first time colonoscopy, nurse will see me naked?

Was you test in the States or UK? Were you covered with blankets for the entire procedure?

I understand over in the UK, patients are given modesty pants to change into for the test to protect their modesty. Pants cover everything and there's a slot in the back for scope access.

Healthcare here in the states should follow the Brits lead and provide all their patients with the pants and allow women to wear non-metallic sports type bras to the test.

If the pants & bras were implimented, it would probably eliminate requests for same-gender personnel to run the tests. It would also eliminate a huge amount of anxiety on the part of many patients.

Put people's minds at rest about modesty concerns with the systemwide use of pants and bras, and use the pediatric colonoscope since it's smaller and I bet you will find more Americans would be willing to put up with the one day of misery to do the prep and be tested.

The American healthcare system talks the talk. Are they willing to walk the walk and make a few changes in favor of the people?

Best regards,

Raffie

I asked Britney my procedure nurse about modesty and that concern.

Here in the states they roll you over on your left side, untie your gown but it stays on you. There were only 4 people in the procedure room (2 men and 2 women). She then placed a blanket over my right leg, and kinda draped it over my posterior. It was a little dark and they doctor a guy was only back there doing the procedure.

I really only felt a moment of modesty and I was slowly put under with medication.

20 minutes and the procedure was done.

The staff really made me feel comfortable and relaxed throughout the entire procedure.

Hope this helps.

I'm gonna hold out for the shorts or what our British friends use called modesty pants as I've found its next to impossible to get a same-gender team so far. If I haven't found someone by my next yearly physical, I'll concede to the PCP & at least do the in-home FIT test.

I've been looking into the test itself because I think I want to do it without sedation just pain relief as needed and some people are saying to ask the doc to use a pediatric scope instead of the adult version as the diameter is smaller so it's less intrusive and painful for the patient.

The other trick I've been reading up on is using warm water induction instead of co2 to open up the colon. That also seems to be less painfull for the patient.

The more tollerable they make this barbaric test I think the more people would be willing to put up with the one day prep and get tested.

Thanks for replying Mike.

Regards to all,

Raffie

I'm glad that the procedure is over and behind me, now I'm just a little anxious about finding out the lab results from the 3 polyps that they found/removed.

Gender didn't seem to bother me that much. Like I stated before 2 men & 2 women and my doctor was a guy.

In addition the lights were down and dim, so modesty was only a factor for a couple of minutes.

Good luck.

Michael

I have never had a colonoscopy, but I did have a sigmoidoscopy about 15 yrs ago. Yes, in the US.   I went in totally unapprehensive as I just assumed they the docs do them all the time and know what they are doing or they wouldn't be doing it.  I felt very fooled.  I found  the procedure to be very painful, to the point that after the procedure and after the doctor left the room, the attending nurse said that I should have been sedated.  And I do not intend on having anything remotely related to that experience.  Luckily, I have no family history of related cancers, and I don't have the usual risk factors (heavy meat intake, inactivity, etc), so I am comfortable with my own risks. 

The memories of that sigmoidoscopy bring thoughts that I would say are like PTSD  ..... not good.

Anyway, I did work in healthcare over 2 decades, so I am somewhat familiar with medical processes, and reading studies.  The ideas that you are voicing, that of desiring a pediatric scope, and a warm water induction (not using that often hated use of air inflation to advance the scope) are both ideas that I have also noted in my research as ones that advance more comfort for the patient.

Unfortunately, doctors oftentimes just do what they have always been doing, and many of them are not open to ideas they are less familiar with, especially when many of them seem to be less motivated by patient comfort.  The US system is pretty much designed for the players in the field:  the doctors and the administrative types.   Not for the patients, unfortunately.  That is, from my experience, even more the case in smaller towns in which only a handful or only one group practice provides any particular service.  I have found medical practices to be more open to new concepts when they operate in an environment in which there are a lot of physician residents and med students.  In those environments, the doctors are accustomed to being question on why practices are done a certain way as residents and students often have a lot of opportunities to reach research on newer practices.   And that sort of environment just doesn't exist in a small town with a practice in which the docs only two or three, and have been doing things the same way for decades.  That's what I have learned from working in both teaching and non-teaching environments in every time zone in the US.

Good luck in finding what you desire.  And make sure that the doctor will not only use a pediatric scope, but that he is skillfull in its use, as I have also read that pediatric scopes can negotiate turns more easily, but that it does also require the skill of how to stiffen those scopes to prevent problems with "looping."  Looping occurs when the scope catches the side of the colon and stretches it instead of advancing forward. 

I'm on the east coast.

I'd like to do it without sedation but so far many of the hospitals require it. They either use a Versed/Fentanyl cocktail which many patients say doesn't work. All it does is produce conscious amnesia which is what the doctor and hospital want. Or some places are starting to use propofol but that jacks the price of the procedure up because of the more qualified people they have to bring in to dispense the drug.

I don't want my memory touched at all by any of their drugs which is why I've chosen the non-sedation path.

The gastroentrologists I've spoken with have no problem with boxer shorts backwards or even a jockstrap for the guys as they say its not a sterile procedure. It's the hospitals that are doing the balking.

I've walk out on three so far. Gone in with the shorts on backwards & when they see them they say they have to come off. I say no. They bring in a supervisor that I tell the doctor who is doing the procedure said yes. They say no again then I say shows over and get dressed and leave.

I've really resigned myself to that fact the test won't get done & at my next physical I will ask pcp for the in-home stool test. Better than nothing.

Thanks for all your help Mike.

Regards to all,

Raffie.

Mike you sound like one of the lucky ones.  Where i live the docs are truly pigs and the nursessows.  They care nothing about patient modesty or comfort.  My husbands gastro didn't even have the decency to come talk to him after his upper.  He was on to his next payday before my husband even got back to recovery.  Needless to say, he is now looking for another doctor for the invasion.

  As for asking for an all male or female crew, you are laughed at and ridiculed about having something special or  you're a chauvanist