Colonoscopy 2/3 day prep? UPDATE on page 4!

[theluckyrabbit]

Marie and I always go out for a big breakfast afterwards. I usually have eggs, bacon and French toast.

You inspired me to take DH out for breakfast after his procedure. He really enjoyed his meal!

 

[GAN]

My first colonoscopy is tomorrow. I took the dulcolax and within an hour was already having to run to the toilet. Just started the real stuff and plan to be on the toilet most the night.

I have to be honest the prep really isn’t as gross as I expected added the crystal light and it’s almost like drinking lemonade. Almost.

Dulcolax did the same with me -but then mix that with covid wasn't a great combination as I discovered... LOL! I'm with you on the prep -don't feel it's as bad as many make it out to be, especially if you find a good mixer(I was using Liquid IV). Hope everything went well for you....

 

[disneychrista]

Does it ever stop? I’m an hour away from my appointment and I can’t seem to get off the toilet. I’m clear or should I saw what’s coming out is. I finished the prep over 3 hours ago.

 

[RamblingMad]

Does it ever stop? I’m an hour away from my appointment and I can’t seem to get off the toilet. I’m clear or should I saw what’s coming out is. I finished the prep over 3 hours ago.

I used the bathroom at the office right before. It doesn't really stop until you get it done.

 

[disneychrista]

I used the bathroom at the office right before. It doesn't really stop until you get it done.

Thank goodness the outpatient center is only 10 minutes away. I just hope I make it. Bringing a change of clothes just in cases.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thank goodness the outpatient center is only 10 minutes away. I just hope I make it. Bringing a change of clothes just in cases.

You'll do great, Christa. Enjoy your well deserved breakfast later today.

 

[RogueX]

I woke up towards the end of a colonoscopy -I could feel some stuff but not in a painful way. What you don’t want, is to wake up during an endoscopy(down your throat) -I’ve done that and if you want to experience drowning that’s a good way to do it. THAT was scary. Ever since then I tell them to sedate me good.

I had something similar to that happen when I was 15. I was having a transesophageal echocardiagram and I woke up halfway, apparently scratched at my face and had to be restrained until more anesthesia could kick in.

 

[disneychrista]

Colonoscopy went well. They found and removed 2 polyps. Now I wait up to 2 weeks for the results. I am sure they are benign.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Colonoscopy went well. They found and removed 2 polyps. Now I wait up to 2 weeks for the results. I am sure they are benign.

There ya go, easy peasy. What was your after procedure meal? Cookies and apple juice do not count.

 

[MrsPete]

I can't remember which prep I took -- is Go Lightly a prep mix? -- I'm due again in 2023 -- but I do remember this:

- I ate a low-residue diet for 2-3 days ahead of time. This was not instinctive for me, and I know I had a lot of 1/2 turkey and lettuce on white bread sandwiches. I think I had shrimp and noodles?
- After this, it was a 24 hour all-liquid diet. I found this difficult.
- When it was time to drink the prep, I didn't find it nearly as bad as people have said. I had to drink half the night before -- and half at 6:00 the next morning. That's a lot like what you're looking at, but be sure it's okay for the prep you're taking.
- When you mix up the prep liquid, mix it with cold white grape juice (you can use any liquid through which you can read the newspaper -- but white grape juice worked well for me), refrigerate it overnight, serve it in a heavy glass that's been in the freezer, and drink it through a fat straw. These things will make an amazing difference -- it won't taste good, but it also won't be nearly as awful as people have said. I tossed the straw and drank the last bit out of the glass, and I was amazed at how awful it tasted. Seriously, do it exactly as I said.
- You may have clear or yellow gummy bears on an all-liquid diet. In moderation.
- You have to drink -- was it one or two water bottles? -- after drinking the prep liquid.
- When I drank it, I steeled myself to it: I took ten big swigs, then drank five swigs of water and finished with a gummy bear. No down time: ten more swigs, five swigs of water, gummy bear. I had the stuff down in like ten minutes. Don't sit around and think about it -- just do it. Not pleasant, but also not the worst thing I've done medically.
- Reserve a toilet for yourself, buy the good toilet paper, and slather your butt with some Vaseline or A&D ointment. Likely this portion of the experience will be done in 30-45 minutes, but it'll be a very active 30-45 minutes.

After doing all this, you should be allowed to pick an excellent meal on the way home from the procedure!

 

[disneychrista]

There ya go, easy peasy. What was your after procedure meal? Cookies and apple juice do not count.

It was equally disappointing. A banana and a pop tart. I'm afraid to eat too much too soon. If all goes well the rest of today, I may treat myself to a bacon, egg & cheese biscuit tomorrow.

- Reserve a toilet for yourself, buy the good toilet paper, and slather your butt with some Vaseline or A&D ointment. Likely this portion of the experience will be done in 30-45 minutes, but it'll be a very active 30-45 minutes.

I wish it was only 30 - 45 minutes for me. It was literally all night. I started "going" at 4pm and was lasted until 8am, with maybe one 90 minute nap/break and one 30 minute nap/break. I think it is partly that I am already prone to issues in that regard. The A&D ointment didn't really help me. But I think it was partly because of the multiple bathroom trips BEFORE the main event because of the liquid diet. Next time I will start using the ointment in the morning and not wait until starting the prep solution. I'd also add have a lot of TP on hand. I went through 2.5 jumbo rolls of Charmin extea soft.

