Colonoscopies

[Lady tehMa]

This thread was quite timely. This past week husband got a call from the screening program - he'll be in for the procedure next Friday.

I appreciate hearing of your experiences, I have relayed them to my husband and he appreciates the info.

[Fancy]

Been there - done that. Worst fear - getting all the liquid down. After that - worst fear - keeping it down. After that - worst fear - making it to the toilet. Once all that was over the rest was easy. It's a lot of liquid to drink all at once but obviously it's doable considering the multitudes of people that go through it. Helps to talk to someone that's gone through it to know what to expect. It was getting up in the middle of the night to drink the rest of it that I had trouble with - so sleepy and so so full. The hospital part and actual procedure was easy enough - everyone was so considerate and professional. And I get to look forward to doing it again :) (kinda yuck but now I know how it goes).

[Lady tehMa]

All went well. Husband had his procedure, had a few polyps removed and is fine. Piece of cake, he says.

[w84u2]

All went well. Husband had his procedure, had a few polyps removed and is fine. Piece of cake, he says.

How long did it take from the time of discovery of blood in the stool, to get into diagnostics?

[tracy247]

All went well. Husband had his procedure, had a few polyps removed and is fine. Piece of cake, he says.
panniculectomyhyperthymesiadorsalgia

Would you please share was that procedural colonoscopy or diagnostic?

[Fancy]

Curious as to why you ask. Could be that time of life for a checkup or a history with another family member.

[Lady tehMa]

He never did have blood in his stool - what he did have was his 55th birthday in August; I guess when you hit a certain age you're on the list. So the screening program called in early December, then he was booked an in within a week or two.

So, he did the prep the week before. This thread and a friend were VERY helpful with cautions about food etc. He had no trouble downing all the prep mix over the two days, he was clean as he could be when he went in. We were there at about 1, he was in about 2, and in recovery at 3. I'd say it took about 45 minutes. He wasn't put right out, awake enough to make everyone laugh he said. They gave us a sheet with little x's marking where the polyps were that were removed. He was also diagnosed with diverticulosis - his mom has it so not a big surprise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diverticulosis

Then I took him home and he rested. That was a Friday, up and around that day, back to work on Monday.

Oh, and they told us they'd call if there was a problem with the polyps - so far nothing. "No news is good news" as far as they are concerned.

[Rat Fink 318]

I figured there'd be a tread for this

I just got home from this morning's six month 'covid' delayed coloscopy: three polyps, a diverticula, and hemorrhoids. This is number four scope after the last three regularly timed clean ones in the past 20 years. I made a post above during one of the bathroom breaks, and then just now I had to put up a defense higher above for Trudeau, which was worse to have to face than the whole procedure Also fentanyl makes things interesting, so I might ask my wife to take me shopping at the mall to see if I might finally find a big O

Anyway, now I'm waiting for the biopsy results, but the message I'd like to pass on here is to make 'em regular 'cause you never know.

[Bsuds]

I had a sigmoidoscopy approx 16 years ago and they perforated my bowel and came very close to killing me!

There ain’t ever anything being inserted there again!

[OldIslander]

I’ve been having them every 5 years for the past 25 years and they are not a big deal. The prep is the most uncomfortable part. You’ll wish you had seat belts on your family throne. I’d recommend starting an hour or 2 earlier than they advise, with the cleansing fluid. The first time, I wasn’t quite finished getting rid of it all (if you catch my drift…) and had to make a mad dash to a washroom when we arrived at the clinic.

The drug they give you is awesome. I was awake for most of the procedure but it seemed like I was dreaming; went to sleep towards the end and was awoken some time later in the recovery room. Didn’t remember much when the drugs finally wore off. When my wife drove me home after the 2nd or 3rd one, I was seeing triple. Very weird.

You don't have to take the drugs -- a buddy has had a few of them, and just grits his teeth. He says it's quite bearable. Then he's ok to drive home afterwards.

So it’s really not all that bad, and will give you some good stories to tell your buddies afterwards.