Rant Not a happy bunny (colonoscopy prep)

[mikeymikec]

This will be my third colonoscopy, so it's not like I haven't done this before (due to a bowel condition I have, the NHS books me in for a check once every ten years).

I'm used to the low residue diet leading up to the op, having to take the strong laxatives and that the final 24-48 hours are a bit of a shit show, but apparently they've revised the prep so that I have to take senna tablets like 5-6 days beforehand. I've warned my wife that I may be a grumpy bastard in the final few days.

They've never had any problems spelunking in my bowels before, what do they want to do this time, eat off it? I understand that they need as clear a picture of the state of my bowels as possible, and even though I'm not a "avoid doctors as much as possible" kind of person normally, christ, the notion of taking laxatives for nearly a week starts tempting me down that road!

 

[RalphTheCow]

That does seem odd. Mine have always been just starting the day or two before to ramp down your eating.

 

[highland145]

Prep H wipes, ftw.


Go ahead and get an endoscope too. 2 for 1.

 

[mikeymikec]

Go ahead and get an endoscope too. 2 for 1.

Ahem

 

[pcgeek11]

She thinks the only difference between an endoscope and a colonoscope is the taste.

 

[nakedfrog]

With the amount of emptying I was doing the day before, I can't imagine a need for starting days earlier...

 

[Charmonium]

Not a happy bunny but not a dumb bunny either.

 

[MrSquished]

I gotta get my first one and I've been procrasstinating.

I do have to get one this year though.

 

[BoomerD]

Just went through this stuff 3 weeks ago. 5 days minimum of low fiber diet, 2 days of liquid diet, several laxative tablets, 2x daily doses of miralax, then the prep liquid to wash things out...all to let the doc shove a roto-rooter up my ass for ~30 minutes.
NOT a fun experience.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Crap I'm dreading this. Never had one before. I'm 46. I suppose I should mentally prepare myself, recommended age is 50 right?

 

[nakedfrog]

Crap I'm dreading this. Never had one before. I'm 46. I suppose I should mentally prepare myself, recommended age is 50 right?

45, you're behind the ball. Since I don't have any family history my doc said I could poop in a box every year or get a colonoscopy every ten years. My colon prep was for a different thing and was a miserable experience, so I'm going to poop in a box every year until I hit 50, I think.

 

[mikeymikec]

With the amount of emptying I was doing the day before, I can't imagine a need for starting days earlier...

My only theory is that while my bowels are if anything overactive, I imagine that lots of older people, particularly less than optimally healthy older people have the opposite problem so maybe their systems need more flushing out?

I gotta get my first one and I've been procrasstinating.

I do have to get one this year though.

The last time I went, I was given a choice of sedation before going in. I hate any hospital ops so I just went for everything they offered. It was funny watching my heart rate drop like a stone from "I'm pretty nervous right now" 90bpp to 60bpp as the meds kicked in! I still wasn't as calm as a hindu cow though. Make sure you have someone drive you home though.

My number one bit of advice is what they should be telling you anyway, but drink lots of water. I don't know about you, but if I've had diarrhoea then I have a tendency to shut down for a bit afterwards, and that was really the time that I should have been chugging the water.

I'm taking the day before the op off because I want to always be near the toilet because the laxative they provide for the final 24-48 hours (Picolax here) is STRONG.

I'd say the prep is worse than the op. The op is uncomfortable.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

45, you're behind the ball. Since I don't have any family history my doc said I could poop in a box every year or get a colonoscopy every ten years. My colon prep was for a different thing and was a miserable experience, so I'm going to poop in a box every year until I hit 50, I think.

Ah yea I did do the poop in the box thing beginning of the year and all was good, but I thought the physical intrusion stuff I could wait till around 50.

 

[highland145]

Crap I'm dreading this. Never had one before. I'm 46. I suppose I should mentally prepare myself, recommended age is 50 right?

Mine was simple. Started pills at noon the day before. Mirlax or similar mixed with a gallon of gatorade. 8oz every 30 min. Done pooping by 11pm. Seriously, Prep H wipes, ftw. Next morning, a little propofol in the IV. Then off to the Waffle house.

Only issue was the book I took home to read, I'd already read some years before.

 

[nakedfrog]

Ah yea I did do the poop in the box thing beginning of the year and all was good, but I thought the physical intrusion stuff I could wait till around 50.

You're probably alright then!

 

[highland145]

The problem with the "poop in a box" is it tells you that's there is (or isn't) already a problem. Better than a stick in the eye but...

 

[pcgeek11]

The problem with the "poop in a box" is it tells you that's there is (or isn't) already a problem. Better than a stick in the eye but...

There are false positives and false negatives and proper readings. You have a 33.3% chance of getting the right results.

 

[nakedfrog]

There's more than one variety of pooping in a box, not sure which one you're referencing.
The one I'm referencing is 79% accurate.

 

[Torn Mind]

Crap I'm dreading this. Never had one before. I'm 46. I suppose I should mentally prepare myself, recommended age is 50 right?

Sooner is better than later, with the trend of manifestation becoming earlier and earlier.

 

[WelshBloke]

My BIL just sent me a poem about his colonoscopy. I'm not sure how to respond.

It's nearly 300 words long!

 

[nakedfrog]

My BIL just sent me a poem about his colonoscopy. I'm not sure how to respond.

It's nearly 300 words long!

Feed it to SunoAI and turn it into a song (unless you think you're up to doing it yourself!)

 

[pcgeek11]

There's more than one variety of pooping in a box, not sure which one you're referencing.
The one I'm referencing is 79% accurate.

Which one is that? Just curious.

It only takes one false negative to allow colon cancer to develop.

If you get a false positive they will still need to have a visual...

May as well get the real deal to begin with IMO.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

FWIW I used Cologuard.

 

[nakedfrog]

Which one is that? Just curious.

It only takes one false negative to allow colon cancer to develop.

If you get a false positive they will still need to have a visual...

May as well get the real deal to begin with IMO.

ColoFIT. I don't have risk factors and I'm getting tested yearly for now, and going 5-10 years between colonoscopies could allow colon cancer to develop too.

 

[pcgeek11]

ColoFIT. I don't have risk factors and I'm getting tested yearly for now, and going 5-10 years between colonoscopies could allow colon cancer to develop too.

No risk factors and getting tested yearly!

Paranoid?

I guess it is just a crap shoot!