Oh, and I forgot. Don’t skimp on the drugs. Take all they’ll give you.
And, yes, take the day off!! You’ll need most of it to get back to normal. That sedation is tricky and you really shouldn’t be out in public making decisions - let alone working!
I had one two weeks ago. (I just heard that Sam Simon, co-developer of The Simpsons, has apparently incurable colorectal cancer. I hope I didn’t curse him…)
One thing you should know is, the colonoscopy itself takes only about 15 minutes if they don’t have to remove any polyps. It was a total of 2 hours from when I started prepping for the procedure to when I left the building.
The basic things to remember are:
Nothing with “seeds”, or corn kernels, or popcorn, for about a week in advance - this includes hamburgers, unless you are sure there are no sesame (or poppy) seeds in the bun.
Starting the day before the procedure, I was “strictly from solids” - I had 16 ounces of chicken broth for lunch and another 16 for dinner, washed down with apple juice (and make sure it’s the “filtered” kind that you can see through), and Crystal Light lemonade (yellow, not pink) throughout the day.
I had the gallon of generic unflavored Golytely - the instructions made it quite clear that I was NOT to mix it with anything besides tap water. However, I didn’t have any problem drinking it; it started out tasting like slightly salty water, and later became more like Alka-Seltzer, which is not surprising as baking soda is one of its main ingredients. 8 ounces every 12 minutes; the water works opened up about 30 minutes after starting. The strange thing was, hardly any of what came out was brown; it was pretty much fairly bright yellow (the color of unset lemon gelatin).
Originally, I tried to get a local, as I had to jump through a number of hoops to get somebody to drive me to and from where it took place (about 35 miles each way), but I was told that they don’t do locals; I was probably better having somebody drive me anyway (I have had locals for root canals, but then again, you don’t sit on your mouth when you drive home).
After filling out the forms, I was taken back to a prep room, stripped, put on a hospital gown, lied on a gurney, had an IV hooked up to me (I don’t think I have ever had an IV before, although I may have had one when giving blood), and waited for about 20 minutes (there was no clock in the room, so I am guessing) while the doctor was doing another colonoscopy (priority goes to diabetics, presumably so they can get their blood sugar back to normal as soon as possible since they can’t take insulin before the procedure).
Now I’m wheeled into the room, and turn on my left side.
I ask the nurse when she’ll administer the sedative; “We’ve already started. It takes 2-3 minutes for it to work.”
I close my eyes for a moment.
Okay, now in another room, and the colonoscopy was over an hour ago. They weren’t kidding when they say that you don’t remember a thing.
I wasn’t exactly “out if it” when I got home about an hour later, but I wasn’t really in any shape to drive anywhere, either.
The next day, I was back on my normal schedule as if nothing had happened.
Good news: clean bill of health, although I was told my prep was “fair”, even though I followed instructions to the letter. I have a feeling the Crystal Light left some sort of yellow coating behind (which is why they tell you not to have anything red or purple).
Better news: since there were no polyps, my insurance covers it 100%.
That’s not strictly true. You may be on liquids-only, but that doesn’t preclude leaving the house.
Depending on your instructions, obviously, but the times I’ve prepped, you don’t drink the Drano until 5 PM or so (and you could start later, if you don’t mind risking being up til late).
Admittedly, if I’m not able to eat, I don’t want to be out and about, but there isn’t any reason I couldn’t if needed. So I do in fact prefer to schedule mine on a Monday because that way I can be at home, in my own bedroom, hiding from the food.
ThatDonGuy: I’m surprised it took 2 minutes for you to conk. I’ve only ever had a couple of seconds of that pleasant tilty feeling, hitting almost immediately after they start the drugz (just enough time to feel that propofol burn, dammit), before lights out.
Also, if you aren’t sedated, there is no “local” anesthesia as far as I know.
I just had a turkey sandwich on white bread. With tomatoes. Crap! I forgot about the tomato seeds.
So wasn’t there a new type of colonoscopy just “a few years” away? Cuz I want that one.
Your instructions will say how long to avoid such stuff. Mine didn’t say a week, just 3 days. Others get no such instructions. And even so, the odd tomato seed won’t be a problem - chances are good you’ll see it before the doctor will ;).
Re the “new colonscopy”, chances are that was the “virtual colonoscopy” which has the advantage of avoiding sedation and avoiding the “tube up your butt”. Its disadvantages are myriad however: you still have to do the prep, there’s the whole radiation-exposure thing, I don’t think it’s supposed to be as accurate (could be wrong though)… and if they DO find something you still have to redo the prep and get a real one so they can deal with what they find.
I am assuming it took 2 minutes from when they started with the sedation. I didn’t really “feel” it take effect - I closed my eyes briefly, and then opened them to discover that it was now an hour later.
I was under the impression that you could have a colonoscopy without the sedation (the way I have had two root canals and a wisdom tooth pulled without “sedation”), so you could drive home afterward.
That was my experience last time, except I didn’t even close my eyes.
Had one today. Not, I should mention, as research for this thread, the timing was coincidental.
