Colonoscopy Tips!

2022- Thank you everyone for all of your feedback and comments!  Believe it or not- I just had my 10 year (9 yr- as I am high risk) follow up Colonoscopy last week- and followed most of my tips and advice below! One thing I want to add- schedule the procedure early!  It is hard to wake up hours prior to drink the solution- but well worth it to get it over with early in the day!

And my results were good- a few benign polyps.  My husband is scheduled for one next week- hopefully it will go as smoothly!

Be well- and Happy Colonoscopy!

2013- This Monday morning I had my first Colonoscopy. My Dad was diagnosed with Colon Cancer at age 73, so it was recommended that I have the procedure done when I turned 50. So of course I waited until I was 53, and scheduled the procedure. Here are some tips I thought I would share:

2 days before:

• Eat light- try scrambled eggs, toast and soup
• Go shopping for supplies for next day- don’t forget the Gatorade (you need those electrolytes)
• Pre-make the yellow and lime jello- most stores only have red and orange pre-made

The day before:

• Have your coffee in the morning- no milk but sugars ok
• Eat a little a lot- of the things you can have
• When it’s time to drink your “laxative”, mix it with Chrystal light
• Gulp it down- don’t take a breath or a break
• Set your kitchen timer for the ten minute intervals
• Have handi-wipes available, toilet paper will get really rough after a while
• Stay close to your toilet
• Take a valium before bedtime!

Day of:

• Wake up early and still have your coffee
• Drink the remaining laxative quickly as you did the day before- do it early so you are clear before you drive to the hospital

All in all, not so bad. The preparation was indeed the worst part. What I did was I stopped eating solid foods one day prior than instructed, so that it was not such a shock on the actual day before the procedure. I also added Chrystal lite to the “laxative” drink- and downed each glass (12 of them) without taking a break or a breather. I began the drink at about 5 pm the night beg\fore, everything was pretty empty by 9 pm, then I had a good night sleep. I got up at 6am and finished the drink (4 more glasses) and by the time I left for the hospital, 8am, I was all cleaned out. In fact, I felt so good- really light and free and very fresh and full of energy.

The procedure itself was really no problem, I was put out completely and don’t remember a thing. They did find five polyps, however, but two days later I got a message from my Doctor saying they were benign and he’ll see me for a repeat in five years.

So for all of you people out there, especially with a family history, PLEASE go and get your colonoscopy!
And I would love it if anyone has any tips they’d like to share………..

Some Colonoscopy facts

What is a Colonoscopy?

A Colonoscopy is a crucial test for the detection and prevention of certain cancers. While the process may seem scary it is actually a lot easier than you might think. A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure in which the inside of the large intestine (colon and rectum) is examined. A colonoscopy is commonly used to evaluate gastrointestinal symptoms, such as rectal and intestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, or changes in bowel habits but Colonoscopies are also performed in individuals without symptoms to check for colorectal polyps or cancer. A screening colonoscopy is recommended for anyone 50 years of age and older, and for anyone with parents, siblings or children with a history of colorectal cancer or polyps.

How to Prepare

Throughout the preparation for colonoscopy, you must cleanse their colon of all solid foods. In order to fully cleanse the colon you must stop eating solid foods 1 to 2 days in advance of the test and can only drink clear fluids such as apple juice, chicken broth, lemonade, and water. The typical recommendation is not to eat any foods that you cannot clearly see through as ingestion of solid foods may interfere with the results of the colonoscopy and can sometimes necessitate repeat examination or early termination of the exam.
Generally, bowel preparations require ingestion of at least 4 liters of laxative. Commonly this is all taken the night before the procedure over a 3 hour time course, but split dosing has also been done in which the patient will take the first 3 liters the night before and the final liter 6 hours prior to the procedure to improve yield from the exam.

The procedure itself

The doctors use a colonoscope, which is a type of endoscope, to visually examine the length of the colon and distal portion of the small intestine. The colonoscope is a flexible tube that is a centimeter in diameter, or about the size of the small finger, that has suction, air, and a fiber optic camera.
During the colonoscopy procedure the doctor will place the colonoscope in the rectum to examine the colon using a computer that is connected to the colonoscope’s camera for inflammation, bleeding, tumors, ulcers, polyps, or other types of abnormal growths. If the doctor notices any abnormalities in the colon lining during the procedure he or she may perform a polypectomy by using specialized equipment through the channels of the colonoscope to remove polyps or other growths. These growths are then tested to determine if they are cancerous or precancerous through a biopsy, which will be read by a pathologist and normally resulted within 1-2 weeks after the procedure.