The day AFTER a colonoscopy?

[shortbun]

I ate easy to digest foods the rest of the day-no raw veggies, salads, beans. By the next day, I was completely back to normal.

 

[goofyernmost]

So maybe I'll leave the appointment as is. I am a little sensitive to anesthesia, but my test is Wednesday afternoon, so if I sleep a lot on Thursday I should be able to drive by Friday.

I just don't want to ruin a perfectly good summer weekend for a test that is not an emergency.

Thank you for all the responses

The anesthesia is not that powerful. It makes you a little groggy during the procedure and a lot of people fall asleep during it. I never have. I am fascinated with the human insides, especially mine, so I want to watch the procedure as it is happening. If they find something bad it won't be any worse at that time then if I waited and they told me after. Anyway, the point is that you will be able to drive within 4 hours of the procedure, so Friday shouldn't even be a concern.

You'll be fine the next day. The only time I had any problem was when they put a tube down my throat and my throat was sore for the rest of that day. They didn't admit that they had to put the tube down my throat, but I know that is what happened, because I've never had the problem of a sore throat before. They used that powerful drug Propofal that killed Michael Jackson - and they pointed that out to me before giving it to me. What?

Hopefully they didn't use the same tube.

Most people haven't said this, but TAKE IT EASY the day after your test. Seriously. Like don't go running a bunch or errands or exert yourself physically.

My mother had a colonoscopy and went to work the next day (She was a teacher at the time). She started feeling bad so she decided to go home after lunch. By the time she got home, she felt horrible and headed to the bathroom. She didn't make it there and bled out back there (sorry to be graphic.) Before passing out she managed to get to a phone and called for help. When the paramedics arrived, she had lost so much blood, her blood pressure was 20/0. She almost didn't make it.

This isn't the norm and I'm sure it wasn't helpful to someone that is trying to get through their first encounter. Things happen, but the chances are very, very slim. Especially since it is a camera and whatever they do inside should be seen immediately when it happened. It is difficult to explain what happened to this lady.

PS...If you are like me, I, so far, have not been able to immediately get rid of the air that they pump inside you to do the test. At least not when they want me too. I have found that very uncomfortable but then I discovered that as soon as I eat something, no matter how little, it gets things moving again. Once that happens, everything is back to absolute normal in just a short while. A little loud but normal.

 

[anniemae]

Ok, since this thread asked about the day after, I can tell you that I am fine. I had my colonoscopy yesterday. I felt a little groggy yesterday so I rested a bit, but that was it. Today, normal.

 

[PatsMom]

I've had a couple of colonoscopies and they are really no big deal. I am not crazy about the prep but other than that, I just wake up hungry!! My usual routine is for whoever I have picking me up to take me somewhere I can have lunch. Then sometimes I nap in the afternoon but that is more from being up the night before because of the laxatives than the anesthetic. I wouldn't waste a vacation day to take the day after the procedure offl

 

[DVC-Don]

I've had five and never had a problem the day after. The day of it I've always ate light after the procedure but no pain issues.

 

[daisax]

I 've had to do the prep a couple of times and my technique is to have 3 glasses on the counter. One is for the prep, and I put a piece of tape to mark 8 oz. The second is apple juice. The third is water.

Take a couple of swallows of the prep, a swallow of the apple juice really quickly to kill the taste/texture, and then a swallow of water to clear the apple juice taste out.

Of course it means an insane amount of drinking, but the prep has never lasted more than 3 hours and I've been able to finish the whole thing.
I do think it's easier to drink when it's NOT cold straight out of the fridge, but they always recommend it chilled to make it easier. Maybe I'm abnormal. But try it both ways.

People talk about running to the bathroom all night long, but in my experience I take the pills at 2, start drinking at 4:30, start seeing results an hour later, and am done in the bathroom by 8. And it's never some comical race to the bathroom - you need to go, so you go. You're not trapped in there, you're not going to have an accident if you're more than 10 feet from the toilet. Obviously individuals vary, but I was shocked that aside from the drinking (which is pretty heinous at the start), it's not all that big an ordeal. And the actual procedure and recovery are even less of a problem. So it's a shame that people are afraid of scheduling it when it can so easily save their lives and spare them a lot of suffering in the long run.

Have never had an issue with gas (unless it was while I was still in recovery or something and unaware). And the drugs are GOOD -- after getting propofol I knew why Michael Jackson would have abused it if he had insomnia -- I felt like I'd just come back from a week's vacation for the next 4-5 days.

