colonoscopy... anyone else ben thru this ?

[rock n roll kid]

hey thanks all !

mostly positive ... except for crofoot's bad news and kinman also.
that is what concerns me .... either croofoot or kinman , dont remember which , had NO SYMPTONS and ended up with stage 4 colon cancer . good luck to you in your ordeal .
dougm that was funny . had to laugh it off.

really a good response here and the info is appreciated .

polups wouldnt surprise me , cause i eat a fairly high fiber diet but still experience some hard stools . as long as is is not cancer , i will be thankful !!

 

[snakeye]

Don't sweat it...best part is going to IHOP after its done...dang that sounds good...gonna make me another appointment to have mine done

 

[bamacisa]

I lost my mother to colon cancer. I am high risk. I have had about six colonoscopies. Every time, I had at least one polyp. It is no big deal. The worst part is the prep and that is not that bad. The procedure is painless. You won't know when they do it. You will wake up in the recovery room and its all over. Good luck!

 

[shouldazagged]

It has been suggested that I have one in an effort to locate my head. So far I've resisted. Probably need to rectify that, so to speak, as I'm 75 and have never had one.

I must say that though I'm not sure why, the analogy to a piece of cake is mildly troubling to me. Maybe--no, I'm not even going to pursue that!

 

[Brian41]

During a routine physical it showed blood in the stool although I had no evidense of that myself. Doctor ordered a scope as I was 50 at the time and due anyway. Had the scope and they removed a large pre-cancerous mass. Had scopes every year after until cleared for five years after the last. That scope probably saved my life.
Like said the prep is the worst and you've never heard farting like you will in the recovery section. After fasting you'll really be hungry and I get the big supreme burger and fries from a local chain here.

 

[Backlighting]

I've had 3 & can say the actual procedure is nothing to fear.
I would suggest, however, that you only eat soft, fiber rich foods a few days before the procedure. Oatmeal, vegetables & fruit will do just fine. Stay away from meat. I say this because you will want your insides as clean as possible. The prep drink will do only so much. If the doc doesn't have a clear view you will then need to be re-scheduled.

 

[SW_shooter]

I need one and am more concerned about the prep. I watched my ex go through it three times. She would drink the magic elixir and with in minutes she was running for the porcelain throne.

My dilemma: I have lost the ability to run, I can barely walk with my walker. Getting to the bathroom is slow, getting positioned to sit is even slower. I'm afraid I'll be sitting on the throne all night and I know my backside can't take that punishment. Maybe I'll have to buy a padded seat?

Good luck to caj on his trip through this event tomorrow. Clear out tonight, exam tomorrow. Me? I have an appointment with the procto doc on May 7th, I'll probably be posting something I'm sure.

And to the Rock and Roll Kid, give 'er a whirl and lets do this for our health!

___________________________
no funny business while you're back there

 

[therevjay]

The prep is much worse then the procedure. Actualy the taste of the laxative drink is the worst part. (although the explosive result isn't much fun either)

It may be done slightly differnt by each Doctor, but they stuck a needle in my arm and the next thing I knew the nurse was asking if I was ready to go home?..........Actualy I was ready for a raid on Taco Bell!

 

[johnjohn]

I've had 3 and as has been said before the prep is the worst part. A friend in her 70's was scheduled for one and almost cancelled but went ahead and was found to have colon cancer. Fortunately it was removed and a year or two later is still doing fine.

 

[rwsmith]

Even the prep is easier

Even the prep, lousy as it is, is better than it used to be. You don't have to starve yourself quite so much by living off clear broth and half a sandwich. They put you out nowadays so it's a piece of cake.

BTW Make sure that they do all they need to first time around. I finished one once and the doctor said afterward, "Didn't you get an upper GI at the same time?" No. So back under I went.

 

[Airpark]

Caj, For the prostate biopsy they go in rectally, puncture the intestine and do the biopsy.

Had that done...had prostate cancer.

NOW for prostate surgery they cut from your belly button down to
.....Well yes, almost that far....

Been in remission for six years now.

 

[straightshooter1]

My wife is having her third on Tuesday. In the last two, they found polyps and, so, she has to go in every five years.

I have had three, found nothing and the Doc told me to come back in ten years.

I asked why so long? He said, Because you are a perfect rectum!

