prep for colonscopy dont make any sense --asked several times

[Dznypal]

I am just so upset --about 3 weeks ago I set my app for a colonscopy which was set for this fri at 7am arrival

now I totally hate having these done--Im a basketcase until its all over--also it takes a week of starting the prep and stop eating certain foods ex today I had to stop taking my vitamins tues is no foods with nuts or seed or raw veg wed I have to take a pill and thurs is the no eating day--and the start of the gag drink which this time I have to get up in the middle of the night to finish--so total I wont be able to eat or sleep or over 24 hrs--when I have something on my mind I have a hard time sleeping anyways but usually I can get some restful sleep in--this time I wont

ok so if that isnt bad enough-I get a call thursday saying they have to change my app due to the dr schedule and the soonest now would be april 13--another month--when I set this up the first time I was told I could only go to one place and the dr is only there on fridays--

so Im really upset--my DH said I should call the insurance com to see if by some chance I could go elsewhere

oh sure I can go to any Aurora that my dr is at--so I call the clinic back hoping with this info maybe I could get in somewhere else sooner since I wasnt so restrisited

I got a super nice person when I called the clinic who really listened to me and after much talking was able to get me back on fri but at 830 instead of 7--she told I shouldnt have been cancelled in the first place--I thought how nice
she told me shed have to check with someone in the dept about over book so Im assuming there just squeezing me in--

but I dont understand why I was told I could only go to one clinic in the first place--then Im cancelled yet my time was gone already so now Im being squeezed in

I sure will have a lot of questions when I go--

so much of this doenst make sense and yet when I ask I just get some half baked answer

the last time I had this done the gag drink instructions where so bad I had to call three times before I got any kind of decent answer

and he same thing is happening again--with the drink I thought the idea of this so by morning you were cleaned out--now Im supposed to drink more in the middle of the night and hope its all out by the time I have to leave--oh well I just have to hope for the best

has anyone else had this done with instructions that didnt make any sense--also and tips or advice on how to get through this

my prep is a pill on wed at 5 and thurs at 3 followed by gag drink starting at 5pm 32 ozs and then 330am fri the rest be at clinic at 830 test at 930

thanks all for listening--

 

[L&Lfan]

I'm able to do the pill method with water so I've never done the drink. My prep begins the day before and I'm done before I go to bed. I've had 2 colonoscopies in my life and am due for another in 2019. Good luck to you.

 

[JaxDad]

I am just so upset --about 3 weeks ago I set my app for a colonscopy which was set for this fri at 7am arrival

now I totally hate having these done--Im a basketcase until its all over--also it takes a week of starting the prep and stop eating certain foods ex today I had to stop taking my vitamins tues is no foods with nuts or seed or raw veg wed I have to take a pill and thurs is the no eating day--and the start of the gag drink which this time I have to get up in the middle of the night to finish--so total I wont be able to eat or sleep or over 24 hrs--when I have something on my mind I have a hard time sleeping anyways but usually I can get some restful sleep in--this time I wont

ok so if that isnt bad enough-I get a call thursday saying they have to change my app due to the dr schedule and the soonest now would be april 13--another month--when I set this up the first time I was told I could only go to one place and the dr is only there on fridays--

so Im really upset--my DH said I should call the insurance com to see if by some chance I could go elsewhere

oh sure I can go to any Aurora that my dr is at--so I call the clinic back hoping with this info maybe I could get in somewhere else sooner since I wasnt so restrisited

I got a super nice person when I called the clinic who really listened to me and after much talking was able to get me back on fri but at 830 instead of 7--she told I shouldnt have been cancelled in the first place--I thought how nice
she told me shed have to check with someone in the dept about over book so Im assuming there just squeezing me in--

but I dont understand why I was told I could only go to one clinic in the first place--then Im cancelled yet my time was gone already so now Im being squeezed in

