Colonoscopy Tomorrow

[Teacher1958]

I have a colonoscopy tomorrow at 2:00. Today I am on the clear liquid diet. I will drink my first glass of the "yucky stuff" at 7:00 tonight, followed by the clear liquids. In the morning, I will drink the second glass of the stuff, followed by more clear liquids. The next time I have this procedure, I will just tell the scheduler that I want to have the first appointment in the morning. This arrangement is just stupid. I'll be so hungry by late afternoon tomorrow that I'll probably pass out. I should've thought it through before I agreed to an afternoon appointment.

Now that I've ranted, I have a few questions-

1. I've had numerous symptoms of celiac disease/gluten intolerance for the past 42 years. I've been gluten free since April. Are the doctors likely to find signs of damage in my colon, or is that something they would just find in the small intestine? (I'm having this because I have pain in my lower left side after having a bowel movement.)

2. Will I be able to eat normally as soon as I get home from the procedure?

3. How long do the effects of the anesthesia last? They said that I can't drive for 24 hours, but I have an appointment the next day at 10:00 AM. I will have had all afternoon and night to sleep. Will I still be groggy?

4. Did doctors find anything notable during a colonoscopy for anyone out there?

Thanks for any info related to any of the above questions.

Brenda

[Karen B.]

Clear broth and lots of jello should help with the hunger today. Tomorrow you'll want to sleep late because you'll be up most of the night tonight. Keep a good book in the bathroom and make sure you have enough toilet paper for a week (and moist wipes) because you'll go through it all tonight. By tomorrow morning, it'll feel like you've been using sandpaper instead of toilet paper.

BTW, I had my procedure at 1:30 so I can sympathize but they were fitting me in. A morning appointment would have taken an additional 6 weeks and my doc thought I had colon cancer, she wouldn't let it wait.

1. Celiac is found through biopsy during an endoscopy (EGD) in the small intestines, not through a colonscopy. My GI scheduled them together because the prep is similar. A colonscopy is not a bad idea for anyone over 40, but Celiac Disease damages the small intestines, not the large.

2. You will be able to eat normally, but you'll probably want to sleep instead (anesthesia). I'd advise having something easy on the tummy (like mashed potatoes) handy so you can eat and go to bed.

3. How long the effects of the anesthesia last is an individual reaction. My Mom was punchy for the next 24 hours and still not up to par 2 days after that. My sister was knocked out but recovered and went to work the next day. The anesthesia never knocked me out and I watched the whole thing on the TV monitor. (That's Entertainment! :-) I guess the question for you might be how hard anesthesia has hit you in the past?

4. For me it was downright relaxing after going through the EGD awake. Fortunately, they didn't find anything except that I was very anemic (tissue was yellow not a healthy pinky-red).

[Guest j_mommy]

I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time. I was awake! I was fairly with it wehn I woke up. I remember wha tthey told me. My mom and I went and ate right away b/c I was starving. I slept on teh way home. My appt was at 10 am. I drove to work the next day. After I had a good nights sleep I was ok.

I am amazed that you only have to drink two glasses of the stuff. I had to drink a gallon...staring at 5:30-9 the night before. I think it was an 8 oz glass every 15-20 min!!!Yuck!!!!!

They didn't find anything on me...they were mostly looking for pulps!

Good Luck!

[Lisa]

Hope you get good news Brenda.

I was pretty much like Jess. A mexican lunch and slept on the way home and the rest of the afternoon. The worst is almost over. The proceedure is nothing to worry about.

[dlp252]

Yep, I brought with me and ate on the way home a gluten-free casein-free snack bar, then when I got home ate my lunch. You can eat normally, but you may not want to fuss with anything complicated. I had a bowl of gluten free Thai noodles handy I think and that was fine.

[Teacher1958]

Live From The Front (minus the really gory details)-

I just drank that mixture about ten minutes ago. I read the directions wrong. There was more to drink than I had thought. I seriously didn't think it was going to stay down, especially since I was drinking it on an empty stomach. Thankfully, it did stay down, but the sounds coming from "down below" can only be described as ominous!!! I sense impending disaster!!!

[Guest j_mommy]

Yes!!! It's not a good feeling and I hope you have the extra soft toilet tissue or baby wipes handy! Thankfully my son was not out of diapers when I had to do that!

Good Luck and know that tonight is the worst part!!!! Tomorrow will be better!

[Teacher1958]

Yes!!! It's not a good feeling and I hope you have the extra soft toilet tissue or baby wipes handy! Thankfully my son was not out of diapers when I had to do that!

