colonoscopy question

[Dznypal]

I had one of these in 2018 at the time the dr gave me to much fentanyl causing me to stop breathing and had to have narcan to bring me out of it--so since then Im be afraid to get it done again, At that time there was only one small polyop
So last yr my brother got diganisoed with stage 4 colon cancer-
so even though Im still afraid to go I really had to push myself--which unfortunaly came back with cancer--no where near as bad as my brother (which thank God my brother is doing super good looks like no surgery it had spread to his liver and lung)

so my new GI dr said she thinks she got all the cancer but since things were such a mess shes sending me to a specialist since he has more tools and techniques
which I have set up for may 11--

so you only find ouot your time 2 or 3 days before--after what happened last time I have high anexties and panic attacks I needto know when is my time

I called today to ask--just to prepare myself I asked when the lastest time they do this--she told me he does app in the afternoon
so then I asked so I have to go 2 days without eating
all she said was yes Im sorry

I told her flat out this will not work--since I dont sleep days before I have to get anythin medical done and now not eating for 2 days

well we'll see what options they can come up with--
honestly I didnt have much faith in this other dr and now this made it worse--
I hope they wont come back with well we can change the date--unless they can move it up pushing it back will not help at all
I had that done once to me. I was supposed to be the first app and 3 weeks before I get the call that my app had to be moved for a month later--didnt ask just told me
I told them that wasnt going to work and somehow they got me in as the third app--which of course the dr was running late on the patient that I was pushed out for
and then he had isssues with me--I think he was frazzled after the first one he just kept pumping the fentanyl until I stopped breathing

anyways has anyone ever had this type done late in the day and couldnt eat before had for almost 2 full days
any other thoughts on getting through this
thanks

 

[LuvOrlando]

So sorry this is going on.

Since the procedure is both necessary and extremely traumatizing it seems appropriate that you talk to your Dr about getting a referral for some sort of psychiatric care intervention. I would imagine that having this sort of a situation plus a cancer diagnosis would get you support immediately, there must be something - maybe talking and maybe medication or maybe both. It seems to me like this should be a concurrent priority, the fastest access might be some sort of cancer support group either in your town or through the hospital. I would think your oncology team has some specialized mental health Dr's they can recommend that focus on helping people approach testing. I hope something can give you comfort.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Yes, I have relatives with colon cancer diagnosis and treatment, and now when they have colonoscopies it is a little longer with no eating, plus some other rules for a few days even before that, like nothing with seeds or nuts or something.

I second the idea of psychiatric care, there are a lot of well studied medications available to help with your anxiety and sleep issues. There is nothing wrong with addressing your mental health the same as you'd deal with any other health issue.

 

[lanejudy]

I had an afternoon appointment and my prep instructions were timed accordingly. Not that it made a huge difference but I recall I could eating later into the evening than my DH (as a diabetic he gets 1st appt of the day).

There are various prep processes. Maybe ask the doctor is his preferred prep can be adjusted for afternoon procedures.

 

[KPeterso]

When I had mine a couple years ago, my time was in the afternoon (1 or 1:30 as I recall). I was able to eat 2 days before and even the day before until about 12-1 PM. But I was limited starting a few days before, but that was things like no seeds or nuts. My GI does a Miralax prep and I did not have to take the first dose until the morning of the procedure (at like 5 AM as I recall). Honestly, the worst part for me was getting an IV in (took like 5 different people trying in about 6-7 different spots - it ended up in the least optimal spot, but it was the one they got in).

 

[NotUrsula]

Just did it recently. Test was on Thursday afternoon, and my last unrestricted meal was Sunday lunch. I had to start a "soft diet": no difficult to digest foods like seeds, nuts, or raw/cruciferous veggies, no red meat, only poultry or flaky fish, and no acidic foods like lemons or tomatoes. Also no foods that were red or purple in any way. Last solid meal I was able to eat was lunch Tuesday, after that only broth, jello, or the usual list of acceptable drinks. I was able to have liquid breakfast and lunch on Wednesday, then start the prep mid-afternoon. I was supposed to complete the first part Wednesday evening, then sleep, and take part 2 starting at 7 am Thursday; finishing all intake by 10 am for a 2pm test. Only, in my case, the prep didn't kick in as quickly as it was supposed to the first afternoon, and I ended up not sleeping more than 2 hours before it was time to start part 2. The result wasn't perfect, but it was good enough, my doc said. I was definitely punchy when I arrived at the test center at noon, but felt better once they got IV liquids going, because dehydration causes me all kinds of issues.

Here is something I do know from previous hospitalization: sedation not only lets you sleep, but it kills hunger, too. I don't know if it is possible to have you complete the prep the night before, but go in that morning and start a slow IV with just a touch of sedative at first, so that you can re-hydrate a bit and sleep there under supervision prior to the test, but I think that might solve your problem if they could make it work. (I guess it would depend on your particular situation and what the bed turnover needs are at the surgery center.)