I sure will have a lot of questions when I go--

so much of this doenst make sense and yet when I ask I just get some half baked answer

the last time I had this done the gag drink instructions where so bad I had to call three times before I got any kind of decent answer

and he same thing is happening again--with the drink I thought the idea of this so by morning you were cleaned out--now Im supposed to drink more in the middle of the night and hope its all out by the time I have to leave--oh well I just have to hope for the best

has anyone else had this done with instructions that didnt make any sense--also and tips or advice on how to get through this

my prep is a pill on wed at 5 and thurs at 3 followed by gag drink starting at 5pm 32 ozs and then 330am fri the rest be at clinic at 830 test at 930

thanks all for listening--

I can’t really help you with the prep. It’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure mine was all within 24 hours of the procedure, and I did not have to get up in the middle of the night. I will tell you though that the procedure was a breeze! It was the best 15-20 minute nap I’ve EVER had. I went right down and came right out of it, ready to go eat a big lunch!

 

[dotfurio]

I can't remember the name of the stuff, but sounds like you have the same drink I had for my last prep. You have to follow it with a ton a water? I'm not much of a complainer when it comes to taking medicine, but it was far worse tasting than anything they've given me for past preps, and getting up in the middle of the night to do it was awful. I kept a chaser as I drank it - I think I used sprite. I'd hold my breath and try to get down 5 swallows, then a sip of sprite before I was able to breathe again. I managed to keep it all down. I felt so over full with all the water I had to drink after. And to top it all off, it didn't even clean me out as well as past preps. At least she was able to complete the procedure. I hope she doesn't have me use it next time.

ETA she gave me SUPREP.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

There are different methods of prep that have different instructions. Yours sounds similar to the prep I had to do last year. I had to cut certain foods out of my diet a few days prior (nuts, seeds, can't remember what else). The day before the procedure, I had to drink only clear liquids (broth, jello, tea, ginger ale, etc). I had to start drinking the prep solution that evening at 6:00 p.m. I think it was 8 ounces every hour until I had finished 32 ounces. The next morning, I had to start drinking the liquid again 6 hours before my procedure, which was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. I was up at 5:00 a.m., again drinking 8 ounces every hour. I finished the last of it at 8:00 a.m. I do recall that it was not fun to sit there and drink the stuff on an empty stomach so early in the morning. I had a glass of ginger ale on the side. I was also able to add a packet of lemon drink mix to cut the taste.

I think we left for the surgical center around 9:30 a.m., since I had to check in at 10:00 a.m. Once I got to the surgical center, it was a piece of cake. It was over before I knew it and I was home by 12:30 or so. I recall eating toast and then sleeping on the couch for a few hours. My results were excellent, but I have to do it again in five years because my sister has a history of colon cancer. Otherwise, the doctor said she would have had me wait 10 years. My sister's doctor had her add a powder to Gatorade and she only had to drink 4 bottles, two the night before and two the morning of the procedure. I've read that other people only have to take pills. I am going to ask if there is another prep method that I can use the next time and try to avoid the liquid stuff.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Not the last time, but the time prior to that I had to have a second batch overnight chased with a ton of water. I also thought it made no sense since I thought I would still be "erupting" when it was time to go for the treestment, but it worked out okay.

 

[dotfurio]

I was also able to add a packet of lemon drink mix to cut the taste.

I am trying that next time!

 

[anniemae]

There are many different preps and many different methods of taking it. Each Dr. has their preferred method. Some dr.s feel it's better to do two doses, meaning drink some in the afternoon, some the next morning. Some do all at once. You have to follow your dr. s instructions.

 

[Micca]

Not that this really means anything but I've never heard of someone having to get up in the night to drink the prep. (Unless that's what Gumbo was saying in post #6.) There's no need to be a basket case over this, your doctor should be able to help get you straightened out over the directions for the prep and try to set your mind at ease. Any chance you could go see the doc or a PA and get them to sit with you until you feel comfortable that you know what to do? Even better, get someone to go with you so you have someone as a backup for the details. Hope it all turns out ok!