Good Luck and know that tonight is the worst part!!!! Tomorrow will be better!

Diapers! Now there's an option I hadn't considered. (Just kidding.)

[Judyin Philly]

good luck and keep us posted.

had mine last week and i'm alive today. you'll be fine.

hugs

[Teacher1958]

good luck and keep us posted.

had mine last week and i'm alive today. you'll be fine.

hugs

It is encouraging to know that you are alive, because I am so hungry I am afraid I might go insane. I just put "starving to death" on this mental list I have called, "Ways I Don't Want To Die." Seriously, that would have to be horrendous. Then, you have people who fast as a form of protest. Count me out on that one, too. I have never gone this long without food except when I've had the flu.

[Teacher1958]

Argh! Good morning. The second dose of gunk was far more powerful than the first and much harder to keep down. Isn't there some way they can make it more palatable??? If we could mix it with a Slushy or something, that would be a huge help.

I have a box of Glutino chocolate sandwich cookies, which I will eat once I wake up. I leave in a little over two hours.

[Judyin Philly]

Argh! Good morning. Isn't there some way they can make it more palatable???

good luck

i did the 1/2 go lightly and it wasn't so bad.

4 pills at 4:00.

6:00 start drinking........1/2 a gallon.

this prep isn't bad..ask your dr if you remember

POST WHEN YOU FEEL UP TO IT.

GOOD LUCK

[Cruiser Bob]

I just got the results of my Endo/Colon. I don't remember anything from the actual procedure - good drugs.

OK here it is:

Duodenum: No diagnostic abnormality

Stomach, antrum: Moderate chronic gastritis with focal activity. No definitive Helicobacter-like organism are identified on Diff Quick stain. Negative for dysplasia or malignancy.

Gastroesophageal junction: Glandular and squamous epithelium, negative for intestinal metaplasia on H&E and Alcian blue stains.

Terminal ileum & Colon: No diagnostic abnormality.

Doctors RX: Come see me in two weeks.

Comments would be appreciated

I've been gluten-free for 7+ years now, dairy/egg/nightshade fro 5 or so and still suffer from digestive, stamina, body pain and sleep issues & now some torn ligaments in my shoulder - which explains the intense shoulder pain.

Bob

[Cruiser Bob]

And.... It was the second to last glass that really gagged me - that was not a pretty evening. Bob

[Karen B.]

Cruiser Bob,

Sounds like everything's good at first glance. Did he take biopsies? Have they run an allergy series on you to see if there's other stuff that's a problem? Also, the shoulder pain could be affecting your sleep. That's all I can think of.

It's funny but people that haven't had a colonoscopy think the procedure is the bad part. I tell them the procedure is a slam dunk (even if you aren't sedated) it's the prep that's really unpleasant. But if the prep seems unpleasant, I can only imagine what the treatment for colon cancer must be like.

[Nic]

When my son had his last colonoscopy in March (he is 6) they gave him the half lite too. But for him it was 2 pills and then he had to start drinking 8 oz every 10-15 minutes. But for a child he didn't have to finish the solution (1/2 gallon I believe). Once he was pooping clear we were aloud to stop so by the 4th glass we could stop which was bad enough because the poor kidw as shaking and vomiting and crying. But, I don't understand why they can't come up with a better way to clean people out. After those 2 pills I really went alot and I think were were almost there already. So a pill version would be nice.

Nicole

[Cruiser Bob]

Yes he did biopsies. The nearest I can figure is he did 5 biopsies, but the reports don't say much. Have had Entro & Geneva blood tests. 10+ years ago - I was reacting to everything, this past spring, it was only Clams, Asparagus, Alfalfa and three other "very low" food reactions.

The sleep problems have been around a lot longer than the shoulder pain and even more fun, is I have no idea how I damaged my shoulder, or when. I see the Orthopedic on Wed., so I'll learn a little more then.

The odd thing is my energy has been zapped for a lot of years.

Bob

Fascinating learning more about how I work, sucks being the patient.

[Teacher1958]

Thanks for all of your encouragement and support. Drinking that hideous stuff and all that went with it was actually worse than the procedure itself. I am afraid of IV's, so I asked in advance if I could have a shot to numb the area before the IV was inserted. That was a good idea, because the anesthesiologist had a to manipulate the IV needle for an extended period before he got it placed the way he wanted it. That would have really upset me if I'd been able to feel it. I was surprised that I was somewhat aware of the actual colonoscopy. Once I felt a sharp pain, and I could hear the people talking. It wasn't too bad, though. It was wonderful to eat two gluten free bagels and an apple juice in the recovery room. I treated myself to some chocolate Soy Dream and also some Glutino chocolate sandwich cookies when I got home. It's just wonderful to be eating again.

