DF is having a colonoscopy on Wed.-Updated on last page

[aprilgail2]

Wow, all I had to do was drink 4 ounces of this liquid the night before, 4 hours the next morning and then one enema....the liquid wasn't bad, once you felt the sensation you went to the bathroom and everything emptied quick and that was it, only in the boathroom once for a short time....I would never be able to do horse pills every 15 minutes, I would rather drink 4 ounces-almost like a dixe cup size!!
Also they knock you completely out for a few minutes, its done right in the Dr's office here-they have a operating suite next to the regular office-wake up-fart a lot and off you go...we usually stop and have lunch out on the way home.

 

[Disney Doll]

There's really nothing you can do for him, except stay out of the bathroom and don't give him anything red to drink. Afterwards, he'll be a little groggy for a while, but after that he should be fine.

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by aprilgail2
Wow, all I had to do was drink 4 ounces of this liquid the night before, 4 hours the next morning and then one enema....the liquid wasn't bad, once you felt the sensation you went to the bathroom and everything emptied quick and that was it, only in the boathroom once for a short time....I would never be able to do horse pills every 15 minutes, I would rather drink 4 ounces-almost like a dixe cup size!!
Also they knock you completely out for a few minutes, its done right in the Dr's office here-they have a operating suite next to the regular office-wake up-fart a lot and off you go...we usually stop and have lunch out on the way home.

April....there are actually two types of exams. The prep you did sounds like the Flex-sig which only goes up about 12 inches....the 2 days fasting and either gallon of yuck/or horse pills is for the Colonoscophy(entire length of colon)...you are sedated by an anethesiologist, and go in recovery and are dopey the rest of the day and the cost is $2500+/-

 

[floridafam]

The prep is worse.

I prefer the gallon of stuff to the few ounces of Fleets-I couldn't keep it down.

After the test, he'll wake up in recovery and someone will drive him home.

I felt fine after all of mine. The last one, I even went out to lunch after the test.

The only thing that could prolong the test is if they find any polyps. They remove them right there during the test (if they are polyps.) I'm sure everything will be fine.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by ScarlettO
April....there are actually two types of exams. The prep you did sounds like the Flex-sig which only goes up about 12 inches....the 2 days fasting and either gallon of yuck/or horse pills is for the Colonoscophy(entire length of colon)...you are sedated by an anethesiologist, and go in recovery and are dopey the rest of the day and the cost is $2500+/-

Nope, I have had both and the prep I listed was for the colonoscopy....years back they used to do it in the hospital here but then Dr's opened up their own suite and do it right next to their office building. You go in, put on a gown, they hook you up on a stretcher to an IV..wheel you in and do their thing..ten minutes later you are out in your room again, wait 10 minutes, get up and dressed, Dr comes in and talks to you and you go home. Most times you are in and out within an hour. Some guys at work actually go get it done on their lunch breaks since its not done i na hospital here anymore. Actually they only have you fast for one day here, and no red dyes for 2 days. With the colonoscophy it was still just the 4 ounces of salty liquid twice which totally emptied you out and then the enema a few hours after the last 4 ounce dose of salty goop. I just took my brother in for his and he had the same prep....we stopped at McDonalds on the way home, he got here and drove home from here. Really not to dopey feeling for either of us by when I took my mom who is 75 it effected her differently so she was pretty dopey for a few hours after hers.

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by aprilgail2
Nope, I have had both and the prep I listed was for the colonoscopy........we stopped at McDonalds on the way home, he got here and drove home from here. Really not to dopey feeling for either of us by when I took my mom who is 75 it effected her differently so she was pretty dopey for a few hours after hers.

WEll, I'm not going to argue with you. I've had one every other year for a looonnnggg time and you seem to make it look like a very quick in and out procedure, jump in your car and drive home! My doctor recommends not driving the rest of the day....although sometimes I'm not as tired as others, I definitely would not tell someone to drive a short time after this procedure.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by ScarlettO
WEll, I'm not going to argue with you. I've had one every other year for a looonnnggg time and you seem to make it look like a very quick in and out procedure, jump in your car and drive home! My doctor recommends not driving the rest of the day....although sometimes I'm not as tired as others, I definitely would not tell someone to drive a short time after this procedure.