Stopped eating at lunch yesterday. Prior to that, no special instructions. Generic pico-solax after lunch, then at 8 last night, with a big glass of water every hour. Pooped a lot, but no worse than a mild-moderate gastro. Woke up with a terrible headache, drank black coffee (thank god that was allowed) and more water. Went to hospital at 1 pm, answered all the questions, got an IV, changed into a johnny coat, talked to the surgeon, anethesiologist said good night, my vision went all doubly and I woke up in the recovery area. Farted, went home at 3 pm. Still feel a little woozy, after 2 hours, but getting better. Apparently all is normal in there.
Mine was a piece of cake, compared to horror stories I’ve heard. But I always eat fairly low fiber (helps keep my IBS under control). Prep wasn’t fun but I only peed from my butt about six times. I’m not scared of hospitals or IVs, so that was whatever. I don’t remember the procedure, and had no pain OR farting after. Hope you get it as good as I did!
I’d like to, but I don’t remember shit about it. Worst part was the IV and that was easy. They wouldn’t let me take a cab home, which was a PTA, and inexplicable, I thought. Probably said too much to the post procedure nurse before I was all the way back from sedation.
I do not know what I was given but my experience was the prep drink being one of the most horrid days of my life! The drink was - for me - the exact opposite of your experience. The drink was incredibly slimy and I gagged at every sip. The powder they gave me to mix it had the citrus smell, but did NOTHING to the taste or “mucous” texture.
Ugh, even writing about it recalls the memories from just 2 years ago! :eek:
Here’s a recent meta-analysis from the journal Radiology, (NB: I have only skimmed these papers)which gives very similar rates of detection. Radiation dose is something to consider, and seems to vary a lot - this paper gives about 6-9 mSv. Here’sXKCD on radiation.
This is for the same reason you aren’t supposed to “sign any legal documents” for the rest of the day. Your judgment is impaired, and who knows where you will tell the guy to go - or whether or not the driver will try to take advantage of your state.
Also, it might be because you are supposed to have somebody stay with you for at least part of the day in case a complication develops, but I stayed home alone without any problem.
I have had two, 3 years apart…next is 5 years away…still not far enough…IMHO…
clearing your system is really the worst part of it all. A tip, try and get your procedure done before 10 a.m. that way you do not have to take another hit of that colon clearing stuff at 7 a.m.
They let me take my ipod in for distraction. I am listening to Heart of Gold, in goes the medicine and out I go. Now every single time I hear Heart of Gold I am right back on the table.
The second time I figured on manning up so I hit the liquid with some aggression, 12 oz at a time. Couple hours later my stomach was ready to burst and I realized I was supposed to be taking 8 oz. at a time…relief inevitably came though…
screw work…go to waffle house after
Did my first last year (I’m 58 now). Was apprehensive, but many friends told me it was no big deal. The lead up to the event is the big deal (drinking those gatorades laced with whatever it is that they give you, then purging your bowels for a night, followed by the office visit). The actual procedure was simply, they give you a drug, you fall asleep, you wake up, the doc tells you the results, you go home. The only thing I felt was some tiredness from the full-on awake night before, having to purge myself. You’ll be amazed that the actual procedure is a piece of cake.
Pman
Yep.
The handout from my place says something to the effect of they have a medical transport service that can take you home if you pre-arrange it. That suggests it’s an alternative if a friend can’t be with you though they don’t make that clear.
It is permissible to take a cab if you have someone with you, of course.
For my second, my son actually went along to do the driving. We didn’t tell 'em that he wasn’t 18 yet :p. And we didn’t mention that he still “just” had a permit at that point (I was awake enough to supervise his driving, just not enough to drive safely myself).
Huh - interesting. The sensitivity (which I believe means the percentage of issues caught) is slightly higher (96.1% vs 94.7%). The note about “tagging agents” seems to say that the sensitivity rises to 100%, am I right?
At the end of the abstract it says “primary CT colonography may be more suitable than OC for initial investigation of suspected colorectal cancer” which I’d personally challenge. “more suitable” in that maybe there’s less cost, less anesthesia (with those risks and inconveniences) and less “tube where the sun don’t shine”, but then if they do find anything you still have to do it the old fashioned way.
As a known “trying to catch the Big C” patient, it won’t be the right choice for me anyway, sigh.
Yeah, well, I’ve administered those drugs dozens and dozens of time in the ER and we let someone go home in a cab after we were finished cardioverting them, or putting a dislocated hip or shoulder back into place.
They’re more worried about bowel perforation, I believe. See Napier’s post. (Although I did have one nurse I worked under mention to her patients that they shouldn’t make any passwords for 24 hours or so, because they were likely to forget them d/t the amnesiac effects, which I thought was kind of her, and I do the same, but it’s hardly life threatening.) The discharge paperwork I’ve seen most often is big on the “rigid, boardlike abdomen” and “vomiting blood” sort of warnings.
You, outlierrn, can probably recognize the warning signs in time to get yourself an ambulance. Most people can’t. (Jesus, if I had a dime for every time a patient called me instead of an ambulance for classic MI symptoms…well, I’d have about 60cents…) It’d be nice if they could use their judgement and make an exception, but the malpractice lawyers won’t let 'em.