Colonoscopy - horror stories
- Thread starter lazer103
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farmermark
New member
Had mine this spring. Really not bad. The worst for me was the gallon of stuff to drink. And best advice is not to be far from the bathroom. When the urge hits, it hits fast and furious. Lasted about 4 hours. The procedure is a piece of cake.
Jeff Foxworthy did a bit about his, hilarious and I wonder if it is on youtube. Worth looking
Good luck.
Mark
Jeff Foxworthy did a bit about his, hilarious and I wonder if it is on youtube. Worth looking
Good luck.
Mark
I've had a couple. I'm 38 and sort of young for them but I've had major stomach/intestine probs with infections in the past. All I can say is that pick your least favorite gatorade or powerade to mix the drink with (if that's the route you go) and drink away. The first time I thought wow, this isn't even hitting me then bam stay next to the crapper. If I remember right I started in the afternoon and was all cleaned out by the evening/early night. I've heard some say to keep vaseline on hand but I didn't need it. The I loved orange gatorade so I used that the first time. Now I can't stand it. The procedure itself is quick and a piece of cake.
m8man
m8man
polarisrider1
New member
Oh, that reminds me.
You wanted the horror story?
I had been procrastinating for far too long about having a colonoscopy. When a friend a few years older than myself was found to have colon cancer, I finally bit the bullet and scheduled my own colonoscopy last year. I had already had a flexible sigmoidoscopy some decades ago, so I was at least minimally prepared for the experience.
You will probably find the "prep kit" to be a major nuisance, hopefully more so than the exam itself. The previous comments have it right, stay very close to the "throne room"!
I opted to do the colonoscopy without any anesthetic. None, zip, zero, nada, just my preference. So I was fully conscious and aware of the "joys of colonoscopy" for the entire procedure.
Once the endoscope is inserted, you will soon feel major pressure as you are pumped full of air (inflating and expanding the colon, to allow a clear view of the whole pipeline). Oh geez, talk about pressure! Visions of exploding intestines all over the exam room! (And that's without any anesthetic!)
In my case, the doc did his best to ram all fifteen feet (well okay, really about five feet) of that damn endoscope up the descending colon (left side), and then across from left to right (the transverse colon), and ultimately down the ascending colon (right side). No dice. Try as he might, there was no getting beyond midway through the transverse colon. Had to abandon the procedure. Diagnosis: A tortuous/redundant colon (see extreme pictures here); colons like these have no health implications, but they're definitely no fun in a colonoscopy! [Reminiscent of that old Zork computer game of the 1970's, just a "maze of twisty passages"!
]So a failed colonoscopy. Backup plan: Yet another "prep kit" a week or so later (oh frabjus joy!), and a "Barry M." Goldwater memorial — Barium enema/X-ray scan. Yes, they'll fill your colon with a somewhat chalky white X-ray blocking barium solution, then shoot several X-rays from various angles.
For me, results: No (Gen. "Colon") Powells … er, colon polyps, or any other nasties, just few harmless diverticula.
I do not plan to endure either of those two experiences ever again in this lifetime!
D
Deleted member 10829
Guest
I turned 50 in January and need to get it done but have been putting it off. Let us know how it goes.
When I was 30 (19 yrs ago) I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it wasn't as known back then so they didn't really look for it.
So I had it done a couple times before they figured out what was wrong, also had the down the throat scope. So they could look from the other direction.
I was awake for it all, but they turned up the pain stuff when things got rough. So it wasn't that bad.
Make sure you stay home when drinking your gallon, don't try to go anyplace till it's over.
So I had it done a couple times before they figured out what was wrong, also had the down the throat scope. So they could look from the other direction.
I was awake for it all, but they turned up the pain stuff when things got rough. So it wasn't that bad.
Make sure you stay home when drinking your gallon, don't try to go anyplace till it's over.
One who wants to make good money!
Wow!
FRNASH! Not fun, not fun at all!
Had my 1st One Week Ago.
If there was some way to make that crap you have to drink taste better,...
You'd be a millionaire!
To me, it tasted like salty soap water. Put some Sweet and Low in with it!
They told me I would be asleep,... and Wouldn't feel a thing.
Well,...
I "was" under some mild sedation,... but pretty much was watching the TV screen
through the whole thing. I think they underestimated how much it takes to knock
out a horse!
I felt the pressure "inside" but I guess it went all right.
I was all Clear, and don't have to go back for 10 more years!
Getting Old Sucks.
I would make sure the "solution" is ICE COLD!
I choked mine down within 3 hours and then
endured the toilet episode!
OH BOY!
FRNASH! Not fun, not fun at all!
Had my 1st One Week Ago.
If there was some way to make that crap you have to drink taste better,...
You'd be a millionaire!
To me, it tasted like salty soap water. Put some Sweet and Low in with it!
They told me I would be asleep,... and Wouldn't feel a thing.
Well,...
I "was" under some mild sedation,... but pretty much was watching the TV screen
through the whole thing. I think they underestimated how much it takes to knock
out a horse!
I felt the pressure "inside" but I guess it went all right.
I was all Clear, and don't have to go back for 10 more years!
Getting Old Sucks.
I would make sure the "solution" is ICE COLD!
I choked mine down within 3 hours and then
endured the toilet episode!
OH BOY!
Had my 1st One Week Ago.
Me too! It's like were connected
I had the pleasure of getting the top end done too. Just before the procedure started, I asked the Dr if we could do the top end first. Without a beat he said "Usually we can, but if for some reason we have to do the bottom end first, I will leave a breath mint on the table of your recovery room".
No breath mint and I got to sleep through the whole thing.
-John
Eagle River Mike
Member
I ended up with a perferation on my rectum that got infected and then abessed. I needed two surgeries to correct the problem. The first was to install a seton for 2 weeks so the absess could drain and the second was to repair the damage to the sphinctor muscle. I almost ended up with a colostomy bag for the rest of my life. Go to a real doc and real hospital to get the procedure done. Do not get it done in a clinic, doc in the box or strip mall place. This was 6 years ago and I recently had a follow up procedure with a real doc at a real hospital and they told me after the procedure that they had to put me completely under as I was tossing around fairly vigorously on the table when only twighlighted.
polarisrider1
New member
I have worked for several of them, (they love tile). I have not yet had the courage to barter the procedure with a new kitchen splash for them. They do make "bank" on this "procedure", kinda like a guarenteed income for them.
ezra, that is a good question, but maybe best we don't know the answer to that one!
700classic
New member
Frnash, why in the h#*l did you want to be awake? Both times knocked out, woke up, felt great. Worse part is the prep like everyone is saying. Just remember, when you think it's safe to step away from the toilet, you will be sadly mistaken! Don't need to stock up on toilet paper, fast and furious, doesn't have time to stop and make a mess!
Well, I had done the sigmoidoscopy several decades ago without anesthetic and that was an entirely painless procedure, as the colonoscopy would have been were it not for the complication of the tortuous/redundant colon. The pain was a bit extreme, but not unbearable, and it did provide some dramatic insight into the tortuous/redundant colon issue. [And I really wanted to watch that "TV show".
]On the other hand, I had no desire to remain awake for my hip replacement, I just wish I had a video of that! Of course I could find a video of that procedure on the Internet, I just haven't screwed up enough courage to do so — yet.
krupps_resort
New member
My colonoscopy Dr. told me that when he decided to go to medical school to become a doctor, his dream was to play 18 holes a day--ON A GOLF COURSE not preforming colonscopies and added that actually its a pretty clean job. True story
This is a classic from Dave Barry
http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html