You are not allowed to drive home form the procedure, you have to have someone there to drive you home and they do recommend that you dont drive the rest of the day but I have had no problem driving within hours of having it done.

 

[mrsstats]

Like everyone else says, the prep is the worst part of the test. I have had several done and used either the gallon jug of the Fleet Phosporus (sp) Neither is pleasant to drink. The gallon one made me feel cold all over. The test itself is not a problem. The drugs they give work great. I have always stopped for lunch on the way home. Usually feel tired for the afternoon but I have also gone bowling later that nite. I find that the men in my life that have had it take a little longer to recover.

 

[Aimeedyan]

It's really not a big deal, it's a standard test and many people do it without sedation! My insurance company considers sedation to be "elective" and won't cover it. I have a friend that has it done often for a medical condition, and she hates giving up her whole day due to the sedation wearing her out, so she goes without and manages just fine.

I have Crohns disease, and these are a part of my life. THe prep is terrible, but I usually do an afternoon colonscopy so I don't have to start it until the eveing the night before, and not ruin two days. The sedation is easy and quick, and only lasts about 45 minutes. I woke up during one procedure because there was lots he was biopsying and snapping pics of, and he went longer than 45 minutes. Even after waking up in the middle, it's not that big of a deal... you just know something is going on down there

Usually, you are really hungry and really out of it. I usually eat on the way home, then nap for several hours, and am fine after that.

I cant imagine losing 3 days over it... gosh, I was able to go back to work/school the very next day. No big deal

Tell him not to worry, and just be willing to let him sleep when he gets home =)

 

[Aimeedyan]

Originally posted by ScarlettO
April....there are actually two types of exams. The prep you did sounds like the Flex-sig which only goes up about 12 inches....the 2 days fasting and either gallon of yuck/or horse pills is for the Colonoscophy(entire length of colon)...you are sedated by an anethesiologist, and go in recovery and are dopey the rest of the day and the cost is $2500+/-

I have never heard of fasting that long, or taking big pills, for colonoscopys. I just took the soda fleet stuff, some pills, and enemas (which I skip, honestly). I have had a flexible sig as well, and prep was very similar.

For both procedures, very basic sedation is all that is needed, my doc was able to administer it. No anestheseologist needed.

I'm sure each doc does it different, but I had the same as April for my colonoscopys. Pretty standard.

 

[liznboys]

Originally posted by Aimeedyan
It's really not a big deal, it's a standard test and many people do it without sedation! My insurance company considers sedation to be "elective" and won't cover it. I have a friend that has it done often for a medical condition, and she hates giving up her whole day due to the sedation wearing her out, so she goes without and manages just fine.

I have Crohns disease, and these are a part of my life. THe prep is terrible, but I usually do an afternoon colonscopy so I don't have to start it until the eveing the night before, and not ruin two days. The sedation is easy and quick, and only lasts about 45 minutes. I woke up during one procedure because there was lots he was biopsying and snapping pics of, and he went longer than 45 minutes. Even after waking up in the middle, it's not that big of a deal... you just know something is going on down there

Usually, you are really hungry and really out of it. I usually eat on the way home, then nap for several hours, and am fine after that.

I cant imagine losing 3 days over it... gosh, I was able to go back to work/school the very next day. No big deal

Tell him not to worry, and just be willing to let him sleep when he gets home =)

I have Crohns disease too. Just wanted to say hi to a fellow crohnie. Fun fun fun! Hope you're doing ok.

 

[floridafam]

My Dr. said that my next one will involve fasting for 2 days. The prep "didn't work" last time and he said that I need longer to prepare.

I've never been allowed to drive until the next morning. That's just standard with any type of anesthesia.