I talked to the gastro about the fact that I will not do the gluten challenge. I asked her if there was any real advantage to having a definite diagnosis. She basically said that it would help insure that I wouldn't cheat if I knew for sure. I told her that there was no chance of me intentionally eating gluten. She seemed satisfied with that response.

Take care, everybody, and thanks again for the support and encouragement. It helped me to stay calm and not be afraid.

Brenda

[darkangel]

For me, the procedure WAS the bad part the first time they tried it on me. I woke up when I wasn't supposed to. Afterwards, my doc asked me if I remembered anything and I told her, "I remember someone was screaming." Yeah, that would be me. She said my colon was spasming so badly they couldn't get all the way around and had to stop. I was miserable for days afterward. Luckily, from what I can tell, I must be in the minority. I envy those folks that can walk away from a colonoscopy and go to IHOP.

[melmak5]

I just scheduled mine for next week.

1. Do they make you eat/drink something before they will let you go home? (If so, did you bring your own gluten-free stuff?)

2. Did you have a choice in your prep?

[Teacher1958]

And.... It was the second to last glass that really gagged me - that was not a pretty evening. Bob

The prep is worse than the procedure!!!! I felt like someone had dumped wet cement in my stomach, then all of a sudden the cement dropped down, and all h-ll broke loose!

[Teacher1958]

I just scheduled mine for next week.

1. Do they make you eat/drink something before they will let you go home? (If so, did you bring your own gluten-free stuff?)

2. Did you have a choice in your prep?

I just had to be awake enough to go home. I had two gluten free bagels in my purse, which I nearly inhaled when I woke up. I didn't have a choice with the prep. I just followed the instructions, but the instructions from the doctor and the instructions on the box weren't quite the same, so I kind of combined them. That stuff is so nasty going down, especially when you consider that you already have an empty stomach and feel kind of sick.

This morning I was still really groggy, which surprised me. I had planned to go tutor a kid, but I had to cancel. It takes awhile for that anesthesia to get out of your system. I was okay by evening, though, which was great because I was scheduled to go out on patrol with my auxiliary police partner and it kills me to miss that.

[Teacher1958]

For me, the procedure WAS the bad part the first time they tried it on me. I woke up when I wasn't supposed to. Afterwards, my doc asked me if I remembered anything and I told her, "I remember someone was screaming." Yeah, that would be me. She said my colon was spasming so badly they couldn't get all the way around and had to stop. I was miserable for days afterward. Luckily, from what I can tell, I must be in the minority. I envy those folks that can walk away from a colonoscopy and go to IHOP.

I'm right there with you. I was told I wouldn't remember anything about the procedure. Yea, right. I forgot everything except for the 12-inch sword that was attached to the camera. OMG- I thought I was being disemboweled!! I think they had to pull me off the ceiling!

[melmak5]

So I have mind scheduled for next Wednesday and I just got the instructions that say that I cannot eat the following starting 3 days in advance:

NO: seeds, nuts, dairy, juice with pulp, fiber supplements, whole grains, potato skins, raw or dried fruit, cereals (not a huge problem , raw vegetables, fibrous cooked veggies, cold cuts, meat substitutes, beans/peas/lentils, crunchy nut butters.

Has anyone else had to do this "low residue diet"?

Any awesome suggestions?

[Teacher1958]

So I have mind scheduled for next Wednesday and I just got the instructions that say that I cannot eat the following starting 3 days in advance:

NO: seeds, nuts, dairy, juice with pulp, fiber supplements, whole grains, potato skins, raw or dried fruit, cereals (not a huge problem , raw vegetables, fibrous cooked veggies, cold cuts, meat substitutes, beans/peas/lentils, crunchy nut butters.

Has anyone else had to do this "low residue diet"?

Any awesome suggestions?

No, my only instructions were not to take any asprin or ibuprofen (these were the only two medications that applied in my case) within a week of the test. The day before the test and the day of the test, I could only have popsicles (no red or purple), juice with no pulp, coffee, clear pop, jello, and some type of broth. I'm a vegetarian, so I didn't eat the last two. You're having a colonoscopy, right? I don't know anything about the "low residue diet," but I'm sure someone on the boards will know.