# Colonoscopy



## cthesweetie (Sep 3, 2011)

My Colonoscopy ExperienceI know that I watched this forum a lot before my procedure and it was a great benefit to me to know what to expect, so I figure I owe it to everyone else who has to go through it my experience... I'll give a bit more detail though... I have the time, and wished I had known what to expect in a little more detail...Location: Peterborough Regional Heath Center, Ontario, CanadaDate: February 21, 2012Reason For Procedure: Suspected IBS-A - Treated with Buscopan - Minimal Relief. Treated with Dicetel - Minimal Relief. Started Fibre 1 cereal once daily, which regulated movements, however pain increased. Blood in stoool present. Gastro Dr. decided to do colonoscopy to ensure suspicion is indeeed correct, and it's not a more serious problem.Preperation: - 1 Week Before - No seeds, no nuts, no corn - 1 Day Before & Day Of - Clear fluid only - No food, no milk/dairy, no coffee (Allowed: water, clear juices [no pulp], gatorade, powerade, chicken broth, beef broth, veggie broth, tea [with sugar only], jello, sprite, ginger ale, popsicles, freezies - no red/purple of anything [as during the test, this can look like blood]) - 8am Feb 20th - 1 pkg Peg-A-Lax powder ("tasteless") in water & 2 tablets of Dulcolax - 12pm Feb 20th - 1 pkg Peg-A-Lax powder ("tasteless") in water & 2 tablets of Dulcolax - 8pm Feb 20th - 1 pkg Pico Salax powder (orange flavor) in water followed by three 8oz glasses of gatorade & three 8oz glasses of water within 90 minutes - 6am Feb 21st - 1 pkg Pico Salax powder (orange flavor) in water followed by three 8oz glasses of gatorade & three 8oz glasses of water within 90 minutesReview Of Preperationeg-A-Lax info stated it is tasteless - SO NOT TRUE! The first dose was mixed with water, and it was awful! The second time I mixed it with just a bit of water until dissolved, then added white grape juice, and it was MUCH better! The Pico Salax didn't taste bad, but was almost fizzy, and didn't go down too easy.It took a while for the meds to start working. It was about 12pm and I had taken my 2nd dose before I had to make my first trip to the bathroom. I will note I have IBS-Alternating, and I took this after a bout of constipation, so this could be why it took so long to start.Between 8am on the 20th when I started things, and left for the procedure at 12:45pm on the 21st, I probably made 12 trips to the bathroom. Some times I had to head right back to the washroom, only minutes after I left. Definately make sure you do not leave home after you start. That's obviously asking for trouble. I was assured by me Dr's assistant that it would stop before bed on the 20th, but I didn't end up getting to sleep until almost 2am because it lasted so long. And I had to be up at 6am the next morning to do the final doseso I was definately sleep deprived.There was some cramping, but no worse than a regular day with IBS. Actually it's possible I just had a regular day, and it wasn't from the meds at all. I had been especially concerned with this, as my dominant symptom (like most with IBS) is cramping/pain, but it was manageable.Procedure:I was led into a change room by a volunteer and given 2 gowns & booties to put on. Nothing allowed on except the gowns. 1st one open at back, 2nd one open at the front. I was placed on a gurney, and given an IV by the nurse. She covered me with a sheet for both warmth & privacy. The nurse was extremely nice. She confirmed my medical history, and then took my blood pressure, and started to monitor oxygen levels.I was wheeled out into the hall (we have a shortage of hospital rooms here in Ontario) to wait to go into the procedure room. I had to wait about 30 mins to go in, as there was someone in there before me. Special Note: make sure you use a bathroom, before you check in... I didn't and had to hold my bladder until I was out of recovery... after all of that liquid, and then through sedation, I'm lucky I didn't have an accident!I was wheeled into the procedure room by another nurse. She placed an oxygen mask over my face, and gave oxygen (I have high blood pressure, and as extremely nervous). The Dr. reviewed recent symtoms (it's been 7 weeks since I saw him last - we also have waiting lists to see specialists here in Ontario - very hard to get appointments), and explained the procedure. He administered the sedative, and started the procedure.Things do get a little foggy from this point forward, but I do remember them. I did feel EVERYTHING. The beginning of the procedure was uncomfortable, but manageable, however, the furthur he went, the more painful it became. I did start to cry out, and the nurse came up behind me and assured me it was almost over. She tried to console me like a baby, and at the time I could appreciate that she was only trying to help, but it was painful.I'm not saying this to worry anyone, but I am saying it to be honest. I went in with the expectation there would be none, or I would be so sedated I would't notice, and that obviously wasn't the case. I am a person with very LITTLE pain tolerance. I am a baby, so keep that in mind.I will skip forward though, and state that the pain I expecienced, was more than worth knowing that the official diagnosis is IBS. The few minutes of pain is worth knowing I don't have anything more serious or life threatening. Keep that in mind. The pain is a means, to an end, and it's only temporary. Of the 25 minute procedure the pain was limited to the final 10 mins max.When it was complete the nurse told me that the result was clear (nothing found), and the recovery nurse would give me all of the follow up information. I was wheeled into the recovery room, and told by the recovery nurse to try to pass gas. I was still in pain from bloating, due to the air they put in for the procedure.I was having trouble expelling the gas, so the recovery nurse came and inserted a rectal tube. I was still hard to pass gas, but the tube helped, and with every rush of air that came out, I felt better, and better. She had me change sides, and then also elevated my upper body, and that helped too. In my case, every person in this recovery room was coming out of this type of procedure, and there was a chorus of farting... made me laugh a little.After about 30 mins in recovery, the nurse said she would allow me to get dressed and go over the results. The procedure confirmed there is no serious medical issue, and was officially diagnosed with IBS. Because the IBS alternates between D & C, and the cereal was causing more bloating and pain, the Dr. reccomended to stop with the high fibre cereal, and try taking "Lax-A-Day" instead. I went to the washroom, and then the nurse then walked me out to my Mom and Fiancee, and we went home.Take it easy with eating for the first time. I had just one meal that afternoon, and that was more than enough for that day. I was also advised not to drive for 24 hours. That evening I was sitting there, and was like "I feel fine, why would they tell me not to drive?". I didn't, but the next morning when I woke up, I realized how much more clear I was, and realized that while I felt fine the evening before, I was still groggy.If anyone has any questions, don't be afraid to e-mail me. [email protected] Please put "Colonoscopy Questions" in the subject line. Good luck with your procedure, and remember, that it's only a few minutes of your life, and it's worth it to know what's really going on!


