My Colonoscopy experience! A 26 year olds account!
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Colonscopy:
I was terrified, none of my friends my age had undergone the procedure or could offer any useful advice, so I turned to the internet for comfort, endlessly researching night after night, only to be left worked up and a nervous wreck by the time the colonscopy day came around... So here's my account, hope anyone searching and trying to relate can find some use in this post. I'm a 26 year old female who's suffered severe, almost instant, diarrhoea over the last 5 years, mis-diagnosed a number of times and exhausted with test after test. The colonoscopy was the most accurate and beneficial test where my diagnosis was concerned and I recommend it to anyone suffering with GI issues.
Prior to the actual Colonscopy, you'll be called in for a pre-op meeting where you will be given laxatives (I was given Moviprep) and told to follow a strict diet starting 3 days before the procedure.
My Colonscopy was scheduled for a Friday, so my prep began Tuesday. The diet for Tuesday and Wednesday consisted of a high carb-low fibre diet, eg. White bread, rice, lean meats. (Generally bland colourless foods). This was difficult at first as everything was bland but it's paramount you keep your meals simple.
When Thursday approached, following breakfast at 8am, I began a liquid fast for the remaining day. Again colourless liquids such as water, clear soup, fizzy drinks etc. That evening I took my first dose of Moviprep. I decided to add hot water to the mixture and let it cool enough to drink it. The hot water made it tastes a little like lemsip lemon flavour at first which wasn't so bad. It's a salty lemony taste. But as you make your way through the 1st litre the taste becomes unbearable. I found as it cooled down it made me gag with every sip. Try to drink it in half glasses followed by a half glass of water to wash the taste away.
Shortly after I finished my first litre an hour later, the tummy rumblings began followed by quick dashes to the bathroom. If you live in a busy household I suggest you cordon off the bathroom for your prep or there are bound to be a few accidents. Or if you can't do so, perhaps finding a vacant toilet in a less crowded relative's/friend's house, or a hotel would be best. Moviprep literally has you glued to the toilet.
After 3 hours I prepared my second litre of Moviprep and gulped it down half glass at a time. I tried to mix 7up fizzy drink into one of my half glasses which tasted a little better but there was so much more to drink so i just left the rest of the moviprep as it was. By this stage my bum was sore. I suggest being well prepared with sudocream after every bowel movement if possible. By the end of the second litre my bowel movements were yellow and watery. You should be able to see the bottom of the toilet bowl through the substance. Don't worry the yellow colour is bile. My bum was so sore at this point but I could not stop going. My diarrhoea last 2 hours after the second litre of Moviprep. When I thought I was done, I had a warm shower and applied sudocream to my bottom before trying to get some rest. The sudocream really helps to heal overnight, which is essential as you don't want a camera going up an already sore bottom.
After 5 hours sleep I awoke at 5am to have a final glass of water, followed by a few more dashes to the bathroom. My procedure was scheduled for 8.30am but I was extremely worried I would soil myself if I left my bathroom. It seems the last of the moviprep was somewhere in my bowels still and the glass of water had aggravated it in the morning.
I eventually called a taxi and reached the hospital at 8am and rushed straight to the toilet on the ward. Don't worry about having diarrhoea at the hospital, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, you've just had 2 litres of laxatives forced down you its expected!! Just be prepared with wet wipes to clean yourself as it will stop any further soreness. The doctor performing the Colonscopy was running late so for the next two hours I dashed to the bathroom while I waited. I was secretly glad he was late as I feared I wouldn't be able to control my bowels when he was examining me. So the extra time allowed me to clear out the remaining moviprep from my bowels. If you want to avoid this perhaps have your last drink of water more than 3 hours before your appointment time.
