Had my flexible friend yesterday

For everyone who is sat googling flexible sigmoidoscopy and looking for some reassurance then look no further. I had mine done yesterday, I should of had it done a month ago but I cancelled it because of being scared, I rebooked and yesterday was the day. So after scaring myself to death by googling 🙄 I went to my appointment with a lot of anxiety and once again was temped to make my excuses, but didn't . Once they had called me in and I had spoke to the nurse I was feeling a little bit more relaxed, the nurses were great and very reassuring, so after getting undressed and in to the shorts they provide with a flap in the back 😳there was no turning back. I went in a laid on the table, there was 2 nurses and the doctor who would carry out the sigmoidoscopy all were very nice and again reassuring . I was offered sedition but declined, there is gas and air to hand tho. The doctor Then talked me through every step of it, firstly by sticking his finger up to check for stools , and then inserting the camera all with a lube I must say. The camera it's self wasn't bad at all, in fact I didn't really feel it go in, the discomfort came when the inflate your bowel with air and I say discomfort because that's all it is. Everything was fine until the bend in the colon, they pump more air so the camera can go round the bend which brings on cramps but are very short lived, a couple of seconds. After that its plain sailing, I even watched it on the screen, now that's something you don't see everyday!! Everything you see on the screen is 60% magnified so if you do see something when watching DONT PANIC it's not that big. I was lucky enough to not have anything at all in my bowel but glad I went through with it. it's not as bad as you think it will be, it's over and done with in 10 mins, thousands of people have them done every day. The bowel prep is annoying , not painful, just annoying because I like my sleep but didn't have much of that the night before the sigmoidoscopy. Now I know everyone is different BUT the one thing they kept saying is TRY TO RELAX now that's easier said then done, but the more you tense up the harder it is to get the camera round, so take gas and air if need be . Well this was my experience of a flexible sigmoidoscopy, would I do it again? yes of course if I had to but next time I won't be so worried about it .

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