Is There Anything More Unpleasant Than...

[SiouzQ.]

prepping for a colonoscopy? Six down, two more 8 oz. glasses to go of the vile gallon jug of the cleaning fluid. It's not so much that it tastes THAT bad, it's just so godd**** much of it! To drink 64 oz. in the space of a little over an hour...

[Yppej]

I think an ultrasound is worse, because you have to hold all that fluid in.

[bae]

Diverticulitis with a bowel resection involving a temporary colostomy.

You do not want this.

[BikingLady]

No one ever said Yahoo! I am prepping for a Colonoscopy! Hopefully you won't have to do this again for 10 years.

[SiouzQ.]

I'm on the 5 year plan due to polyps they found last time.

[Simplemind]

I have never done the entire prep. I just can't swallow that much stuff. I eat light the couple of days before and do half with my fingers crossed for the end result they are looking for. I do fess up and so far have been told everything is A-OK.

[Tammy]

When your watery stool is clear you can stop drinking the prep. All inpatient orders are written this way.

[Zoe Girl]

oh dear, so far I haven't needed one. However my daughter had a deformity in her colon and we went through weeks of trying to figure it out before she had surgery. She was already a tiny 10 year old. The whole thing, liquid diet, barium from the top end, and then the bottom end, lots of tests. Finally in surgery they found a duplication in her colon. She has not needed anything since, including during her pregnancy, but it was horrible to put a child through all that.

[rosarugosa]

Extremely unpleasant, but I've always worked on the assumption that I was going through the process to potentially avoid something much more unpleasant. I'm on the 5-year plan as well, and cannot quite make it through all that prep liquid but come close enough.

[SiouzQ.]

Ugh...I don't remember the prep being this awful the two times I've had this before. I've been awake since 2:45 am. I think my body is not processing the prep solution very "smoothly", so much gastric distress, still after all these hours. I started this process at 4pm yesterday. The procedure is at 10am and I have have to be there by 9:00.

Okay, deep breathe, I have to drink some more of this stuff because I'm still not all the way in the clear (sorry if it is TMI). It's just a long lonely time of being by myself for all these hours feeling crappy (I guess the pun is intended)! And it is cold and rainy and miserable outside.

My "new-ish" boyfriend is taking me, what a sweetheart. This will be the first time he has seen me at not my best.

[BikingLady]

Hubby on 5 yr also. I am glad you are taking care of it though. SO many seem to fear it and not do it. I wonder why if because better safe then sorry.

[JaneV2.0]

The chance of getting colorectal cancer is about four out of a hundred over a lifetime. (This includes people with a family history.) Occult fecal testing is a safe and effective screening option for those who want to avoid colonoscopy and its attendant hassle, risk, and expense.

[Teacher Terry]

One of the biggest risks is that they puncture your lining which thins as we age. Many die if this happens. I still get one but some of my older friends quit at age 70. Not sure what I will do. I agree with Jane but if you have bleeding hemorrhoids then the other test won't help.

[Kestra]

I think that was the worst day/night of my life. I'm terrible with fasting already. Then the prep on top of that. I was so nauseous and miserable and couldn't sleep all night. I almost went to the hospital early so I could be in emergency and maybe get an IV. Never again.

[SiouzQ.]

All done and in the clear! Nothing found this time so I don't have to go back for ten years, if ever! Got home at 12:30, ate a cheese quesadilla and managed a two hour nap. I still feel pretty lousy though.

[rosarugosa]

That's great about the "promotion" to 10 years!

[Float On]

So glad you survived! And congrats on getting to wait 10 years this time!

[pinkytoe]

I am hoping that in ten years time they will have a much less invasive way to check on our insides. Perhaps by then they will comment on how barbaric the procedure was.

[SiouzQ.]

I don't remember a thing about it - I had to warn them I have a tendency to wake up in the middle of procedures. This time all I remember was the nurse pushing the plunger of sedatives into the IV line and listening to a Motown song and the next thing I know I was already waking up. However, it seems that there is a day-after effect; I just tried to play my guitar and can't remember anything! I keep messing up and it is so frustrating!