Once I was prepped I was escorted into the theatre, where two nurses put the catheter on the back of my hand and tubed me up ready for oxygen. The sedatives and painkillers started kicking in fairly quickly and I felt relaxed. Next thing I know I'm rolled over on to my side and the procedure has begun. The camera is inserted in your bottom which can be alarming and painful at first but then the sedative really kicks in and it all becomes hazy. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep at one point and was awoken when there was a sharp pain in my bowels as it was filled with air. The air helps to inflate the bowel so the camera can see better, it causes momentary discomfort. If you are having biopsies taken that can be painful, I had a few and I was able to watch it being done on the screen, which made everything seem more real to me. If you're an anxious person I do not advise this! As quickly as it started the procedure was over and I was trolley off into the resting room. Biopsies caused a lot of bleeding and the paper underwear were soaked with my blood which can be scary at first but it's expected when they've just removed parts of your bowel.
All in all it wasn't half as painful as I had thought it would be. It was manageable discomfort and the part that caused the most discomfort was the MOVIPREP. However it's important to take the full dosage no matter how vile the taste, as this means a clear bowel for a successful colonoscopy the FIRST time around. You do not want to be sent away on the day and told to reschedule as you'd have to go through the special diet followed by moviprep all over again. Good luck to anyone preparing for a Colonscopy, it's really not as scary as it seems.
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haider43332 Zara123
Posted
Zara123 haider43332
Posted
Hi Haider I'm glad you came across my account before you go in tomorrow. Apologies for the errors I wrote the account shortly after I had been discharged from the hospital yesterday, with sedatives still flowing through my system!
I also had an endoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy which came back normal. But these procedures do not examine the entire bowel. The colonoscopy will go the entire way around your large and small intestines! So eventhough you are already experiencing diarrhoea I would still advise completing the entire laxative prep that the doctor has given you as this will flush out all the toxins from your bowels. Remember the bowel is a very long organ, there's a lot to be cleared out even if you cannot see it. Also whatever you do, do not eat after the time your doctor has stated. I know it's difficult but be strict with your prep and you will be feel relieved once it is done.
It's normal to be worried about the procedure and results, but I promise you it will be worth it. You will feel better to have a clearer picture of what is going on inside your body. Best of luck to you Haider and do let me know how it goes.
haider43332 Zara123
Posted
Zara123 haider43332
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The way to check is if your stools are like yellow water. You should be able to see the bottom of the toilet bowl through the stools. If they aren't clear then yeah the hospital could give you more laxatives. Don't worry, ask a nurse/doctor once you are in the hospital if you are not sure. I hope it goes well for you today.
haider43332 Zara123
Posted
u have bp i say bcoz of fer and lot of thinkings---long story short they give me sedation but i am not sedatied and when i go to colonscopy room they inject me again though its my ist time my eyes is open i stil remember my eyes is open and i see my colon on screen after colonscopy i go to doctor room and he say to me my colonscoy is totaly normal i discuss about ibs ith him but i can not go there its to far that why i reffer my self to another doctor near here to me home------i must say now i am relax even now i didnot ever see my stool its black or white or un digested vegetables in that----------endoscopy is clear and colonscopy is clear other blood tests are clear now i have to focus on my burps thanks once agai zara
Zara123 haider43332
Posted
That's great news that your bowel is normal, it rules out any inflammatory bowel diseases! Yeah it could be IBS. What you could do is monitor the types of food you eat and what triggers the symptoms.
I advise testing one food at a time. Maybe cut out gluten to begin with. This helped me to ease my symptoms. And definitely look into probiotics!
haider43332 Zara123
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Zara123 haider43332
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Me too, I have to take imodium atleast once a week. But recently I've been drinking yakult after my morning breakfast and at night after my last meal and it has helped to soothe my stomach a little. Have you tried probiotics before?
Yes try to cut out yoghurt and the foods that are affecting you and see how you feel. Perhaps you have intolerances to a few foods. I've found that wheat/gluten is very difficult for me to digest so I avoid that completely. After my colonoscopy I've been having soups and smoothies and that gas helped me digest my food.
I'm from the UK haider.