bowel prep and colonoscopy experience

Having scanned the internet to find out about other people's advice and experience, I want to let anyone facing a colonoscopy know what was like for me. It was absolutely okay. People say the prep is the worst part and it was a bit tiresome. I did a two and a half day special diet followed by clear fluids only and Picolax. It was nearly 48hrs without food but the Picolax wasn't as bad as I expected. In fact, I kept thinking it couldn't be working as I wasn't glued to the loo. I think the main thing is to prepare and plan for the prep and the procedure - making sure of having all the things needed for the prep diet and for during the clear fluids and then prep. Barrier cream (Sudocream) and moist loo paper were helpful, and having done 2.5 days of the low fibre, high carb diet must have helped as well. The only real problem I had was that I worried that the Picolax wasn't being effective enough so I went for my appt in dread that my bowel wasn't clear. But the nurse explained that as long as you go through the stage where you're passing just watery stuff, it's okay. And it was.

Re the procedure itself - I had a good consultant and the nurses on the Unit were very nice. Only problem was a mix up with the time of my appointment which left me waiting longer than anticipated. I felt sick with anxiety, little sleep and the after - effects of the prep on arrival. However, I asked to be given as much sedation and pain relief as possible and told them I was anxious. The sedation took the edge of things as did the analgesic but I could grab the Entonox when needed for the times when the doctor was steering the tube around the bends. It was over quickly and there was no point where it felt really awful at all. I watched progress on the screen and felt absolutely fine afterwards, although a little out of it from the sedation of course. So my advice to anyone facing this procedure is to carefully read all the info the hospital send you, contact the Unit if you're concerned about any aspect of the procedure or prep, and follow the instructions to the finest detail. And to plan ahead and get everything in house that you need and that will help you through the prep. And don't be afraid to let them know you're anxious - if you are. I hope this helps you if you are worried about having this procedure done - the whole thing really was okay and nothing like what I'd built up in my mind and from reading one or two horror stories on the web.

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