If you know what it is, I’ll take your support, stories, or hoots of sympathetic laughter.
If you don’t know what it is, don’t ask.
My procedure isn’t until 1:30p, so I shall be a grumpy, hungry, caffeine-deprived ivylass tomorrow.
On the “plus” side, I also get X-rayed at the radiation oncologist tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll get the treatment schedule sorted out.
Oops…gotta run…
Oh, you poor dear.
Trying to choke down that stuff (the full shebang – GoLytely) is one of my least favorite memories of all time.
All I can offer as comfort is that the procedure itself is nothing compared to what you’re going through right now. So the worst is almost over.
(hugs)
I’ve done the GoLytely, or at least I tried. That stuff is NASTY.
What’s HalfLytely – diluted to half strength? Oh boy, only half as gross. I still think I’d rather drink my own urine.
Most heartfelt commiseration.
OK… I’ll bite. What is that?
Watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, takes your mind right off it.
Hang in there, it’ll all be worth it in the end.
You asked, purple haze.
I think drinking it cold helped, and I picked the orange “flavor” packet. But I still had to drink 8 oz every ten minutes until it was gone, and it took me 10 glasses before that stuff was gone. Bleeeach.
I don’t understand, with all the advances in modern medicine, why they can’t make this stuff taste like chocolate eclairs or something.
I don’t know what the difference is between Half and Go…maybe different medicines?
I get to have a nice, filling, bowl of beef broth for dinner. :mad:
I feel your pain, having had to do that a few times. I swear it’s one of the worst experiences I have ever endured. The good news is that it shall be over soon. Hope you have wet wipes.
Seconded (the hugs are optional).
I had my procedure on Friday, and it was truly a piece of cake compared to the prep. The woman who gave me my materials at the pharmacy explained the flavor (sic) packets, then assured me that whichever one I used, “it’s still going to taste bad.” Thanks a lot. But she was absolutely right.
(I also made the mistake of looking at the label. Polyethylene glycol? They’re having me drink fleeching antifreeze???!!!???)
On the other hand, it was one of the best naps I’ve had in ages. I was afraid I’d be sick as a dog coming out of anesthesia (I was the only other time I’ve been under), but not so — wakeup to out the door was about twenty minutes.
Best of luck with everything.
Oh, no!! You picked a flavor? The one thing I was warned was, drink it plain. According to the nurse, if you like cherries and pick cherry flavoring, you’ll hate cherries thereafter. I hope this doesn’t ruin oranges for you!
That said, you can have all the hugs, applause, and sympathy you want from this sympathetic stranger. The prep is the worst part. If nothing’s wrong, the rest is a breeze.
(My Mom died of colon cancer, so I’m on the every-five-year plan. Whee.)
ETA: My dad notes that white wine is a “clear liquid” 
Ethylene glycol is antifreeze. Polyethylene glycol, in my lab tech days, I knew as Carbowax; we used to keep half a dozen kinds of it around, from big waxy flakes to a thick waxy liquid, depending on the molecular weight. The laxative sort is in the middle, molecular-weight-wise.
I had my first ever colonoscopy back on the sixth, but I was spared the Lytely horror; instead I got the Dulcolax + Miralax routine, where you dissolve a whole bottle of Miralax in a half gallon of lemon or lime Gatorade. Doesn’t matter if it ruins that flavor of Gatorade; there are lots of others.
ivylass, I had an afternoon procedure too. If they gave you a cutoff time for liquids (nothing after 7 AM, or whenever), it’s worth getting up early and sucking down a few pints of water or apple juice or whatever you can stomach. It’ll mean more trips to the can, but will ensure you show up hydrated, which is important.
I confess to including hard cider among my clear liquids. Any diet goes better with a can of Strongbow. NOT the day of the procedure, mind you; the day before.
And everyone’s right, the procedure is far easier than the prep, even if you don’t sleep through it. I was more or less awake for most of the procedure (I could see the green Jello I ate the day before on the monitor), but it was only uncomfortable for the first few minutes. Afterwards I was fine–alert, no memory lapses, went out and ate a full meal with the friend who was escorting me home.
Good luck, ivylass!
The prep is no fun at all, ivylass. Sending you moral support and hugs.
Until the cutoff, drink those clear liquids until you think you can’t swallow another drop; then drink some more. You’ll feel better for it tomorrow.
[voice of experience] Oh, and, uh, try not to laugh or sneeze too hard tonight. Or pick up anything real heavy. Just sayin’.
[/voe]
Yeah, I know the difference (I was a chem major at one time). But it was too good a line to pass up.
I use the term “flavor” loosely. Mostly it tasted salty. My love of oranges remains pure, never fear.
ryo, I’ve been told nothing after midnight, so I will drink water until bedtime and maybe sneak an ice chip tomorrow if I get too parched.
(If it’s not too late…)
If you are (as I am) one of those folks who’d like to weigh less than they actually do: weigh yourself tomorrow morning. You’ll be dehydrated, there’ll be nothing in your stomach or intestines, so you’ll get a totally bogus – but still satisfying – result.
Based on your report, I may actually try a “flavor” next time. Thanks, I think!
Same here. I barfed it up, couldn’t choke down the rest. Ended up using Fleet phospho-soda instead, which is just a small amount that I mixed with some ginger ale. Ever so much easier, same result. I must say, that was one of those times I was so very, very, very glad I had a bidet. No chafing for me!
I don’t understand the HalfLytley stuff or the need. The first colonoscopy I had I was given a several gallon bottle with rocks in the bottom which I had to mix with water (strangely, the rocks dissolved, so I guess they were something else). However, in my last several procedures, I only had to drink a bottle of laxative the day before the procedure and a couple of Fleets the day of the procedure. The bottle of rocks was no longer necessary. And, I watched on TV and I was completely cleaned out.
Bob
The fleet phospho-soda was just a small amount and did the trick. Nothing like a full glass of anything, let alone gallons. I think the *Lytley stuff is just there to torture patients.
Thanks for the link Ivylass. WHAT IS UP with all of that fluid? I’m not sure if I could drink 8 ounces of anything every ten minutes until I had 64 ounces in me! You said that you had to do that ten times? I think that with modern technology, the amount of liquid should be half of that at the very most.
I also think that we should send you gifts in the mail instead of those gimmie-gimmie wedding people in another thread. There should be a colonoscopy gift registry option. Just think - you could wander around your local Target, scanning things like baby wipes, Jello, beef broth, and a teddy bear (before) and then ask for a gift card to a nice restaurant, some comfy PJ’s, a soft blanket, and a great book or two (after).
Well, I like the idea, even if it is a little odd.
ivylass, you shouldn’t have sent the hat back! You need something silly now!
I went with GoLytely for mine. Actually, I didn’t found the taste upsetting or even really noticeable at all; I didn’t and don’t understand what the ubiquitous complaints are about. But the resultant experience? Hoo-boy. Not a great time to have hemorrhoids, that’s for sure.
On the upside, the actual colonoscopy was nothing (but of course it was; I was knocked out).