



## Lora (Jul 21, 2001)

I have to go in for my second Colonoscopy and I am so scared. Most of you sound like you had pleasent experiences but I did not last time. My doc told me he was gonna knock me out and he didn't!!!!!!!! They did give me something but it didn't dull the pain. I remember begging and pleading with him to stop but he said it was too late and he was already too far in. I DO NOT want to have another one. I was one of the worst days of my life and the night befor was awful too. The drink I had to drink kept me on the toilet throwing up until I was finished. Not a fun experience for me.


----------



## vikee (Feb 5, 2000)

Lora, Ask the Doctor's office what was given for sedation last time. It should be on your records. Then tell them of your past experience and ask what they can do to help you this time.There are also different kinds of preparations a Doctor can use. Find out the one you used last time and ask for a different one. If you hold your nose or plug it up when drinking any of the Preps the Prep it is much easier to swallow. The lack of smelling helps. Then suck on a lemon wedge or rinse your mouth with Sprite or soda etc. to get rid of the taste of the Prep. Do not drink this just rinse your mouth with it.If you were throwing up after the prep maybe you weren't cleaned out enough and that was why the procedure was painful. To be cleaned out after the prep you have to expel clear to white to light yellowish liquid. Past posts:Some people have trouble drinking all that Golytley liquid so fast every 15 to 20 minutes. One person said a Doc let her start drinking at noon the day before and drink it more slowly....a glassful every 45 minutes. Some say every 30 minutes.The Fleet Soda is easier to drink than the Golytely or Nulytley since you don't need to drink as much yucky stuff. Someone said they were told to take 1 - 1/2 of a Gravol right after drinking the Fleet Phospho-soda and it worked so they were not nauseous. Gravol is some anti nausea pill. Some people are asked to also use Dulcolax before and during The Fleet Phospho-Soda.One person found a Doctor that did not require drinking a gallon of that awful Golytley stuff. They were required to follow a 24 hour clear liquid diet the day before the procedure, and drank 2 -10 oz bottles of calcium citrate and took 4 Ducolax tabs. This cleaned them out.It was said that four or five days prior to the test lighter food intake was used. Increase liquids and no hard or slow to digest foods. Three days before the test take two Dulcolax tablets at 10 PM. The next morning you begin an even lighter intake of food. You take two more Dulcolax at 10 AM. Two more at 4 PM. Take in as many liquids as you can (any clear liquids are fine). Nothing by mouth after midnight. I think the modified diet has a lot to do with the effectiveness.Let us know what your Doctor's office tells you they can do this time to help you.


----------

