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I am about to have a colonoscopy can anyone tell me exactly what happens please

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christina82926
christina82926

Can anyone tell me what happens when you have a colonoscopy please

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • barbara26695
    barbara26695 christina82926

    Posted

    You  will  be given  sedation and  pain medication  so  you should not  feel  that much  maybe a little discomfort as the  camera  goes around the bends  but nothing  really  to  worry about

    The  worst  thing is  they put air  into you  and  you are going to have to pass that out at some point but the  doctors are used to  this  I  watched mine  on the screen as it was  being done to take my mind  off it   when  are you having  it

    You will  be asked to take something to  clear you  out the day  before  best advice  i can give you is dont  stay far away  from the  toilet 

    • christina82926
      christina82926 barbara26695

      Posted

      Within next two weeks lost my sister to bowel cancer at Xmas so I am not looking forward to it as I lost my mom as well to the same thing thanks for replying Barbara x
  • derek76
    derek76 christina82926

    Posted

    Did they not give you a booklet along with your laxative?
    • barbara26695
      barbara26695 derek76

      Posted

      Yes it  will tell you  when to take it  and normally you get  a  book telling you  what happeds when you have  the  colonoscopy too
    • derek76
      derek76 christina82926

      Posted

      The consultant gave me the booklet and the laxitive at my initial consutation. The appointment date followed in the post. I expect all hositals are different.

      Like me you have a family history of the disease.

    • derek76
      derek76 christina82926

      Posted

      I'm OK. It is all on the female sides of the family over three generations. 
    • christina82926
      christina82926 derek76

      Posted

      It's the same in our family my gran my mom my sister  what makes it worse for me is I have bowel cancer on my side and huntingtons desease on my deceased husbands side all inherited what a hand down for your children and grandchildren 
    • derek76
      derek76 christina82926

      Posted

      My father's mother and sister died of it. My mother survived it but our daughter died when she was only 22.
  • Angie1962
    Angie1962 christina82926

    Posted

    My Dad died from bowel cancer so it's possibly hereditary for me, but other than worrying about what they'll find ( and no matter what, the sooner you have one the better), the worst thing is the prep. I'm in the UK and my consultant uses Moviprep, which consists of drinking 2 x 1ltr of a strong lemon flavoured powder mixed in water (tastes like really concentrated lem-sip flavoured dioralyte!) about 4-6 hrs apart. It does work though, stay near a toilet, have wet wipes and some sort of nappy rash creme and it'll be good.

    I had two colonoscopies, 5 wks apart last year, during the 2nd they removed three polyps, one large using EMR and, as a previous poster said, watched it all on screen. I have to have a follow up one later this year and I'm now not at all apprehensive, and after reading all kinds of horror stories I was a wreak before the first one!

    Good luck for yours and try not to worry. 

    • christina82926
      christina82926 Angie1962

      Posted

      Thank you angie after watching my sister get diagnosed and die in three weeks at Xmas I am just wvery worried now but she had had it a long time but was too frightened to do anything 
  • Angie1962
    Angie1962 christina82926

    Posted

    I'm so sorry for your loss, especially as its so recent andI can totally understand the fear, waiting for the procedure will be the worst. My dad was 20yrs ago now and colonoscopy wasn't routine, he'd been treated for haemorrhoids for 12 months before seeing a different doctor who rushed him to surgery. He was 59 but then lived another 10 yrs. I had my first one 10 yrs ago, but as they were doing something else at the time I had a general. They found a benign polyp and said to come back in 5yrs, but I didnt?! So I was terrified too, both for the results and the procedure awake. It's a good job I did go back as all was ok, but if I'd have left it who knows what the large polyp could have become?

    Dont be worried about the colonoscopy, I had discomfort during the first one last year as the scope twisted, it was done in a private hospital but not a dedicated unit, but it wasn't unbearable. It couldn't be completed as they didn't have the equipment to perform the EMR technique. I went to The Royal Liverpool for the second one (same consultant), in their dedicated unit 5wks later and it honestly was a breeze, I couldn't believe it when he said he was done! Fortunately, they hadn't turned cancerous, but now I need another this year, and then if it's ok maybe every two years.

    Do you have any symptoms or is this a precaution, and will you have to wait very long for yr appointment?

    • christina82926
      christina82926 Angie1962

      Posted

      The appointment will be through on fast track in two weeks and yes I do have symptoms my gran died at 68 mom at 67 sister 55 and I am 66 so you can see why I'm worried thanks for your concern
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