I had my Colonoscopy today

Tests and investigations
1

Hello everyone.

I just had my Colonoscopy.

Being life time smoker and 60 now, i was asked for stool test.

They found some blood in 3 samples I sent them.

They asked me to repeat the test second samples had no blood.

They asked me to sent another batch of 3 samples.

I normally has no pain or visible blood in stool.

Then they invited me for a colonoscopy.

First appointment was to discuss the issue and they explained me the whole procedure.

They sent me regular stuff for preparation.

I followed it to thoroughly.

Don't have any difficulty the strict diet.

Actually I watched few verious on you tube about all this. This really helped me to understand the whole procedure, from the bowl prep to the actual Colonoscopy.

I opted to go without sedation.

On the scale of 1 to 10 for the pain, 1 being painless amd 10 being highly painful , I will say may be 3.

Uncomfortable, yes I will say may be 4 on the same scale.

I was nervous or stressed at all.

Doctor told me that I have well prepared bowl.

They remove 2 time polyps. 2 and 4 mm.

I was done in an hour and half, from arriving to the discharge.

I think my choice for no sedation was good.

I even enjoyed watching this on the screen. May be this also helped me in not feeling pain.

Please do not take my experience as a medical advice.

Every individual is different.

I am sure they will ask me to go through this again in few years time.

If I have no other health issues at that time, I will again go for no sedation.

Only thing I will say to those who will go through colonoscopy, that it is not as frightening as it looks.

No need is stress or being fearful.

It not more then a dentist appointment

2

Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience- thoughtful and encouraging...all the best

3

In a way the whole story was a blessing in disguise for you because you got rid of the polyps. They should have a look at them and see what grade they are. Probably low grade if they were that little and they become much more common with age and if they are you low grade it should be ok for at least 5 years without another test, maybe more. But if you hadn’t had a tiny bit of blood (which was probably not from them but just a nothing thing like a pile or something) you might not have ever had a colonoscopy and ten years later there could have been trouble, so life works oddly sometimes. Your story is very encouraging too for people who have their first one coming: most people are like you (and me) with just a bit of discomfort or pressure but some poor folks either have a painful condition in the gut or an odd shape which can can make it painful. My guy uses water nowadays with and gives me a bowel relaxant and I didn’t feel anything with my last one but I know some aren’t so lucky. On the other hand, I know people whose lives were saved by early detection so it is the best thing we have got at this time. I expect in 50 years it will be in a medical museum and everyone will laugh that people ever had them...well done and good luck. I kicked the fags by the way at 57 (after a heart by pass). Not an easy first few months but the craving does go eventually... David.

4

Then again  .......   not everyone is the same.  I NEVER had a dentist's appointment that felt like someone shoved a small rodent with sharp little claws up my backside and then that little rodent scurried around and around and around and around for what felt like the better part of a day before it could find its way out.  And that was with a sigmoidoscopy, which is like a colonoscopy light.  Never again.  I will NEVER undergo another such terrible exam.

5

Hi, 

Thanks so much fir taking the time to share your experience. I'm so worried about having mine done on the 28th Dec. I too do not want the sedation. 

It's reassuring to know that ur ok after having this procedure. I've been worried about it perforating my bowel! 

6

Bowel perforation is extremely rare. And with an experienced specialist even more unlikely. I asked my last consultant if it had ever happened to him and he said once in his entire career when carrying out a very difficult procedure with a patient who had a tumour. I have had the problecedure with and without sedation and didn’t find much difference except with sedation you remember less (although I still remember much of most of them) and it seems to make time pass much more quickly. The only procedure I do like to be well sedated for is the upper endoscopy (stomach camera). I find the preparation day with the laxatives much more annoying than the actual procedure. My most recent consultant used buscopan intravenously with the sedation and that I found really helpful as the buscopan (which is the anti IBS drug) meant my gut was much less gassy afterwards.