Bob

 

[mwtdvm]

Miralax Miralax Miralax

I don't know what you boys were prepped with but it wasn't Miralax. It is tasteless and you mix it with two bottles of G-max or whatever, I used the low cal version. Yes, you go and go and go but the first prep I had was with "Go Litely" and that stuff is Magnesium citrate. It messes up your electrolytes and also cramps you and gave me a truly wicked headache. The Miralax is a giant step up. Ask and see if they will let you use that.

As to the drugs used, I always ask what they plan to use and it has always been Versed and Fentanyl. (Yes Vets use the same drugs as the MD's). I was "awake" during all my studies and "enjoyed" them. The second one that I had done, I ordered some large smiley face stickers from Oriental Trading that were about 3" across and had one on each lower cheek when I was taken into the procedure room. I figured they didn't see many of those in the course of a day.
As to the "venting" afterward, there is a suction port on the endoscope and there is no reason to let someone leave the room as distended as the Hindenburg. The last guy did that to me and in the "after action" meeting, I let him know of my displeasure. Got to have another in three years. May use a different Doc.
Take it easy, it's really not that bad!

 

[foxeye]

When I had mine they gave me Ospho Soda to drink. Thats the horrible tasting stuff. My doc puts you out, so its a walk in the park. Soon due to have another since its almost 10 years now from the first. I am a big wussy about this kind of thing, and believe me its nothing. The docs and military hospital here do not even give PSA tests anymore as they say prostrate cancer is so slow growing that if it is detected that over 95% of the men refuse to have it operated on. Every year my primary care provider gives me a "stool card" which is sent back in and checked and if its negative they do it again the next year, and every 10 years go with a scope. A stool card is a card with three depressions in it. Each time you take a dump you put a small sample of it in a depression and seal it up. When all three are fillerd, send it in and they check it for any traces of blood. Its a good safety measure for a headsup between scopes.

Only proceedure I was awake for was my heart catherizations. I was toold they will not put you out for that. I was paranoid and terrified. What ever drug they put in to make it unmemorabvle is beyond me but it works. I actually enjoyed watching the cardiologist snaking the catheter through the vessels and installing stents and unblocking restrictions. Yet another proceedure that is a piece of cake. I do dread if I ever have to get a biopsy for prostrate though. I often think about that and break out in a cold sweat.

 

[SmokewagonSD]

I put my first one off until I was 58. Dumb on my part, but everything was OK. I work in a hospital and went to a different one to have mine done. Didn't want nurses I knew drawing happy faces on my butt. They are true professionals but why put temptation in their way.

 

[cjw3]

Twice for me. As previously stated, the prep is the tough part. You are in the twilight zone for the procedure itself.

The gas afterward is epic, so have fun with that.

 

[69HEMI-R/T]

Colonoscopy!! Run Forrest, Run !!

 

[Texas Star]

Yeah, the prep is bad and I was starved by the time I could eat again.

The docs said to avoid spicy foods for a few days.

I had two at the VA and one at an outside clinic, which was far superior in attitude and staff. The VA docs left me awake and talking and I watched the procedure onscreen. Interesting. And I do remember what happened. The outside clinic "put me out", and my daughter, who drove me, was told things to pass on to me as I was deemed too drowsy to recall much.

Going to Outback for dinner afterwards was the only good thing about the experience, and I'm happy to do that without having a colonoscopy first. But they have found polyps, so I don't take chances. Katie Couric's husband died of colon cancer, and I listened when she pleaded with men to get tested.

I agree with others here that you don't feel the polyps being snipped.

I want to thank the moderators for allowing this thread. It will be a great comfort and source of information to members who need to know what this is like. Reading this may save the life of a member who has been reluctant to get the procedure.

 

[foxeye]

The stuff they give you to drink the night before made it feel like it was raining inside my intestines.........then a run to the throne. More rain and run again.

 

[Bib]

I've had one so far....a bit past due for my next, gotta get one scheduled. As the others said, no worry other than the prep. First one found no problems. My "problems" turned out to be in another area...a superficial tumor in my bladder...benign and removed successfully. Know what a Cystoscope is?....I've had over a dozen so far. Last fall my scope showed a couple of small growths starting so my doc did another surgery to remove them..next scope will be in June.

I was having a conversation with a guy I know whose cousin had passed away from colon cancer. He said that when he went an got checked, they gave him a Bavarian Enema......I could hardly keep a straight face! I kept picturing a fat blonde woman w/pigtails, wearing Liederhosen holding the bag!!!!!