Wellness

[GCR18]

It's a good decision.  Everything will be fine.  You'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

During the prep I like to have a variety of flavors of jello, popsicles/Italian ice, hard candies.  They just can't be red.  Get vaseline and wipes for when you go.  Chill your special "cocktails".  If you're worried about taste, use a straw so it goes straight down.

It's really not that big of a deal.  You'll be proud of yourself when it's over.  Have something in the fridge to look forward to when you get home.

[jlkz]

---

@jackthebear wrote:

ask your Dr,  for the   Dulcolax and  miralx prep but better than the other stuff

So true !!!  Mixed mine with Diet Peach Snapple and used a straw to get the last 2 glasses down.

No irritation nor cramping...piece of cake compared to the horrid older stuff !!!!

---

[hondagirl]

I am over 60 and was not going to have a colonoscopy - just because.... Went to my dr. for a knee injury and spoke to the nurse about Cologuard and she said alot of patients were tying it.  So it was sent to my house and i dreaded the results.  Well they came back positive and a colonoscopy was ordered.. So glad i went... 4 precancer polyps were found and no cancer... Wow... Dr. said if i had waited he could not give me an answer...  The prep was nasty of course but I am so glad it;s over.... So get your test done and that's one less wory.... Hugs....

[hckynut]

@hondagirl

Thank you for sharing your story as your post my save someone's life, and misery for their family. It is really a shame so many dread a procedure I see as very simple. Inconvenient for some, but much better than other possibilities.

I think too many get stuck on the "I know someone that", you can fill in the negative words. All invasive procedures involve risks, but much less than riding in a motor vehicle on our public roadways. For the few horror stories one hears or reads, hundreds of thousands get a Colonoscopy without an issue.

People need to read more stories such as yours to understand how critical it is, for most, to have this done for themselves and their loved ones.

Thank you again,

hckynut(john)

[Shelbelle]

You are only under for a very short time, dont worry. I took citrate magnesium pills, very easy prep.

[hondagirl]

My Doctor will only give Supprep for the test.... That stuff is so nasty and almost makes you want to throw up... Mixed it with gingerale and white grape juice....Didn't get rid of the salty/bitter after taste....Got through it but had a very sick stomach.

[SeaMaiden]

My insurance paid in full  for the go lightly powder mix that comes in the big gallow jug so I just used that as did my husband.  It was just fine with three paks of lemonade flavored crystal light sugar free drink mix  and chilling it over night.  Tasted great actually. I used a straw and gulped it down fast. 

[hckynut]

@hondagirl

My Gastro doctors will not do a colonoscopy unless their patient drinks a gallon of GoLytely. Many of them have told me that other preps they have used, did not completely clean many of their patients colon. Thus they could not get to the very end of it, the right colon, which is where all my many bleeding problems have been located and repaired.

Having drank now 20 gallons, I know exactly how to prepare myself, and the gallon, to make it as easy as possible. The colder the better. Fridge all night and pack ice around the whole gallon during the drinking period.

Flavor for me makes no difference. It is the viscosity of the drink where many have an issue with it, myself included. The week I had 3 colon procedures, and yes, had to drink a gallon with each one?

I had to use mental imagery to get the last few glasses down. I pictured it as Mac & Cheese, it helped keep it down, but barely. My food during that whole week was Apple Juice and Orange Jello.

When I asked them why since I had eaten no solid foods I needed the prep, they told me with my right colon still bleeding, they were running into dried blood. That prevented them from getting to that very end of my colon to find the bleeding.

Not the most fun I have had, but far from the worst.

hckynut(john)

[Ibby114]

I've been having regular colonoscopies for 11 years- early on 2 or 3 in 1 year. My GI drs at that time had me use  GoLytly as the prep. Awful stuff but you do what you ahve to do.The testing is too important!

I changed GI drs about  two years ago and he prescribed  4 ducolax pills and 8 oz miralax the day prior - and  1 gallon  clear liquid and 10 oz magnesium citrate the day of. It worked great.  I even had to take a picture in the bathroom at the drs office prior to the procedure! (tmi ??!! )

[hckynut]

---

@Ibby114 wrote:

I've been having regular colonoscopies for 11 years- early on 2 or 3 in 1 year. My GI drs at that time had me use  GoLytly as the prep. Awful stuff but you do what you ahve to do.The testing is too important!

I changed GI drs about  two years ago and he prescribed  4 ducolax pills and 8 oz miralax the day prior - and  1 gallon  clear liquid and 10 oz magnesium citrate the day of. It worked great.  I even had to take a picture in the bathroom at the drs office prior to the procedure! (tmi ??!! )

---

@Ibby114

How familiar this is for us. My bleeding started in 2008 and my last colonoscopy, bleeding again, was in October of 2015. That was #15 for colonoscopies, the other 5 were the Double Balloon Enteroscopies, the first one took over 4 hours. Much lengthier procedure in both time and the scope.

Now each blood draw I hope my Hemoglobin is not dropping. Just saw the doc this am, and it was 15.3. Ain't seen it that high for a very long time. Still have to wait for Iron Ferritin reading which they have to send out. If it is low? Another Iron Infusion coming up.

As for "tmi? When an in patient, was how I had most of them, I had to call the nurse for the viewing. What those nurses have to go through on their job. Can't thank most of them enough.

Hopefully you are good to go for a long time with this issue. Enough already, right?

hckynut(john)