 

[snapppyd]

OK, today is finally the day. DH has to work, so I'm taking car service both ways. Now my biggest worry is having gas on the way home, the poor cab driver

I didn't drink the liquid prep, I had to take 32 pills last night with lots of clear liquids (water, juice, tea). It was an interesting night

My appt. is at 2PM, I'll report back later.

Thank you for all the kind words of support, I'm not that scared now.

 

[Nancyg56]

So maybe I'll leave the appointment as is. I am a little sensitive to anesthesia, but my test is Wednesday afternoon, so if I sleep a lot on Thursday I should be able to drive by Friday.

I just don't want to ruin a perfectly good summer weekend for a test that is not an emergency.

Thank you for all the responses

I was fine after the test, just a little tired. DH is sensitive to anesthesia so he slept a lot that day but was fine the next. I imagine that if the test is on Wednesday you will be fine on Friday.

 

[snapppyd]

OK, along with hurricane and earthquake, I can now cross colonoscopy off my bucket list


I have to join the crowd that says DO IT, don't wait. I can't believe how fast it was and I didn't feel a thing. The prep was the worst part. Once they injected the anesthesia into the IV I went right out and woke up about 20 minutes later.

I home already wolfing down 1/2 an Italian bread!

Thanks for the words of support!

 

[DVCLiz]

OK, along with hurricane and earthquake, I can now cross colonoscopy off my bucket list


I have to join the crowd that says DO IT, don't wait. I can't believe how fast it was and I didn't feel a thing. The prep was the worst part. Once they injected the anesthesia into the IV I went right out and woke up about 20 minutes later.

I home already wolfing down 1/2 an Italian bread!

Thanks for the words of support!

Was everything OK with your checkup? I have to second your advice - I had my first one at age 50 and they did find two polyps that, had they been ignored, would have turned into cancer. I get to go back every 5 years, but I would gladly do this procedure every 6 months if it meant finding and removing cancer-causing polyps.

 

[snapppyd]

Was everything OK with your checkup? I have to second your advice - I had my first one at age 50 and they did find two polyps that, had they been ignored, would have turned into cancer. I get to go back every 5 years, but I would gladly do this procedure every 6 months if it meant finding and removing cancer-causing polyps.

Nothing serious, I have to go back for a laser treatment in 3 weeks.

 

[shortbun]

I too was fine the day OF the test although I ate light or highly digestible foods. The next day was great. Test Wednesday, you lose Tuesday but Thursday and Friday should be fine.

 

[momrek06]

OK, along with hurricane and earthquake, I can now cross colonoscopy off my bucket list


I have to join the crowd that says DO IT, don't wait. I can't believe how fast it was and I didn't feel a thing. The prep was the worst part. Once they injected the anesthesia into the IV I went right out and woke up about 20 minutes later.

I home already wolfing down 1/2 an Italian bread!

Thanks for the words of support!

YEAH, Judy, I am so glad you can now indeed cross that off your bucket list….hahaha!!!!!! I have had 2 and nothing now for 5 years!!!!!

 

[tvguy]

DH wanted to drive home but I wouldn't let him. He wanted me to take him to get food right away. Then we went shopping.

My pre and post paper work all said no driving for 18 hours after the procedure.

 

[tvguy]

Prep was easy, test was easy, afterwards was a breeze (literally!! ).

Just have a good book in the bathroom for the prep...you'll be there for about an hour.

Test, no biggie.

Afterwards, well, it took about 4 months for my "system" to get back to normal, I think the prep killed all the beneficial bacteria in my colon. Not painful, or even uncomfortable, just not like it was before for about 4 months.

 

[Cadiewampus]

What prep are all you guys taking that is horrible? Mine was just a 64oz bottle of lemon lime Gatorade and the small bottle of Miralax mixed in it. No different than drinking just gatorade

 

[mom2rtk]

What prep are all you guys taking that is horrible? Mine was just a 64oz bottle of lemon lime Gatorade and the small bottle of Miralax mixed in it. No different than drinking just gatorade

This thread is 4 years old. I had mine a year ago and don't remember the name of the prep.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I had to drink zombie juice for mine. Went down smooth but kept coming back again and again over time.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I went out for breakfast afterwards. Other than having some gas pains and being tired I was fine that day.

 

[MrsDuck]

I felt a little weird after my colonoscopy - the anesthesia really messed with me. I was loopy for a few hours and had quite a bit of gas but then I was pretty much fine by the evening. No problems the next day!