Wellness

[beckyb1012]

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@Helen Bach wrote:

You guys are all the best!  I see I'm not the only one having to "get ready" and having had done one (or many) colonoscopiesl  Thank you for the many suggestions.  I don't feel as apprehensive now, though I still might gag with the nasty mix.  Good ideas to eat light a few days before, drink thru a straw and gargle with soda!  You all are very helpful.  I'm so glad they didn't shut these forums down!  Thank you all

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Check back in when it is over and let us know how you did any tips you think could help us our next procedure. 

[aubnwa01]

I've had several colonoscopies (I'm on the every 5 year plan & started getting them at 50) & the easiest has been Miralax disolved in GatorAde, which I had no trouble with.  The one time I had to use the gallon jug of Go Lytely it was all I could do to get 2/3rds of that big jug down & my stomach said no more-if I tried, it came right back up.  I had my most recent one done a year ago & my gastro doc prescribed Suprep & it was pretty nasty, but I was able to get it all down.  At my test, my gastro asked me how I liked it, as he'd just started prescribing it.  I told him it OK, but it was $$$ even with my copay & I much preferred the Miralax/GatorAde prep, so we'll see what happens when I have my next one in 4 years!

ETA: my gastro always tells me to follow a low residue diet for the 3-4 days preceding when I strart the prep.

[lgfan]

@aubnwa01 "ETA: my gastro always tells me to follow a low residue diet for the 3-4 days preceding when I strart the prep."

What is a low residue diet?

[hckynutjohn]

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@pieman wrote:

@Helen Bach  I would have asked for the pills,,,

My mom always took them.

Made things much easier.

@pieman 

There are some Gastroenterologists that require the Go/Nulytely prep. All 22 of them in my Group Practice require the same. 

I stick with the one in my practice that was the only one to find the source of my years long Colon Bleed, and successfully repair it.

They all have tried the other methods of Prep, and said that overall, too many patients do not get cleaned out enough to get to tail end of their colon(blockages). When that happens? Hello another try! 

I am talking in the First Person, from personal experiences. My mom died decades before Colonoscopy was even a word in the medical field.

hckynut(john)🥅🏒 🇺🇸

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[aubnwa01]

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@lgfan wrote:

@aubnwa01 "ETA: my gastro always tells me to follow a low residue diet for the 3-4 days preceding when I strart the prep."

What is a low residue diet?

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@lgfan  Basically, a low fiber diet: nothing with fiber, seeds, skins, etc. You can probably find it online if you Google it.  My doc gave me a handout with what was allowed.  I think I ate stuff like canned chicken noodle soup that wouldn't leave anything behind in my colon after the prep.

[hckynutjohn]

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@lgfan wrote:

@aubnwa01 "ETA: my gastro always tells me to follow a low residue diet for the 3-4 days preceding when I strart the prep."

"What is a low residue diet"?

Probably something someone made up to sound good. Check your dictionary for the definition of the word. It has nothing to do with Medical Terminology.

For me it's simple. Nobody I have known, including myself, has died by going on liquids only for a couple days. In the hospital, in between Colonoscopies, I had only Apple Juice and Orange Jello.

That was for 17 days, and every 3 days? Then I had to drink another gallon of Go/Nulytely to prepare for my next Colonoscopy. I didn't die, but I wouldn't recommend doing it to anyone.

Forget what to eat! If nothing else do as I did, and eat some Jello! Just make sure it isn't Red/Purple, or a blend of colors that resemble the color of blood, same with the liquids you drink.

Now this is for healthy people, not diabetics or others that have underlying conditions related to food. 

hckynut(john)🥅🏒 🇺🇸

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[Tinkrbl44]

@hckynutjohn 

You have probably heard this before, but I recall a mention of John Wayne dying of stomach/colon cancer.  The autopsy done found 40 pounds of impacted fecal matter in his colon!   

Holy kwap!   Pun intended.  Every time I think of that, I can't help but wonder how the heck that is even possible!    

[icezeus]

Drink it cold, refrigerate overnight,  and also I added crystal light capsule to it which was a recommendation from my doctor and it seemed to really help.

When I started out drinking it. I would drink 1/2 a glass every 15 minutes. I really should say I would just down it. 

I forgot to add that for me this was the worst part. I did not mind the diet that you start 2-3 days prior to your appointment, and as for the actual procedure, I remember laying down and next thing that I knew it was over. I had not even realized that they had begun. 

My  procedure was performed in a hospital and I was given a clean bill of health and told to return in 10 years.

[Tinkrbl44]

Haven't had one yet, so this is a second hand recommendation. 

A co-worker was going to have one and said starting the week  before she took a stool softener every night before dinner to make everything move more easily.   

It's a  good theory, I think, but maybe someone here already does that, and could mention their success?   

[panda1234]

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@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

@Helen Bach 

The drinking of the stuff is the worst part, so once you do that, no worries!  Yes, I know -- I always get very nervous, too.  Unfortunately, I have no tips to make it easier but just swig it down quickly and try to put your mind on something else while you are doing it.  Play some music you like and maybe have a good book handy and try to distract yourself as muh as possible.  Maybe chew on a piece of mint gum for a tiny bit to clear the taste out of your mouth.  It's not very pleasant but thankfully we only have to do it every 5 years, right?  Hang in there -- you can do it!  

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@AngelPuppy1 my prep says NO GUM better check on that.