I'm singin' the colonoscopy blues yea

[steve2470]

#1- Someone has to sit in the lobby for X minutes until you're done, and then has to drive you home. NO FREAKING TAXIS ALLOWED! wtf...ok ok....

2- The pre-pooping.

3- Can't drink water before you do it. WTF. Yes, that's not a zombie typing that. Only crushed ice to slake your thirst.

The good news ? Afterwards we'll have a party!

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. #2 (no pun intended) is the worst! the procedure is nothing much at all (because you're out!)

I've had 3....one night my daughter (who did the Peace Corps in Madagascar) was visiting during one of my preps. As I was running (and running and running), she laughed and said "welcome to my world"!

[DFW]

2. Been there, done that 3 times, 3rd time unlucky

Third time unlucky NOT because they found any cancer, but because even though they KNEW I was on blood thinners, they told me to go off the blood thinners ANYWAY ten days before the procedure. OOPS.

One of my stents clogged right back up and I had my very first heart attack half an hour after they released me. Nice, eh?

It was a very mild heart attack (sure didn't feel right, but I don't have them on a bi-weekly basis either, so I had no basis for comparison). I didn't have any perceptible muscle damage, but the cardiologist had some VERY nasty words for the guy who did the colonoscopy. He also told me that the white platelets that clog up my arteries need about ten days to regenerate after I stop the blood thinners, so DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN. I didn't and I won't. I might not be so lucky next time.

[steve2470]

4. wow that sucks!

Glad you survived that my friend!

[DFW]

5. That makes two of us!

Since I had filled out all the forms as to what meds I was taking, and all the info they needed, my cardiologist went ballistic when he saw they told me to go off the blood thinners for ten days prior despite what they knew. He said they could work out something if they saw something they had to snip off (or worse), but if a patient is on blood thinners, it's because he NEEDS TO BE ON BLOOD THINNERS!!! He basically said WTF were they thinking?

Luckily, I was in Dallas, and we live 20 minutes from Presbyterian Hospital, one of the best medical facilities in the Southwest. Perot gave them a couple gazillion dollars to build new modern facilities, and it shows. With the payment and the insurance games afterward, well, THAT was a different story. I even entertained Obama in person with that one, and I think it sank in, considering how he continued to fight for the ACA in the aftermath (this was 2011, and I told him the whole story in 2012).

[steve2470]

10. can I ask President Obama's reaction ?

If it's too private, I understand.

[DFW]

11. In this case it's OK

He was interested enough to ask me to send the numbers to Pete Rouse of his White House staff so he could have the info at his disposal. Pete was there, and I got his email and sent it to him. He wrote back acknowledging that he got the info.

I didn't hear back further, but judging from the whole dialogue after that, I think it was noted and stored for future reference. I didn't see any rush of health insurance companies rushing to contribute to the Obama campaign, so I assume what I told him at least reminded him who his (and our) friends were NOT.

[steve2470]

12. thanks for the info, very kind of you nt

[olddots]

3. I would rather make love to a republican ........

Yeah I will probably have to have one this year .

[Beaverhausen]

6. Don't party too hard

I ate way too much after one of these and ended up back at the hospital. Go easy at first.

But yeah, the prep is the worst. The dehydration kills me.

I'm due soon...have the consult Monday so I feel you.

Hope your results are clean!

[steve2470]

28. thanks! nt

[avebury]

7. It is weird I know some people who react real squirrely

with the drugs and don't remember anything they said shortly after the procedure. I woke up with a totally clear head. Of course they told me to not drive a car that day but after about 4 hours at home I was couldn't stand it anymore and went ahead and went out to run some errands.

[Jenny Red Eye]

8. Had my most recent one last month. Did not fall asleep for some reason,

so I got to watch them remove many benign polyps. I remember the whole thing very clearly, and it was very interesting to watch. In the 3 that I have had before this one, I went out like a light, but I barely got drowsy during this one. The snipping of the polyps was entirely painless, but it was someone painful when they pump the air in to expand the colon slightly.

[steve2470]

9. I hope I'm totally unconscious lol nt

[Jenny Red Eye]

15. Hey Steve, even if you are not, no sweat!

You're pretty much so relaxed that you don't care lol.

[dolphinsandtuna]

13. You MUST have someone drive you home

The reason is one of the meds they give you causes amnesia. You will be forgetting most of the procedure and may lose chunks of your memory for the several hours afterwards. Would you like to be on the road with a driver whose brain was shutting off periodically? Would you like to be in a taxi with an unknown driver while your brain was spacing out (especially if you're female, but anyone could be robbed) and maybe the taxi will let you off and you'll forget which is your house, that would be nice, right?

[steve2470]

14. yea I figured those were the reasons nt

[hunter]

16. I was so bummed out. People told me the drugs were fun.

I've yet to experience a fun drug, except for prednisone, which makes me feel like what I imagine a "normal" person feels like for a few days before the bad side effects kick in.

If I want to go on a "trip" I quit my regular meds, but most of those trips end badly.

I watched my colonoscopy with curiosity, and was able to get up right away. They made me wait in the recovery room for a time, and I amused myself walking around, looking in the drawers, putting my clothes on and finally reading, until my wife arrived to pick me up.

There was a guy in the next bed who was snoozing when I arrived, and he was still snoozing when I left.

Have a great party!

[steve2470]

17. yea if I quit my regular meds, the trip would end badly also

I guess watching it could be interesting. I'd be tempted to say "hey doc, what are you doing there ?"

[Dont call me Shirley]

19. Love the high doses of Pred. One can get a lot of spring cleaning done on that.

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. Have you thought about the camera swallowing colonoscopy?

http://capsuleny.com/colonoscopy.html

[steve2470]

20. no nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

21. I'm going to try it.

[steve2470]

22. As long as I'm unconscious I'm good LOL nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

23. Been out enough times, don't wanna go out again...

PS. Good luck with your procedure.

[valerief]

27. Propofol was great! Quick to go under and come out from. nt

[PennyK]

24. No fun, but it's over fast

I personally hate the prep. And this time I was told to go on a low-fiber diet - which eliminated a lot of stuff I usually eat; think nursing-home menu. i couldn't wait to get home and dream of a yummy dinner!

[CTyankee]

25. the trick is to start a few days ahead of time and eat less. The catharsis is much easier and

doesn't last as long.

I hated the whole process, tho. I was told I'd be out, sure, but would snap back conscious, good as new, when it was over. WRONG. I was groggy as hell for the rest of the day after the procedure.

So when the doc called me and said "see you in 5 years" I told her "No, you won't. You won't ever see me again. I won't go thru it again." AFter two of these procedures they found nothing and there is no history of colon cancer (or any cancer) in my family. She said "OK. We won't call you again."

Also I'm in my mid 70s. No thanks...

[valerief]

26. Just had one done. The prep was worse than the one ten years earlier.

The good news is I'm fine for another ten years.

But, yeah, the non-stop shitting Niagara Falls is a literal pain in the ass. However, they let my ride come when I was being picked up. The poor guy didn't have to wait.