Caution, colonoscopy straight talk here, read at your own risk. For any person over the age of 50, it is recommended by the medical community to have a colonoscopy for cancer screening purposes. They say, “It is a great screening tool and provides a baseline for your colon health.” Maybe like me, you too have put it off for two years? It’s time, it’s time, it’s time to get over the fear and get it done.
In honor of the scariest day of the year, Halloween, I was the one scared and entering the hospital for a colonoscopy. My costume for the day, the one size fits all hospital gown.
I didn’t plan it or pick Halloween, it was just the first Monday opening. Whew, you were thinking I was really weird didn’t you?!? With an empty nest and my kids all grown up, there weren’t any trick-or-treating plans going on for me. I really didn’t have anything preventing me from taking the appointment. Yes, this girl knows how to have fun, eh?!
I decided to share my thoughts about the mini-adventure, not because it is a fun topic. Because as an unmentionable of being over 50 and it is one of those things as we age, we all may fear in a way.
What were my fears about a having a colonoscopy?
- The huge jug of stuff to drink.
- The idea of having a really long camera, aka, tube-like thingamajiggy, going in my body in a backward direction to take pictures of my insides.
- The what if they find something wrong?
For those who had been there done that, they all said to me, “It wasn’t that bad, don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.”
The preparation day is really very simple. Just drink an 8-ounce glass of yucky tasting water every 15 minutes until gone. Drink it all within 4 hours. “Stay close to a bathroom, this is a laxative.”
I found I still needed to prep myself mentally. I read, re-read, and re-read the instructions. I dressed for comfort. You don’t want to have to unbuckle a belt or unzip pants. Prep day is not your high fashion day, think quick up and down pants for sure!
Being scared about the taste of the drink, I followed the suggestion to mix the drink the night before and put it in the refrigerator. Doing so made it good and cold and easier to drink down. Honestly, it is NOT great tasting, but not as bad as I thought it might be. I found a straw did help get it down faster.
You’re supposed to drink clear liquids on prep day. I didn’t plan very well. The only thing I had in the cupboard was a can of chicken broth. I drank it for my brunch meal. The broth made me thirsty with all the sodium in it. Thirst always helps when you have to drink something you don’t like the taste of.
No kidding here, the jug of prep is HUGE. I definitely found it a bit intimidating. I normally drink water all day long, but I have never really measured it out in one big container before drinking it. I find it is just easier to drink when I’m thirsty. Thirsty or not, drinking a large volume of liquid is challenging.
So how did the drinking go for me and how quickly did it take before the, um, action?
- Glass #1, didn’t taste that bad and did nothing other than fill up my stomach.
- Glass #2, same as the first.
- Glass #3, same as the first, only the taste got a bit tougher to swallow.
- Glass #4, same as the first, still yucky tasting, but the beginning of the action!
- Glass #5 – #18 aka the end of the jug, same as the fourth glass. From this point until you’re done drinking all the prep, you pretty much want to be as close to the bathroom as possible! I’m not kidding at all.
- The Final Glass effects lasted a good 3-4 hours after drinking it.
And…rumors were right! The worst part of the prep day really is the drinking all of the liquid prep. It seems like it takes forever and it doesn’t get any better tasting the more glasses you consume! The last glass is definitely celebration time, only it’s not a fun drink to finish. The last gulps are a real mental block to overcome. One of my friends described it as like drinking airplane fuel. Not that I’ve ever drunk airplane fuel, but I can imagine it wouldn’t taste appealing just like the prep.
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn
The Big Day
After a not so restful night of sleep due to being hungry and cold and believe it or not, a bit thirsty, I woke up and was ready to get the event done. With very little energy, I pretty much just laid there on the hospital gurney waiting for all the questions and preparations to be completed. I must say, the hospital I went to was so nice. The staff made sure I felt comfortable. They provided me with lots of pre-warmed blankets knowing I would feel cold and kept me informed of what was going to happen throughout the visit.
In the surgery room, once the medication kicked in to help relax me, I pretty much don’t remember anything about the procedure except for a bit of discomfort. Next thing I remember is waking up back in the prep room with my husband. I remember the staff asking if they could get me anything like something to drink or eat?
Being incredibly thirsty and hungry, they thankfully blessed me with a container of water and an incredibly awesome tasting blueberry muffin. It was way better than having to go trick-or-treating to get a treat on Halloween! Once I got out of my hospital gown costume for the day and dressed in my own clothes, they offered a wheelchair just in case I was still weak and wobbly and unable to walk to the car. I gladly took the ride to the front door where my chariot and knight in shining armor were waiting to pick me up.
I don’t remember the ride home, so it is true, you need someone to drive you there and back home. After getting home, I remember heating up some lunch and eating it. Then I felt very tired, so I went to bed. Next thing I remember is waking up from a nap 4 hours later. Man-oh-man that sedation drug is strong!
Overall – “Good graycious, it wasn’t that bad…I did just fine.” I’m incredibly thankful for the awesome staff at the hospital, my husband who cheered me on and took care of me, the drug for helping me not remember the scary parts of the procedure, and my results indicated no need to repeat until 10 years later! Having been there done that, I can tell you now, “it wasn’t that bad, don’t worry about it, you’ll do just fine too when you must have your first colonoscopy!”
Oh my goodness, you had me rolling! At least we can laugh, right? Shelley, thank you so much for sharing your day. You’ve inspired me!