Colonoscopy this week...again (mostly a rant)

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I have a colonoscopy scheduled for this week. I get these twice a year anymore, so you'd think I'd be used to it, but my doctor seems to be intent on making the prep harder and harder each time.

As most people who've had one will tell you, the worst part is the prep. For me, the worst part is fasting the day before - my mind gets sluggish and I get sleepy if I'm hungry. This time around, the doctor has ordered a two-day prep, so although my procedure isn't until Wednesday, I'm on a clear liquid diet starting at midnight tonight. I have to start taking laxatives tomorrow evening, then drink a half-gallon of prep solution Tuesday evening along with more laxative pills. I have to get up at midnight on Wednesday morning to finish the prep, so I'll be up most of the night before my procedure, just to be sure I'm feeling crappy when I go in for the procedure.

I'm so tired of having to go through this. They've done them once a year since about 2008, but last year they found low-grade dysplasia in one biopsy so they've now upped it to twice a year. My last one was eight months ago, and the one before that was five months earlier, so this'll be my third one in 13 months. I've asked my doctor about just removing my colon, since that's what they'll end up doing anyway once they find high grade dysplasia, but he wasn't receptive to the idea of removing it before they find high-grade dysplasia or colon cancer. I've dealt with ulcerative colitis for most of my life, though, and so I have no particularly warm feelings toward my colon and I don't think I'll miss it much when it's gone.

My bladder's been behaving very nicely since I got my Interstim in November, but I always end up with some bowel leakage during and after a colonoscopy prep. Hopefully I can get through work Monday and Tuesday without any leaks. Fortunately it's always gone by the day after the procedure, once I've been able to get back to a regular diet.

 

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Believe me, you will miss your colon when its gone. A whole new myriad of problems ensue when its gone.

 

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Mine is coming up in a couple weeks, and they have arranged a 3 day prep. (no solid food for 2 days!) plus day before I must go in for lactulose enemas till clear, plus the morning of the test more lactulose enemas till clear. Plus all the normal medications. They even talk about inpatient. Talk about ANAL!

 

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Are you able to drink Ensure Pre-Surgery or Ensure Clear?

My prostatectomy prep was 2 days of clear fluids. At the pre-admittance appointment, the hospital gave me 3 Ensure Pre-Surgery drinks. The Ensure Pre-Surgery is high carb. Ensure Clear has some coloring with nutrients so you are not so depleted out.

I am on a few medications that say take with food or milk. The Ensure Pre-Surgery carbs allowed me to take those medicines.

 

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Yes the worst part of the colonoscopy is definitely prepping for it the day before!!! I'll vouch for that! But the clear liquid diet is also annoying since there are certain colors of some clear liquids that aren't allowed, such as red or purple and that restricts you even further with an already very restrictive diet. The last time I had a colonoscopy I think that prep solution I had to drink was a half gallon but to me it might as well have been 100 gallons!!! It was very unpleasant stuff and after having to drink it for the ninth time I was ready for them to just go ahead with the colonoscopy and get the damn thing over with already!!! So you definitely have my sympathy and wishes that you get through it uneventfully and with as little inconvenience as possible!!!

 

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Mine is coming up in a couple weeks, and they have arranged a 3 day prep.

That sounds horrible! I thought mine was bad, but at least I don't need a bunch of enemas too. Once, many years ago, I was hospitalized with against pain that turned out to be kidney stones, but they wanted to do a colonoscopy to rule out a flare of my UC. I didn't have to drink the prep since I'd been NPO for days, but they gave me several enemas too make sure my bowl was clean. I'm glad I don't have to go through that again!

Are you able to drink Ensure Pre-Surgery or Ensure Clear?

I've never even heard of those - they look like they'd be perfect. Thanks for the pointer!

 

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Believe me, you will miss your colon when its gone. A whole new myriad of problems ensue when its gone.

Sounds like you have real experience, and I'd love to hear more about it. Most of the information I've been able to find has been people who've had a colectomy either because of cancer or severe IBD, while mine is mild to moderate and I don't have cancer (yet, anyway). I haven't seen any information about having it as an elective surgery before it becomes absolutely required, which may change things a lot.

With low-grade dysplasia, UC, and PSC, odds are that I'll get colon cancer eventually (something like a 50% chance in the next two years), but any guidance you can give me about getting my colon out sooner vs. later would be very much appreciated.

