colonoscopy prep - what a fun night

[herr_oberst]

I did a cycling century 4 days after I had my first procedure. I bonked. Hit the wall at about 70 miles.

Don't know if it was the 100º heat, the 15mph headwind or the 12 hours spent evacuating my bowels, but I am going to try and NOT schedule an epic ride that soon after my next procedure.

Also, just curious, I watched the whole procedure on the monitor - pretty cool! Anyone else watch or do most of us just go completely under?

[Ronbo]

I woke up halfway through mine and watched it on the monitor. I was still pretty out of it, but I was asking the doctor questions.

[Charles Freeborn]

Been there done that ... twice... not fun. I was all the way out for both. That's the easy part.
-C

[Iciclehead]

I have had two, never been sedated, I found it quite interesting to personally inspect the location in my body where people say I have my head at most of the time.

I found it all very attractive, I now smile knowingly when people say I am a perfect a**hole.

Dennis

[Jandrews]

So Pavulon...why so many reports of different sedation levels here? I was completely "non-existent" during my procedure. As if that portion of my life (20 minutes or whatever it was) never occurred! I wasn't sleeping, I was not present. I didn't dream, nothing...no memory of anything...completely vanished time. So odd...but kind of interesting too.

But I don't see the potential for abuse for Propofol. Or is it that deep sleep that people are craving when going recreational? Or is there a "thriller dose" somewhere less than what they gave me?

Just curious...I find anesthesia fascinating. Such an incredible feat to control the human mind and body in that way.

Thanks for your insights.

JA

[techweenie]

The sedation part was interesting. I believed I was awake. and I saw a brief moment of the display (much pink) and then it was over. Some kind of twilight sleep -- which I needed after the prep phase...

[pavulon]

Well, I'll try to explain it but the link at the end of my post here is really, really good.

Differing experiences with procedural sedation or anesthesia can be roughly attributed to a few variables but not reliably fully accounted for.

One anesthesia clinician may give only medication X for a procedure on one day and something quite different on another. A different clinician may use a totally different set or amount of medications. The procedure may be more challenging on different days or last longer or be accomplished much more quickly or more simply and require a different amount of sedation or , or... .

There is also considerable variability in patients. People experience things differently. A patient's medical history and age can REALLY alter their capacity to metabolize medications (it's the reason for all the questions asked prior to a surgery or procedure). Each time a person experiences a drug (or anything else, really), they are changed. For medications that is demonstrated most graphically in physical dependence on drugs and more subtly in how people become tolerant to medications over time. An old adage is "enzymes never forget."

Propofol abuse has come forward because the medication is quickly and almost completely metabolized, produces euphoria, is used in HUGE volumes making accounting for it all nearly impossible, troubles in detecting it on routine drug screens and possibly other issues I'm not thinking of right now.

People have been trying to fully explain consciousness and unconsciousness for a LONG time. The Radiolab segment below does a great job of addressing the current understanding of anesthesia and consciousness and how they fit together. It is worth the time to listen but seems to ignore the experiences of people receiving sub-general anesthesia inducing (sedation) doses of medications.

Decoding The Void - Radiolab

Originally Posted by Jandrews

So Pavulon...why so many reports of different sedation levels here? I was completely "non-existent" during my procedure. As if that portion of my life (20 minutes or whatever it was) never occurred! I wasn't sleeping, I was not present. I didn't dream, nothing...no memory of anything...completely vanished time. So odd...but kind of interesting too.

But I don't see the potential for abuse for Propofol. Or is it that deep sleep that people are craving when going recreational? Or is there a "thriller dose" somewhere less than what they gave me?

Just curious...I find anesthesia fascinating. Such an incredible feat to control the human mind and body in that way.

Thanks for your insights.

JA

[Jandrews]

Very interesting RadioLab discussion. Some graphic descriptions of surgery in the early days in the "Ether Dome"!

And Carl Zimmer's comments about the variability of "awareness" supports the points you were making about "the void"! Splicing two ends of time with no "middle". And anesthesia being more of a switch, as opposed to "sleepiness". Incredibly fascinating, particularly the point of sedation being a "black box", and still being a bit of a philosophical mystery!

Thanks for the insights, Pavulon.

JA

Originally Posted by pavulon

Well, I'll try to explain it but the link at the end of my post here is really, really good.

Differing experiences with procedural sedation or anesthesia can be roughly attributed to a few variables but not reliably fully accounted for.

One anesthesia clinician may give only medication X for a procedure on one day and something quite different on another. A different clinician may use a totally different set or amount of medications. The procedure may be more challenging on different days or last longer or be accomplished much more quickly or more simply and require a different amount of sedation or , or... .

There is also considerable variability in patients. People experience things differently. A patient's medical history and age can REALLY alter their capacity to metabolize medications (it's the reason for all the questions asked prior to a surgery or procedure). Each time a person experiences a drug (or anything else, really), they are changed. For medications that is demonstrated most graphically in physical dependence on drugs and more subtly in how people become tolerant to medications over time. An old adage is "enzymes never forget."