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## AIRPLANE (Mar 15, 2004)

Glad you got through the test OK. I'm about to go to bed- just spent the late afternoon/evening drinking a huge jug of stuff to clean me out. Hopefully I'm pretty well done with it, although interestingly, even when all I had left to pass was fluid, I still had to strain and coax the liquid out, just like I do normally. I'm hoping they will find a cause for the kinked, distorted feeling in the sigmoid area- maybe an abscess? My massage therapist swears that, by looking at my left buttock, that I have an abscess somewhere- it also throws my left hip/thigh out of alignment. I also probably have adhesions from inflammation (current thinking is a dairy/gluten intolerance that has gone on for a long time) and also surgeries. I explained to the doctor that I probably had adhesions and asked that he please not force it if it seems tight- I had tremendous pain during and quite awhile after my last scope 13 years or so ago.The main problem right now is the weather- a snow storm is on the way after what has been a fairly snow-free season. I have to go 25-30 miles to the hospital. There is no gastroenterologist nearby which is a shame since I'm only a few blocks from my local hospital/clinic. Originally we were supposed to have snow today but instead it was sunny, and had I known, I could have scheduled the test for today! But I had to decide on a time/date about a week ago.


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

Have you tried the lax a day ????


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## cthesweetie (Sep 3, 2011)

TVgirl said:


> Have you tried the lax a day ????


Yes, as a matter of fact I did. It is definately helping. I have IBS-A, and it seems to balance things. As long as I take it every day, I'm ok. It's been really helpful, but when I forget, I tend to have a bad day or 2 after.


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