 

[disney212]

As someone with Crohn"s Disease these are unfortunately a part of my life. I have had to get up in the middle of the night several times. It depends on the appointment time. I have 6 specialist and they agree the multiple level prep, cutting out vimamins, followed by seeds and nuts for a few days then a liquid diet with nothing red, purple or orange to drink, start the prep the night prior then more prep 5 hours prior is the best way too get a good look in high risk patients. Good luck, it really is a pretty easy procedure.

 

[starry_solo]

I've had three. One colonoscopy and two other endoscopy type things where I had to follow the regimen described above. The drink wasn't horrible tasting. I don't normally eat nuts or seeds or drink red, orange, or purple stuff so those weren't hard to "cut" out of the diet. It was the stop eating the day before that got to me. I was hungry.......

 

[hegsag]

I just had my first colonoscopy last month. I used the Suprep which I had to drink the first prep the evening before the colonoscopy (6pm) and then again the morning (7am) of the colonoscopy (3pm). It tasted like Sweetart candies. Drinking the prep was the hardest part as the colonoscopy I was sedated and didn't feel a thing. Like you, I couldn't eat seeds and hard to digest foods (such as steak) a few days before. The day before I was on a liquid diet but couldn't have anything with red food coloring. It sounds worse than it actually is. Glad I had it done as they found 2 polyps.

 

[tvguy]

OP, your situation does seem confusing. Complicated by the cancellation of the appointment.
Mine was simple. No food of any kind for 12 hours before the procedure. Clear water only to drink I had a gallon of that awful prep stuff to drink beginning 12 hours before the procedure, I had 30 minutes to drink the gallon. It started working before I finished drinking the gallon, and had completed it's job about 90 minutes after the first drink.
Only thing I would do different. Not refrigerate the prep solution. Many including the Doctor and pharmacist suggested that to make it go down easier. I was shivering (in the bathroom) by the time I finished drinking that gallon of prep solution.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

In the end it is all worth it. My prep wasn't fun but getting the IV was worse - nurses tried 4 times. Then anesthesiologist got it in.

I list a BFF to colon cancer who had no history of it and was in her 40s. When I hit 50 I got mine - I promised her I would do it

Good luck!

 

[aprilgail]

I used Prepopik when I had mine done- you drink this small 5 ounce cup of yuk and then just follow it with 5 cups of water over the next 5 hours then repeat it 5 hours before test. It was actually very simple other than that fact that there is only ONE bathroom in this house and I spent a lot of time in it LOL.

 

[Dznypal]

Just wanted to say thanks for all .the supportive responses. These freak me out so bad in the first and then to have them call and cancel . I just thought of this after I had the app set the girl called to say with our insurance I could go to one location which afterr talking to insurance to find out that wasn't right. I know im being squeezed in on Fri but now I have a gut feeling that that's going to be an issue. I'll sure be glad when Fri over. Thanks again for listening

 

[Nancyg56]

Just wanted to say thanks for all .the supportive responses. These freak me out so bad in the first and then to have them call and cancel . I just thought of this after I had the app set the girl called to say with our insurance I could go to one location which afterr talking to insurance to find out that wasn't right. I know im being squeezed in on Fri but now I have a gut feeling that that's going to be an issue. I'll sure be glad when Fri over. Thanks again for listening

The prep you have is probably the Sureprep, which has the most confusing directions I have ever seen. The steps were posted upthread. The two doses were different from the prep I had used before, and for me, it was just one more thing to make am I uncomfortable prep more stressful.

I think that you will be fine though. It is not fun, but it was not horrific either. I kept plenty of liquids closeby and tha made the time go by. Good luck!

 

[DisneyHardin]

We were surprised when DH had a colonoscopy last year that we weren't "prescribed" a prep drink for him, but instead were give directions to make it ourselves. He said it wasn't bad. I used yellow Gatorade as the base and he said that was really all you could taste.

 

[lucas]

I hate the drive to the surgery center the morning of the procedure. It is about 20-30 minutes away and I am always so scared that I will have to "go" again.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm able to do the pill method with water so I've never done the drink. My prep begins the day before and I'm done before I go to bed. I've had 2 colonoscopies in my life and am due for another in 2019. Good luck to you.

What pill do you take?