Wellness

[Ibby114]

I've had my share of colonoscopies and the prep is nasty- I started with a  new GI doctor last year and he had me take the miralax and ducolax combo. I also fast for 24+ hours rather than just eat light  the day prior -  SOOOO much better!  When I got to the surgical center for my test, they had me use the bathroom and  ...um... take a picture !!  This is really tmi!!! They told me there were too many times patients didn't  prep properly. 

[hckynut]

@BalletBabe

I knew you were just blowin smoke my way, nothin wrong with that. Heart disease has killed all of the ones on my mothers side of the family. That is partly why I got so interested in health and physical fitness.

Vegetarian/skinny/qiut smoking/quit drinking/ran hundreds of Road Races/played and Ref'd hockey, so always in top shape. Had my 1st heart attackmin 2003, accompanied with the deadly Aspiration Pneumonia. The Pneumonia was what about killed me? Over 7 days in ICU with a Balloon Pump im my rightngroin main artery.

In hospital close to 3 weeks working on gettingnall the fluid out of my lungs. Took over a yeat of Nebulizer Treatments and working with other things to clear my lungs. Heart attack #2 in 2007, same as 1st, Right Coronary Artery 100% blocked. No water in my lungs this time, so onpy in the hospital for about 4 days.

Did everything I could because of my genetic predisposition to heart disease, but can't change ones genetics. I don't worry about my heart as that is the way I am. If it happens again I will deal with it.

Take care now,

hckynut(john)

[hckynut]

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@Ibby114 wrote:

I've had my share of colonoscopies and the prep is nasty- I started with a  new GI doctor last year and he had me take the miralax and ducolax combo. I also fast for 24+ hours rather than just eat light  the day prior -  SOOOO much better!  When I got to the surgical center for my test, they had me use the bathroom and  ...um... take a picture !!  This is really tmi!!! They told me there were too many times patients didn't  prep properly. 

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@Ibby114

When I spent a month in the hospital in 2008, with my colon bleeding, never flushed, nurses had to check every dump for blood. Put in 2 units of blood into me/drink my gallon/1 trip to bathroom. 4-6 hours to put blood in-and 15 seconds to emptynit out.

As you say, not a pretty picture for sure.

hckynut(john)

[BalletBabe]

@Ibby114  What did they think this was a kodak moment??????LOLOLOL

[SeaMaiden]

It certainly is a personal individual decision.  But, my husband had no symptoms that he had 12 polyps  up to 12 and 14 cm in size inside him....what if he had not had it done thinking he could  wait for symptoms... it most likely would have been too late and he would of needed surgery for removal or  given the cancer diagnosis...... a little inconvenience of a day or two to drink the prep and have the procedure is nothing  compared to the what could have transpired.

Yes, there are always risks... and some people have a hard time.  But  for all the people that have  a colonoscopy  that is a small % of people. 

[Imadickens]

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@onlyshopsonline wrote:

Had my colonoscopy last week....I go every three years.  My cleansing procedure involves eating a light breakfast of toast and an egg.  Then, about noon I take 4 Dulcolax.  And, I mix 32 oz of Miralax with Gatorade, and refrigerate.  My doc said I could also use Crystal Light, but it gave me some "issues" the last time.

Three hours after the Dulcolax, I drink one glass of the solution each hour for four hours.

Fleet enema two hours before leaving home.

I always get a score of 9 out of 9 as far as my colon cleanliness. 

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That was similar to how I had to prep, but easier! Maybe it's because my stomach is a "slow dumper" so I'm not clean every time! I'm going to try to eat extra lightly for the week before so I can be a 9 as well!

[Imadickens]

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@Big Sister wrote:

If I have to drink anything that tastes really bad, I don't breathe, just close off my nose and that really helps me get it down the throat.

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I wish that worked for me! I tried to do that, but what went down, came back up! They tried another thing when I called doc to tell him I couldn't get it to stay down. The newest prep isn't very bad at all, but they have to come up with something new that is super easy!