 

[Dan Murphy]

If all goes well the rest of today, I may treat myself to a bacon, egg & cheese biscuit tomorrow.

 

[Skippy918]

My hubby started his prep for tomorrow’s procedure and he took the first 12 pills and he’s already running clear a few hours later. He does the 2nd 12 pills in the morning. His appointment is not until 2pm.

 

[disneychrista]

My hubby started his prep for tomorrow’s procedure and he took the first 12 pills and he’s already running clear a few hours later. He does the 2nd 12 pills in the morning. His appointment is not until 2pm.

Good Luck to your hubby. The prep is not fun.

 

[Dan Murphy]

My hubby started his prep for tomorrow’s procedure and he took the first 12 pills and he’s already running clear a few hours later. He does the 2nd 12 pills in the morning. His appointment is not until 2pm.

He'll do great, Skippy. And the prep is not near as bad as some make it out to be. Not something I'd do often, but every few years or so, not bad. Good wishes for him.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Thank goodness the outpatient center is only 10 minutes away. I just hope I make it. Bringing a change of clothes just in cases.

Dh picked up some Depends and also got some pads that fit in mens underwear (like women's pads) but bigger and heavier. He did put the pads on for the trip to/from/at the dr (about 30 min from the house), JIC...and said he now understood why I hate them.



The dr recommended Quilted Northern TP, extra soft version; Cottonelle type wipes; and Diaper rash ointment.


FTR, his procedure was:
Jan 28th: start low fiber diet. There was a whole list of things he could/couldn't have.

Jan 29th: take 2 Dulcolax 5mg tablets at bedtime.

Jan 30th: solid foods until 12PM.
At 12 pm, start Clear liquid diet (yellow/orange/clear jello no fruit; plain broth/bouillon; tea/light color koolaid/Gatorade/Powerade/Sprite/7Up/Ginger ale/Apple juice/Lemonade; Popsicles (light colors)/Mellow Yellow/Mountain dew/Water/Flavored Water)
Take 2 Dulcolax tablets at 6pm. Mix a 238 gram bottle of Miralax Powder into 64 oz of Gatorade/Water/Crystal Light (clear, yellow, orange only). Drink 32 oz slowly, but complete within 2 hours (6-8pm).

Jan 31st: No solid foods at all. 6 hours prior to exam, take 2 Dulcolax, and drink remaining 32 oz within 2 hours. Do not drink anything 3 hours before check in time.

I had to drive him, and they knocked him out for the procedure. They wheeled him out to the car after (it was at a surgical center), and he doesn't remember that part, but I remember the nurse showing off the photos of the polyps they removed, and describing in detail what they encountered. I was all, just send it to his doctor, lady.

He did not feel like eating anything too heavy or greasy after. He was still pretty sore for a couple of days (but he's definitely a 'owie' 'i need to go to the doctor' kind of guy).

 

[piglet1979]

I just had a colonoscopy about 2-3 weeks ago. I had to stay away from anything with seeds or nuts for the week prior. The day before I was on a clear liquid diet. At 4 I had to take 4 Dulcolax and mix the small bottle (I can't remember the grams) of Mirelax with 32 oz of clear Gatorade. I had to drink 8 oz every 30 minutes until it was gone. At 6 I needed to mix the bigger bottle of Mirelax with 64 oz of Gatorade. I needed to reserve 16 oz of this for later. The I needed to drink 8 oz every 30 minutes until it was gone. 4 hours before my appointment I had to drink the last 16 oz. This was a much better prep then the one I had several years ago. I could at least get it all down. Though I did vomit at 1:30 am. It was the first time I have vomited in over 20 years.

Afterwards I was told not to eat anything spicy or greasy. I slept a lot that day and it took the weekend for my intestines to feel back to normal. Though I ended up with covid less then a week after so not sure it some of my issues after wasn't the start of Covid.

 

[Skippy918]

Everything went well with his procedure. Nothing found. He was very loopy and chatty post anesthesia.

 

[fab1976]

Had to go find this thread as I’m prepping for my first tomorrow! I get the joy of having a scope in both ends, throat and colon. We use something different up here I haven’t seen mentioned, BiPeglyte. I’ve had no seeds not even fruits with seeds for a week, no iron supplement for a week, and today is clear liquids only. I am doing 32 oz of liquid mixed with the powder this evening and have to take another 32 oz at 3 am as my procedure is at 9 am. There’s also pills involved. I’m making sure I have a book handy and my phone to play with and hoping I’m one of the 1-2 hours and cleared out people! Good part of my night wake up is there’s a solar eclipse tonight so I’m hoping I can see that!

 

[limace]

Just had mine this morning-was able to do the pill prep which I much preferred to the liquid prep I had last time. I did take Zofran before starting as I saw some folks got really nauseated and some docs have you start with Zofran-mine didn’t but I had a bottle so went for it. The only bummer was taking the second half starting at 2 am-which meant I was up til 4:30 and then up again at 6. Glad I made DH sleep in another room. I was in and out in about an hour and a half-clean results so don’t have to come back for 7 years! My mom, husband and son all have Crohn’s so I feel very lucky to have escaped.