My Colonoscopy Experience - details as may be helpful to others

Tests and investigations
1

Hi all,

Just wanted to perhaps tell you about my colonoscopy experience today and preparation - hopefully it soothes some peoples’ nerves and helps others looking at it like reading other people’s experiences also helped me.

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THE PREP

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I started this the day before the procedure, using Moviprep at 6pm.

Actually the liquid did not taste nearly as bad as I expected. In fact, it wasn’t vile in any way. The difficulty is that you need to drink quite a lot of it quite quickly. I actually drank all of mine in 30 mins. I started feeling it kick in about 15 mins after finishing it. Nothing extreme - calmly took myself to the loo and water started coming out. Not painful at all. Spent about 20 mins in the bathroom first time. Then about 5 minutes every 20 minutes or so for next 3 hours and a bit and then maybe every hour until about 11pm-ish. It’s not bad but make sure you have super soft loo roll as it gets quite sensitive. Went to sleep no problem.

Woke up at 7am to restart the process and it was really similar to the night before. Though for some reason it was a little easier to drink the liquid this time. Make sure you have 500ml of water right after having your moviprep liquid. Drink it in the next hour.

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THE COLONOSCOPY

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I was signed in by a lovely nurse at 2.30pm, who admitted me and gave me a gown, some comfy non slip socks, some colonoscopy shorts (basically like longer underwear with a hole in the back), and a dressing robe to wear before the procedure as the gown is open at the back.

My surgeon then came in and explained the procedure in great detail using a diagram and gave the possibilities of outcomes and the minimal risks associated with procedure. 

I then went to the endoscopy suite where the nurses talked to me and put the cannula in my arm so the doctor could administer whatever he needed. They also hooked me up to heart and pressure monitors and gave me  a tube for oxygen in case needed. 

The doctor then administered the IV sedation. I was conscious throughout the procedure and able to converse / just a bit dozy.

The procedure itself was not painful. It’s slightly uncomfortable as it’s a new experience that’s of course not wonderful, but did not hurt! From tube in to tube out it was about 20 minutes or so. 

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AFTER PROCEDURE

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I was then taken to recovery area but was pretty chirpy, given some water and food. 

The doctor then came and told me it was a normal colonoscopy with no cancer but did send some biopsies for analysis to hopefully rule out other things like IBD. Let’s see what results say in a week or so.

I came home and had dinner like normal. I did go to the bathroom after dinner and it was still watery and a little blood came out. I understand this is because of the biopsies but I’m still letting my doctor know tomorrow. I will report what he says about the bleeding when I hear something. 

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CONCLUSION

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I hope this helps you relax before your procedure. In all, it’s definitely an invasive procedure but one which is actually very tolerable so far and is a lot less awkward than one would initially think. I’m happy to answer questions to the best of my ability also. 

2

Where did you have yours done Fields? In the US they don't give you colonoscopy shorts. They make ya strip down & all ya get is the gown.

Sent away for and got a pair of shorts but they wouldn't let be use them nor would they let me wear a pair of boxers backwards so I said no test then.

Regards,

Raffie

 

3

Good for you raffie.  I talked my husband out of doing a colonoscopy with the pig doctor assigned.  Boy was the doctor p****d!  It's time we start holding our ground and letthem know they are not gods

4

Thanks for sharing!  I'm trying to get my DH to get this done . . . every bit of information helps.

5

Hi Sonne:

There is no reason the American healthcare system cannot offer colonoscopy shorts similar to what the Brits use with their patients. Colonoscopies are considered clean procedures, not sterile so there is NO issue there.

They want people to get tested but they want it done their way. This one issue of better protecting a patient's modesty has to be addressed. More people need to speak up so the industry listens.

Most places in the US require sedation. The drugs they use causes the patient to have anterograde amnesia so they don't remember what when on. That leaves the patient at their mercy.

The nurses in the Denver medical health center story prove beyond any shadow of a doubt healthcare personnel aren't to be trusted.

They need to do more to protect the patient.

Have a good day Sonne.

Regards,

Raffie

6

Thank you again raffie.  My husband an are going through  this issue.  He has given me power of attorny fr medical  i will be making some demands or I'll hit them where it hurts-the wallet.

colonoscopies are filthy, disgusting, undignifiedinvasions of privacy and you are exactly right that drug is made to induce amnesia.  They can do or say what they want without risk.  Sorry to say that in my eyes gastro's are nothing more than pigs and closeted pervs

7

Hi Sonne:

Another way they could make this test easier & get more people tested here in the US is to use water infusion instead of air in the colon along with doing the test using a pediatric scope which is smaller then the adult scope. Cramping won't be as severe that way & they might even be able to do it without sedation.

I think a hospital in Boston is either testing it or actually doing it this way.

Regards,

Raffie