The first one, I was somewhat awake and couldn't tell what was going on.

It really upset me when I was watching CNN last year and Regis Philbin said that he wasn't going to have a colonoscopy because he couldn't deal with the prep.

I'd rather have one every week than have colon cancer that goes undetected.

I even think 50 is too late to get tested. I think everyone over 40 should have one.

 

[ScarlettO]

http://www.gihealth.com/html/test/prep.html

This page shows about 4 different preps for the procedure.

 

[katerkat]

I had a flex sig, wasn't sedated, and could had driven home afterward. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! I sure was hungry, though.

But, I agree - the prep is the worst! DH wasn't home during it - he was returning from a military training thing that day. I think it would have been worse to have him around through it. I just set up the laptop with a couple movies and hung out in the bathroom. At one point I started crying hysterically because I couldn't handle it anymore and was shaking for badly from the hunger. (I eat quite often!) But that only lasted about five minutes. Whenever I could leave the bathroom I had some broth and water.

Oh, and I recommend getting, uh, adult baby wipes. They make these wipes that go next to your toilet paper - they're in the TP aisle. Or get the hemmeroid relief pads. I had big giant hemmeroid wipes and that helped keep things cleaner.

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by katerkat
I had a flex sig, wasn't sedated, and could had driven home afterward. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! I sure was hungry, though.

Yep...the flex sig is not so bad(they go up 2 feet)....but anyone who says they do a colonoscoppy (they go in 5 feet) without sedation ...all I can say is....

 

[floridafam]

One Dr. wanted to do a flex sig on me after my brother died of colon cancer. I said "no thank you."

To me, that's like having 1/2 a mammogram.

What if there is a polyp or tumor beyond where the flex sig reaches?

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by ScarlettO
April....there are actually two types of exams. The prep you did sounds like the Flex-sig which only goes up about 12 inches....the 2 days fasting and either gallon of yuck/or horse pills is for the Colonoscophy(entire length of colon)...you are sedated by an anethesiologist, and go in recovery and are dopey the rest of the day and the cost is $2500+/-

Actually I was completely put under and was fine 1/2 hour later. I could have opted for the twilight sleep or totally being put out. I went for being put out and had an anethesiologist in the room. I was in and out of the procedure room within 30 minutes. DH and I went home and I went out shopping. It was a full colonoscopy, and not the flex sig. I had to drink nothing but liquids the days before. I also had that Fleet phos soda that came in a little bottle. I had to drink that later in the day and then next day had the procedure. They found two polyps. One was the precancerous type. I have to have this every year now since they found that and because everyone on my father's side has had colon cancer.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by ScarlettO
WEll, I'm not going to argue with you. I've had one every other year for a looonnnggg time and you seem to make it look like a very quick in and out procedure, jump in your car and drive home! My doctor recommends not driving the rest of the day....although sometimes I'm not as tired as others, I definitely would not tell someone to drive a short time after this procedure.

It must depend on who is doing the procedure because my experience was like Aprils and so was my husband's. We went to doctor that has an entire building called the Endocenter. Sounds catchy! Anyway he has it down to a science. Because they use just enough to totally know you out you do not have the nasty side effects. It was so easy that I couldn't believe it. I was totally sick with worry and there was nothing to worry about. I wasn't allowed to drive for a day but DH and I went out shopping that day and had dinner too.

 

[honeywolf7]

Knowing my fiance, he'll be driving that afternoon anyway. He said that if I couldn't get off work, he was going to drive himself home no matter what the doctors said (he's stubborn.) The only part he wouldn't be looking forward to if he knew what it was like (and I don't know whether to warn him because I don't want to ruin the next couple of days for him because I made him dread Tuesday night) is the night before.

 

[MinnieM21]

My dad's having one on Wednesday too. Well he obviously won't be able to drive, so you'll have to drive him there and back. The doctor told my dad that he can't drive so make sure you don't let your fiance drive even though he might want to. I hope everything turns out ok.