[Imadickens]

Once you get past the prep, the tests are a breeze! Honest! I always ask to be completely asleep! It's the yummiest sleep you'll ever have! You absolutely don't feel the test at all! And, there's no pain or anything afterward! If I'm lucky, I can fall back asleep when I get home! 

One ne time I got the pills to prep with. No taste, but you have to take more than I can remember! They go down ok, but you must  drink gallons and gallons of water after every "dose", which made me very shakey! That was my only complaint! The Ducolax/Mirolax prep is by far the easiest yet! It's really not bad, it's just the expectation of it being bad that makes it hard, I think!

[Ibby114]

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@BalletBabe wrote:

@Ibby114  What did they think this was a kodak moment??????LOLOLOL

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It was a kodak moment like no other!!!

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

I don't know if the original poster had the tests already but I had it done on Dec 2015 and I just wanted to add my "two" cents to hopefull help others.  My husband just did his colon. yesterday and I'm tell you MY TIPS worked for him, even his doctor complimented him on how "clean" his colon was so I believe my advice will help you.

I'm tell you the following tips:

1) you won't know the difference of doing both test due to the anesthesia, please get it done together.  That way you are under anesthesia ONE TIME>

2) Most colonoscopy instructions say....to start drinking the gallon at 5:00 pm.  I BEG ANYONE WHO EVER READS THIS POSTING....Please do not wait until 5:00 pm to start the gallon drink.

If so, you will be up until 2:00 am using the bathroom and you will not get any sleep. Which will make you cranky and annoyed.

I started at around 11:00 amd I told him to start his drink by no later than 2:00 pm.  Here is why.

The drink and it takes like 1 1/2 hours for you to start going to the bathroom, then you have to drink 8 ounces every 15-20 minutes. That gallon is a lot to drink and if you wait to the last minute you stress yourself out and if you RUSH some people vomit it back up.  WHICH YOU DON'T WANT.

He started at 2:00 and by around 8:30 pm he was at the 3/4 gallon point where he could stop drinking it and leave the remaining as the required second portion for in the morning. 

But undersand, even though he stopped drinking the medicine at 8:30-9:00 he was still going to the bathroom at 10:30 -11:00 pm.  By 11:00 pm he was "done" for the night and was able to get a good nights sleep. 

He had to have no liquids 4 hours before his appt.  His appt was noon, so that means by 8:00 am there was no more drinking. I had to set the alarm for 4:00 pm to allow him to finish the last 4-5 8 ounce glasses, then he started using the bathroom again.

He was done by around 8:30 am with the bathroom and we left by 9:45 am for the hospital.  We had to arrive 1 hour before his appointment.

Just as a sidenote, if this helps anyone else, my husband HAD to go to work the day before his colonoscopy but he left at 1:00 pm.  I recommend that if possible, anyone taking this test should leave work no later than 2:00 pm.

Also my husband "WORKS" physically at his job.  SO he had to get some protein to do the lifting etc required at his job.  He drank three protein drinks all them were VANILLA, no chocolate, etc.

He had a soy EAS protein drink at around 7:00 am, he had  a vanilla muscle drink at work, and atkins vanilla at around 5:00 pm.  He was starving but he had to get some protein which helps you feel full.  Many doctors have a menu for diabetics which allow them to drink ensure.

Also, I did not cook around him or eat around him on monday.  Which was helpful because he said when he was at work, when others had lunch he had to go to the back of the store. 

Just as another point, make sure you buy apple juice, white cranberry juice, iced tea, ginger ale, propel, and have them on hand.  What he did was drink the 8 oz of the medicine drink then follow it up with a drink of his choice.

ALso he did not put the flavored pack in the gallon of medicine.  He used flavor enhancement liquid (you know the little bottles of kool aid, etc ---make sure not red/orange or purple) then he would add to some of the 8 ounce glasses.

Also have straws ready. I hope this helps someone.

Well, they found 6 polyps in my husband so please everyone understand colonoscopy's are a requirement NOT AN OPTION.