First time Colonoscopy - My experience

Hi Elle. Lovely Name. I had my first colonoscopy last Friday, the 10th. I did it without sedation or pain medicine and the experience was nowhere as bad as other medical procedures I had as a child. It was rough about 3 times but it wasn't near bad enough to stop. I gasped in pain but I told the doc "do what you need to do". I never had such strong pain that I had no problem enduring it indefinitely. I actually told the doc, "if you need to pump air just do it" at the bend. I wanted him to see where he was going. Once he got to the end of the colon he saw that the prep left a thin layer of yellowish stool which he had to clean it. That process felt weird but very comfortable. The extraction was a weird sensation but it was over quickly. The recovery was two passes of gas and I was done. I will have it again sober in 3 years time. I will need to go back in 3 years and I think the prep will include an "enema until clear" or a full colonic because the previous prep was too slow and not enough to clear the colon residue on the walls.

My husband and I are about to have our first colonoscopies! I really found your post helpful and enlightening!!! Thanks to you, I'm not so worried about this now. 😀 I will share this post of yours with my husband to ease his mind.

Ella, Thank you Ella for the info. I am schedule for a colonoscopy April 7. I was reading your info about it. It is the first one I have ever done [ kind of scared about it}. After reading your experience it doesn't sound to bad.  Thank you Joe J.

Excellent, just what I wanted to hear. I'm going in for my first on the 21st March; reading about experiences does take the scare out of it. Its the laxative and fasting that scares me!!

Hopefully all these little tricks and hints will help someone else while going through the process of preparing for a colonoscopy. I'm having mine done tomorrow and it will be my 3rd colonoscopy. I started the Moviprep 30 minutes ago and have finished my second 8 oz. glass. I made sure to chill it as recommended and I added a little Crystal Lite to it. It didn't really taste that bad but I have been hydrating all day long with chicken boullion, popsicles, lemonade and green jello so the added liquid volume was more difficult the second 8 oz glass. I'm halfway through but have to repeat it again at 6 a.m. in the morning. I had some Zolfran for nausea left in my medicine cabinet from a previous total knee replacement and took that with my second dose. Hopefully the last two 8 ounce glasses won't make me nauseaus.

I know that being really hydrated is very important for kidney function and for visualization of the lower intestine so it's imperitive that anyone doing this prep follow the instructions to the letter. I was hungry earlier but now that I have so much liquid sloshing around in my stomach, food is the last thing on my mind. I haven't begun to feel like using the bathroom but oh yeah, I know that's coming very soon. I'm prepared with magazines and the softest toilet paper on the market. I also have some zinc oxide and witch hazel pads on the ready in case my bum gets real sore.

one thing I want to add to my post is that I heated up a cup of chicken broth and took little spoonsful in between gulps of Moviprep. That helps instantly to take away that awful lemon flavor.

Hi Elle,

Thanks for your post. I have my first colonoscepy on Monday, 9/12/2016, at 11am. I wanted to ask you a question about the day after. How did you feel the day after your procedure? We're you able to go out to do everyday errands? I have a 2 hour therapy appointment the following day and wanted to know if I should cancel it or not. We're you still dizzy or sleepy your day after? Did you have gas and/or diarrhea? I totally don't want to embarrass myself in therapy the day after procedure and i was thinking I should cancel my appointments the day after. Please reply.

Best,

Patricia

Elle_25.  I can really sympathize with you when it comes to colonoscopies.  The colonoscopy was fine itself.  It was the preparation that I never want to do again.  I remember feeling quite well the next day but I think I rested a lot that next day.  Maybe take a day to yourself without a lot of people in it OK? 

I had no problems during the rest of the day after my Colonoscopy but I didn't get any sedation and I was able to eat afterwards.  If you get sedation your thinking may be compromised after the Colonoscopy and driving is definately not a good idea.

I had my 1st colonoscepy and endoscopy yesterday. I was under anesthesia the whole time. It all happened so quickly.

The staff were ahead of schedule so my 11am appointment became a 10:30am appointment. I walked out at 11:15am with a sleepy feeling but that was all.

The things I remember about my experience were the following: putting on the gown for the procedure, getting an IV, talking with my nurse as I was rolled into the procedure room, meeting the anesthesiologist, talking with my doctor and biting down on a mouth guard. All of this happened insanely fast.

The actual last thing I remember was the nurse placing the mouth guard in my mouth, asking me if I was okay and I shook my head slightly no. The next memory I had was waking up in my private room. I was discharged within a few minutes. It was amazing.

I really wasn't really hungry afterwards but mostly sleepy. I did have a little bit of pasta before I napped for 3 hours.

I think the worst part of my whole experience was the anxiety of the unknown. Yes, the Suprep liquid tasted like a terrible, thick old cough medicine, and drinking all that water in such a short period of time, plus the trips to the bathroom weren't fun. But I did it! I really did it!

And I don't have to have this procedure done for another 10 years!

Like they say, "if I can do it, you can absolutely do it", is definite truth. "The only fear is fear itself. The rest of it is just gravy."

Love you guys!