I drank one gallon of prep in two sessions 10 hours apart (as you can read in my possibly TMI post above). Mixed with Crystal Lite Lemonade it was perfectly fine.
I must have had the Versed/Fentanyl combo, as I was aware, but not in ANY discomfort during the procedure. I surmise that doing without an anesthesiologist cuts down on the cost.
This is not a bad/awful/terrible procedure AT ALL. It’s 24 hours of inconvenience out of your life. That’s not much.
Mine was done at a clinic associated with a hospital but in a separate facility, and there was no anesthesiologist in attendance, so they told me they couldn’t legally administer propofol when I pretty much demanded it. I got the Versed/Fentanyl combo but it sure seemed to totally knock me out. It’s possible that the amnesiac qualities of Versed just blocked it out of memory, but I do specifically remember waking in a sort of daze in the recovery room and asking a nurse how long I’d been there because I had absolutely no idea. YMMV. It affects everyone differently, and I suppose dosages might vary, too. These are both awesomely powerful drugs individually and the combination even more so.
I had one mid-May to remove a polyp (and hemorrhoid that was under it), and she repaired a fissure. I did so much research prior to the surgery (reading multiple personal stories) that I had totally psyched myself out.
Thankfully, I peed even before I was even released. Recovery was a pain in the ass (pun intended), but not as bad as I had read from other people (thankfully). Still, I worked from home for 6 weeks because it was just too painful to sit for long periods of time.
As for the colonoscopy - I’ll say again: prep really is the rest part. You’re hungry, raw, and tired.
Lastly: Prepopik: Ask for it by name! The minimal amount you have to drink in relation to other preps is fantastic. I don’t think my insurance covered it, or it was in the highest tier, so it wasn’t cheap (I think I paid $60), but it was worth every penny to only need to drink (2) separate 5oz mixtures rather than gallons of nasty stuff.
ThelmaLou, the added surgery may have taken more out of you than just a routine colonoscopy would have. Although usually the doctor will get you to sign an authorization allowing him to remove any small polyps discovered while he’s in there. So routine colonoscopies can turn into polyp removals.
Since everyone’s talking about the anesthesia, I was awake through the whole procedure, but feeling incredibly mellow and relaxed. I wasn’t told what I’d be given, only that it put most people to sleep.
TL, if they didn’t set up the screen so that you could see it, you were robbed. I got to watch the whole thing and it really distracted from any noises or internal movements or bumps. Because of that, I know that the laxative doesn’t get everything. There’s a bit of clinging yellow here and there. So one of the instruments up there with the camera and the light is a little spray nozzle. On the screen you can watch the doctor manipulate the spray to dislodge the last yellow strings and sheets from the very pink and shiny large intestine.
With the drugs in you it’s kind of like watching a very low key and floaty video game: Uncover the Hidden Polyp. In my case there weren’t any. Not sure how I’d have reacted if there had been. Polyp removal probably isn’t fun to watch, but I was very mellow. It might have been fascinating.
My insurance paid, so it wasn’t that bad - but I’d pay out of pocket for it gladly. It was like a cup of bad lemonade, each time.
The big hint though is that at least around here, nobody has it in stock. Fill the prescription well ahead of time to give the pharmacy time to order it.
The actual procedure doesn’t scare or bother me at all - it’s the prep. I’m so glad I read this! I’m going to see if my insurance will cover Prepopik. I’m scheduling my first one for next month.
You may remember my posting about Cologuard in the last colonoscopy thread.
It’s just been FDA-approved, as of last week. And now Mayo Clinic has given it the thumbs-up, and is the first health system to start offering it to patients.
It’s a test that can find traces of DNA in pre-cancerous polyps; also any blood traces, just like the current FIT test. You get it through a prescription from your doctor, and take it at home. No drinking of yucky stuff, no probing. Of course, if the test comes back positive for polyp DNA, then you will still have to go in for a colonoscopy / polypectomy. But if the test is clean, you’re good.
The question is if your insurance will cover it. The Mayo Clinic’s approval is a big step towards designating it as “not experimental”. But even if my insurance doesn’t cover it, I’ll go this route and pay for it out of pocket. It’s worth it!
I am 54, male, and have never had a colonoscopy. I have had the standard digital prostate check during every physical since I was 30. I’ve been getting medical care through the VA, but I also have the military’s Tricare insurance and could be seen at the nearby AFB or anywhere, really.
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Doctor has suggested a colonoscopy for the last few visits, but I’ve not done it for 2 reasons, mainly: friends and family who’ve had this procedure (only a handful, admittedly) describe it as extremely painful over a prolonged period of time, Yikes! Further, I’ve never had a catheter inserted into my penis, and I think you’ve have to either knock me out first or have at least 4 people holding me down, ‘cause ain’t nobody doin’ that to me. Intense fear, there.
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They’re lying. With the level of drugs they gave me, I could have been sodomized by the entire cast of A Chorus Line along with the whole orchestra and selected members of the audience and not cared.
The prep for the procedure is kind of a drag, unless you are extremely fond of diarrhea, but the colonoscopy itself is a snap.
They found a polyp in me 2 years ago, so I’m on the ‘every 5 years’ schedule now, and that whole prep-work part is the only part that really bothers me. The procedure itself is extremely tolerable given the drugs they fill you with.
The longer ago the procedure was given, the greater the probability that it was done with little or no anesthetic. If tripthicket is 54 and he heard stories from older relatives, it’s possible that they were telling a truth that no longer applies.
Sort of like my Dad saying you should never mix different brands of car oil because the different additives can interact to damage the engine. That was true at one time, but then the army got tired of it. If your oil had an additive that could interact with another oil’s additive, you wouldn’t be selling any oil to the army. Apparently they’re a big enough market that things were changed.
Y’know, this is probably incredibly accurate. My mom had significant heart problems (first of 3 heart attacks in 1991, heart transplant in 1996), and I’m thinking the horror stories I was hearing from her would have most likely been about colonoscopies done during that time. Anyhoo, I’m scheduled to see my PCP in about 2 weeks, and will see about getting the process set in motion then.
My gastroenterologist does both upper and lower GI endoscopies using Propofol for sedation. It is a lovely sleep. I last remember saying, “Oooh, I like this!”
(I put off having an upper GI for several years, even though I am asthmatic and have had a GERD diagnosis since I was 19. All because of my dad’s upper GI story. Which he had in 1979. Technology and standard practices have moved on, possibly because it’s easier to scope patients who aren’t trying to run away.)
The post-endoscopy farting was epic. It woke me up and scared all 3 cats off my bed. It may have set off a smoke detector. Yes, you fart like crazy even with an upper GI. God knows what they were doing while I was asleep. I don’t even want to contemplate how bad it would be after a colonoscopy.
The biggest drawback with the prep for a colonoscopy other than pooping your brains out is the pain from constant wiping. I have found a great solution. First, before your start taking the liquids and the laxatives, coat your tush with diaper cream-the white stuff (zinc). Easier to use a glove. :pThis will prevent your skin from irritation. Second, purchase Band Aid Antibacterial Wash and flushable wipes. After you go, wet the wipe with the antibacterial wash and then wipe gently. The wash has a pain killer in it so it numbs any irritation and pain so you can clean yourself better.
I had the same thing for an upper endoscopy. I got out a slightly slurred and verrrry happy, “This is like a good wine buzz!” And the nurse said “with no calories, enjoy!” And that was that.