What is this ...

[Doug M.]

Ok, I know we have had lots of colonoscopy strings, most of which end up closed after a while because the temptation to engage in the humorous opportunities is too great. I'm not above that myself, but ...

Last time I had one, I do not recall any specific food restrictions other than certain colors. Now, the restrictions are long and detailed, and exclude a lot of healthy food that are part of my normal life. Frankly, the restrictions are a major pain. I expect and plan to live with the other issues that come with the procedure. This is new.

Do any of you have any insights about this seemingly radical change?

 

[waffles]

Got a little more on that? What I remember was no food, meds to take the browns to the super bowl, and only clear liquids (really just didn't want anything to look like blood in the GI tract). Are they mandating you eat a certain diet for some period before hand? If so, for what time period?

 

[johngross]

I had a colonoscopy done 3+ years ago. About the only thing I could eat and drink the night before was water, apple juice, and jello (and the jello had to be "clear").

 

[Willyboy]

Food restictions

The last one I had just said no beans, popcorn, and peanuts three days prior to the procedure. Plus no red drinks or liquids. Maybe more items are banned, but I remember those three.
Willyboy

 

[Doug M.]

A few days. It's amazingly restrictive. I usually have beans and rice for lunch. It's a complete protein and a lot lower in cholesterol to make the ticker doc happy (I had a cardiac exam as part of the transplant screening; the pump was real good due to training, but I had a developing block that took a stent). I'm not supposed to have the beans, or most fruits and many vegetables.

Seem pretty odd given that as I recall the exit caused by the meds was raid and violent. I get the restrictions on red and blue - I have lemonade flavor and some sugar free lemon-line Gatorade. Last time I ate a big breakfast to coast through the day before, and now they say nothing after 0900.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I'm down with brown (UPS).

 

[Kevin J.]

Kind of a mute point to me. Once you start drinking the clean out juice not really interested in eating anymore.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The last two were fast solids and only water. I am allowed all the water I want! but I must drink the one gallon of "clean out juice" first. I need to get one in the next couple of months what fu!

Ivan

 

[LoboGunLeather]

The stuff provided for my use was called "Go-Litely". Consumed at a rate of about a quart per hour on an empty stomach, intended to completely flush out the bowel. Not advisable to be more than a few steps away from a toilet during this preparation for your colonoscopy procedure.

It takes a very special person to commit to a life of colonoscopy procedures, forcing cameras into places cameras were never intended to go, controlling surgical devices for removal of suspicious tissue growths and retrieve those little prizes for pathological examination, complete with the necessary tools for cauterizing excision sites or installation of stainless steel clamps on blood vessels. Very special people indeed, doing all of these things from early in the morning until late in the afternoon, constantly focused on the interior of someone else's dirt chute.

Twenty years of education, then internship to achieve professional certifications, starting out with a half-million or more in student loan debt, and knowing that your future will be entirely focused on the internal condition of someone else's colon.

Hopefully there will be a consulting clinical psychiatrist located nearby every day, just to help keep Dr. Colonoscopy at his cheerful and friendly best.

How was your day, honey?

Great! We identified the world's first perfect a-hole, got some great pictures, probably be featured in the New England Journal of Medicine. What's for dinner?

 

[Breakaway500]

My first one 4 years ago (at age 60) I did the whole procedure by the book and wasn't "clean" enough for their..tastes so they wanted me back. Nope..not happening. I eat healthy,exercise daily,feel great and have cheated Grim out of many opportunities to take me so I'm going with those odds..

 

[Bekeart]

Lobo and post #10

Lobo,

The persons you described have a better business plan than most:

Business Is Looking UP!

Bekeart

 

[Greyman50]

Just had one last week. New GI Md., super nice and funny guy from the Carribean. 2 days before eat only soft food, nothing with fiber. Day before drink the concoction to clean you out, only liquid, coffee, tea ect, no milk. As mentioned, not really interested in food once one starts drinking the clean out stuff.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Last time I did one, all I had to do is No red dye , low fiber and a bottle of citrate of magnesia the evening before. I woul dget it on a Monday so normal eating would stop with Saturday evening meal. Sunday was cereals like grits and oatmeal to keep me full and then chug the citrate of magnesia and .............wait

 

[robvious]

I survived colon rectal cancer in 2015... they removed most of my rectum and a foot of my large intestine.. 2 rounds of chemo one round of radiation... had an ileostomy for a while.. I carry a diaper bag for myself wherever I go with wipes, diarrhea medicine, and a change of clothes along with plastic bags for the laundry... for the whiners.. just stop and get it done... it is not that bad... it could be worse... a lot worse... it was no fun spending my 50th birthday getting chemo... but I am alive and enjoying life as much as I am able..
just do it

 

[Heymatt]

The last one I had, in 2021, the dietary restrictions started 7 days prior to the procedure. Completely different than the previous one.
Which had been, eat what you want and drink the cleanout fluid.
Now it's stop eating this, then 2 days later stop eating this, then something else gets cut out. Day before was clear liquids only. Then the magic juice.
Not horrible, just more instructions to follow.

 

[mtgianni]

I am probably due for my third. I remember taking a health survey for my then employer about 1984. The survey said that failure to have an annual rectal exam would shorten my life from and expected 87.6 years to 87.2 years. I remember thinking that I was good with that.

 

[Doug M.]

I do not recall the name of the stuff I had, but it was vile. I mixed it up with some Crystal Light and it was tolerable, but the effects were at best violent. Deployment warning? Just barely, and it was basically impossible to leave the seat for the next two hours. Got through the night, had to finish the stuff this AM, and the same experience.

More unpleasant than it really needed to be as far as I am concerned. On the other hand, for those who snivel about a bad day from this process, go read what Robvious said.