Having a colonoscopy tomorrow

[Hugh R]

In reading the "How old are you?" thread, I noticed that a lot of you are under 50, and haven't had this procedure. So here's a tid bit or two for you.

Had one last year and they found two polyps that are of a type that "can" turn cancerous. They snipped them out and so I'm getting another tomorrow. I'm almost 51 so the timing was very good. If tomorrows is clean (so to speak) then I go to a five year schedule. BTW, the day before you can't eat anything and have to take three different laxatives thoughout the day. When I asked the doctor last year if the colonscopy was painful, he said "No, but the day before can be"!! They put you to sleep just before they shove six plus feet of camera and cable up your butt!!! Tomorrow afternoon I'm also getting a PSA and a digital exam from another doctor. Am I a glutton for punishment?? I have to drink lots of clear liquids, does beer count? With nothing to eat since last night, one or two beers should do the trick.

[ronin]

gee Hugh, thanks for the visual!

[Craig Stevens]

Hugh, I'm in the same situation. The test is a breeze, but the day before sucks!! Good luck. P.S. you do get to fart without being yelled at afterword. I like to say "Can you hear me now?" Craig

[84porsche]

I hope technology gets better before I have to go through that. Good luck Hugh.

[cool_chick]

Hey good luck Hugh. I'll be praying for the 5 year schedule.

[on-ramp]

what's the recommended age to start having those?

[nostatic]

I did a virtual colonoscopy 2 years ago (at 41). At 45 (assuming I live that long), I'll likely do a traditional one. Usually age 50 is when you start, but I have a history in my family so I started early.

[Moses]

Colonoscopy suggestions.

1) You can use tablets and MgSO4 instead of Go-Lytely (clearly mis-named) the day before.

2) Say YES to Versed and Fentanyl.

I had my first colonoscopy last year (family history). Well, I'm not really sure if I had a colonoscopy. I could have been abducted by aliens. Don't remember a thing. Versed and Fentanyl. Yum.

[nostatic]

fentanyl is close to dilaudid.

and dilaudid makes you feel like jesus. before the whole cross thing. or maybe after...I forget.

[pwd72s]

Having had a section of colon removed because of a burst diverticuli, then a "just Xrays" barium enema between two major surgeries in one summer some years ago? I'll choose death over having another tube rammed up my ass! The medical community lies through their teeth about procedures, before AND after them. Death is possibly easier than that one barium enema, described to me as "just an Xray" I had only a few inches of colon left, and it hurt like hell. The Xray tech was a freakin' sadist! I thought about telling, but didn't, tell his wife when I bumped into him in a bar in another town with a woman not his wife. That's just small town gossip krap. All this said? My daughter is an RN...one of her previous jobs was to administer the joy juice drugs before a colonoscopy. It's quite a mix of juice...some kill the pain. Others make you forget everything that happened. That's why everybody who has had one says it's a breeze.

[K.B.]

That reminds me, have to start working on taxes soon.
(Similar sort of PITA)
KB

[Hugh R]

Thanks for all the kind words. Right now, I'm hitting the throne about every 15 minutes, and I'm only half way through the laxatives. Using Citrate of Magnesia, Fleets soda, and Dulcolax. Moses, I'll ask about those two Schedule Bs.

[juanbenae]

i am 38 and having trouble with the prostate exam. i would need to work up to anything going deeper at this time.

[M.D. Holloway]

Are they gonna let you stay awake and watch? My ol man had two zygmoidoscopies (sp) in the past three years. Said he saw the world in a whole new light after getting a visual of his essential canel. Good luck! I will think of you as "yet another guy with sump'in up his arse!" Seriously - good luck.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

You boys are lucky, I had my first at age 30. Clean bill of health though.

I did the Fleets phospho + dulcolax thing, no effect for about an hour then Mt. St. Helens. Spent the next 16 hours basically on the can. Fortunately I had a laptop to keep me occupied.

Then the doctor showed up 2.5 hours late after I'd checked in and had the IV put in. Bastard.

Good luck, Hugh.

PS Versed is the best thing since sliced gluten-free bread. Aparrently I'm quite the humorist under its influence, as well...anyway I don't remember a damn thing after the Dr. said "OK, give him the stuff". I said, "Hey, that's pretty good" and woke up breaking wind in the recovery room...

[fireant911]

I had my first, and only one to this point, last year when I was but a mere 40 years old. No problems were found. The reasoning for my earlier than normal check was that they had found cancer in my mother in this same area - this is even after she had been having all the examinations (her examinations were at a higher frequency than normal because of the polyps they had previously found and removed). The preparation is definitely the worst part. I barely remember any of the actual procedure but according to my wife I was quite talkative / inquistive throughout the entire examination which I watched on the screen along with the doctor and my wife. Strangely, once I reached the 20 hour point prior to the actual procedure the required 'fasting' left me feeling amazing well.

[Mule]

Remember, if the doctor as both hands on your shoulders there's a problem.

[elwood-914]

Good luck Hugh, I had Diverticulitis and had almost a foot of my colon removed. This after over a year of pain and wonder what was wrong with me. My doctor wasn't diagnosing this very well. I'm 46 and what have I learned from this expeirence? Check your humility at the door, and embrace your health afterwards.

Going DEEP! er sorry I couldn't help myself.......

[vash]

swallow a macadamia nut whole. and ask the doc, if he saw it.

just kidding, i hope it all worked out well. it is a necessary evil. good luck.

[beepbeep]

Originally posted by nostatic
fentanyl is close to dilaudid.

and dilaudid makes you feel like jesus. before the whole cross thing. or maybe after...I forget.

Err...isn't fentanyl a synthetic opiate? ībout 1000 times stronger than heroin.