 

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well if you can't rant freely here on issues of the digestive and elimination system then where else would you?
Good for you to rant!!

Congratulations on your interstim success, that has become an important story to hear from those who had the implant.

As for the colonoscopy, I'm quite cynical about the generous use of testing on those with excellent insurance and it sounds like they are doing you with zeal. Of course, mif you had an issue, its a very personal desire bto hsve the best early detection.
In any case, you rant away. Maybe it will help us all to loosen up and rant. Because that's why we're here.

 

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Thanks, Mayday. Your kind words mean a lot to me. There are lots of wonderful people here, but none better than you!

 

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I have a colonoscopy scheduled for this week. I get these twice a year anymore, so you'd think I'd be used to it, but my doctor seems to be intent on making the prep harder and harder each time.

As most people who've had one will tell you, the worst part is the prep. For me, the worst part is fasting the day before - my mind gets sluggish and I get sleepy if I'm hungry. This time around, the doctor has ordered a two-day prep, so although my procedure isn't until Wednesday, I'm on a clear liquid diet starting at midnight tonight. I have to start taking laxatives tomorrow evening, then drink a half-gallon of prep solution Tuesday evening along with more laxative pills. I have to get up at midnight on Wednesday morning to finish the prep, so I'll be up most of the night before my procedure, just to be sure I'm feeling crappy when I go in for the procedure.

I'm so tired of having to go through this. They've done them once a year since about 2008, but last year they found low-grade dysplasia in one biopsy so they've now upped it to twice a year. My last one was eight months ago, and the one before that was five months earlier, so this'll be my third one in 13 months. I've asked my doctor about just removing my colon, since that's what they'll end up doing anyway once they find high grade dysplasia, but he wasn't receptive to the idea of removing it before they find high-grade dysplasia or colon cancer. I've dealt with ulcerative colitis for most of my life, though, and so I have no particularly warm feelings toward my colon and I don't think I'll miss it much when it's gone.

My bladder's been behaving very nicely since I got my Interstim in November, but I always end up with some bowel leakage during and after a colonoscopy prep. Hopefully I can get through work Monday and Tuesday without any leaks. Fortunately it's always gone by the day after the procedure, once I've been able to get back to a regular diet.

This is what my dad is dealing with now. He was at the once a year due to them finding pre-cancer polyps each time. Well, this past time they found a polyp further up in and now he has to have a repeat this year. They are worried because when they develop where this last one was it is never good. colon cancer runs very much on that side of my family so hope that it is not the way things are going.

 

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This is what my dad is dealing with now. He was at the once a year due to them finding pre-cancer polyps each time. Well, this past time they found a polyp further up in and now he has to have a repeat this year. They are worried because when they develop where this last one was it is never good. colon cancer runs very much on that side of my family so hope that it is not the way things are going.

I hope it goes well for him! Waiting and wondering if this is the year they're going to find cancer is no fun.

 

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Well, I survived. I usually request the Golytely prep (aka the toilet-bowl margarita), but that's sisterly back ordered so I had to do a double Miralax prep. That one involves dulcolax, which caused me severe cramps last night so I won't ever use that again. I finished a while gallon of Gatorade with a total of 28 doses of Miralax.i have been having lots of trouble with nausea the past few months, and I barely managed to keep the Gatorade down even with machine my dishes of Zofran and fenergen. Yuck.

The doctor commented after the procedure that there was still a lot of fluid in my bowels that he had to suction out. That matches my own perception that the prep, even though it's twice what many people get, didn't do very well. He was able to complete the colonoscopy, though, so I won't have to do another one for 6-9 months.

They didn't find anything really notable. I have a small area of inflammation in my sigmoid colon and rectum, so I'll have to go back on mesalamine enemas. There were no obvious lesions or dysplasia, so I'll have to wait a few days for the pathology report for more detail on that.

I'm finally feeling a lot better after my nearly three day fast. I got to eat around 2:00 when I got home, and took some more anti-nausea meds.

Thank you all for your kind words and your insights. You've all been a huge blessing to me.

 

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@ltapilot I guess they know what is best, but I did talk to my PCP as I had a rash, so as we were talking she brought up that she wants my to be admitted for the colonoscopy, as it was much easier for me. I have had one before and never had so much politics. Guess its part of aging....