Propofol abuse has come forward because the medication is quickly and almost completely metabolized, produces euphoria, is used in HUGE volumes making accounting for it all nearly impossible, troubles in detecting it on routine drug screens and possibly other issues I'm not thinking of right now.

People have been trying to fully explain consciousness and unconsciousness for a LONG time. The Radiolab segment below does a great job of addressing the current understanding of anesthesia and consciousness and how they fit together. It is worth the time to listen but seems to ignore the experiences of people receiving sub-general anesthesia inducing (sedation) doses of medications.

Decoding The Void - Radiolab

[NY65912]

Well, I start getting ready this evening for my c scope tomorrow. Last time I used manesium citrate plus ducolax. This time it is 2 big bottles of Gatoraid mixed with Miralax, then 2 Ducolax then 2 Sennakot at 5AM. Either way, it's got to be better than that Golightly crap I had years ago. It ought to be fun.

[Steve Carlton]

Tonight you be a jet ski.

[wdfifteen]

You have a great chance to do something creative here Mike. I am reminded of Steven Wright telling about eating a mouthful of Oreos as he walked into the dentists office. Maybr just before the procedure you could shove a bunch of jelly beans up your flue. Make your Doc's day interesting.

[NY65912]

Ha!!! My doc is pretty cool. I usually ask him what he's doing Friday night. He tells me he's busy as he is an Orthodox Jew, but he is free all day Sunday.

Hmmm, maybe I can insert a rubber insect in the wazoo so he can get the bug out of my azz.

[t6dpilot]

Recently had my first Colonoscopy. I was really nervous about the whole thing. Prep was not bad at all really. And the fasting oddly did not bother me. The Miralax/Gatoraide mixture was actually quite palatable. Never had the Go Lytely, but heard it was the worst. This just tastes like Gatoraide with an off tasting powder mixed in. I did not find it too hard to drink all the solution. The last 8 oz. glass in the evening and morning were slower to drink, but not bad really.

It's the mutliple times to the bathroom that are a pain. Pun intended. You do lose a day and a half of your life with this procedure however. Procedure was a piece of cake looking back on it. Doc says let's get started and you hear him dictating a couple of notes to the nurses and then that warm feeling comes over you. Two breaths and the anxiety is gone (and so are you). Wake up in the recovery room and head home in about 20 minutes or so.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by J P Stein

On topic: I've had 2 scopes. I prefer unconscious

This is so unfortunate.

Before I explain. Dave Barry: One liter = 32 gallons. Superb.

I had some kick ass drugs. Divine. I remember the first hard turn in the big chute registered something that may have been discomfort, I don't really know.

I do remember watching the monitor and saying "Damn, I really did clean her out. Not a spec of nuttin"

Dr says to my wife afterwards, "Do not listen to a word he says, get him to bed" I was in my PJ bottoms. I live in Summit county, Ohio. Wanted to go to the Summit Racing retail store in west Akron on the way home to "check out some racing shiet". I was feeling unusually fine.

Slept till long into the next day, in and out of deep beautiful slumber. This was the best part.

Absolutely one of the most favorable experiences I have ever had. Even with having the 17,000 feet of snake up my butt. Worth it to get the major snooze on.

[NY65912]

This was the easiest prep by far. I had the best anesthesiologist. He gave me a little taste to keep me calm (anxiety). Then it was a few seconds of floating then off to sleep. He got me up about 5 min before the end of the procedure, felt nothing and di not care. The last couple of feet or so I was feeling the biopsies. No biggie. He did find an ulcer and damage due to the Crohn's in the illeum. no big surprise.

For you guys that have not done this yet, get it done!

[pc100porsche]

Originally Posted by Zeke

And of course you have no idea what you said either.

I was a little more awake for a procedure and I do remember trying to sweet talk the nurse. It was just like I was drunk at a bar around 1am.

Love this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Steve Carlton]

Full sleep for me as well. Weird medical group...

[KevinTodd]

I had my first yesterday.

Prep was no biggie. I had eaten lightly the 7 days prior in an effort to begin with a fairly clean system, and it seemed to have paid off.

The mixture wasn't bad to drink at all, and the results were not nearly as "explosive" as I thought.

I remember that once I was on IV and wheeled into the procedure room, I was watching the heart rate monitor, the tech began injecting the anesthesia, and then the nurse was saying "wake up" to me back in the recovery area.

I felt a bit wonky all day yesterday, but I woke up this morning feeling great.

Can't run until tomorrow as they removed a polyp, but other that that I'm happy to say this wasn't a big deal.

Doc says I'm on the 5 year plan now, so that's good.

Just glad I had it done.

[E38Driver]

Couple of jokes for those going through this.

1. When I went for mine I was in the room stripping down and I asked the Doctor where I should put my pants and he said "on the floor next to mine"

2. I went to the Doctor's office for a follow up and he came in the room and stuck his finger where the sun doesn't shine and then left the room. The nurse came in and gave me the three words that you never want to hear. Who was that?

Have a great day and be sure to tip your waiter!

Dave

[unclebilly]

Went through the that the night before last... Horrible!

Glad to have it behind me and back on the solid stuff.