General Chat

I'm a little bit concerned about .......err........ leakage :-0

I know the preparation will clean me out, but it will take about an hour to get to the clinic......... should I wear a nappy?

The clinic is part of a big hospital, I really don't want to waddle through the foyer.

I know about the diet beforehand......... I'm going to be starving! I'll make some soup but I must buy some jelly crystals and juice (apple?)...... coffee is no bother, my usual is black with no sugar.

OH has to have colonoscopies regularly ......... he had 60cm of his colon removed in 2005 because of cancer and so is checked regularly.

The last 3 or 4 times he has had to take a liquid (powder mixed in water) ...... if I remember correctly it's something like 1litre drunk over a 15 or 20 minute period, then repeated again some hours later.

It seems to have no effect until about 2-3 hours after the last one. He's then close to the loo for about 4 hours .............. usually finished by about 10 pm.

He is not told to fast, just avoid solid food ............ he can drink clear liquids such as bouillon, jelly, tea or coffee without milk or sugar, clear fruit juices, etc

as a result, he doesn't usually get anything other than water after the colonoscopy is over.

I have to pick him up from the daycare centre ............ and then we have to get a taxi home as I don't drive.

He's usually pretty sleepy and usually goes to bed for a couple of hours after we get home.


I've only had one done, and that was back in about 2004/5 ....... I watched it on the monitor, and did not find it very painful. The worst was getting rid of the air they pumped in to straighten out some of the "wrinkles" in the intestines.

I have had a few colonoscopies ,I was given something to relax me and watched it on the screen with no worries. I could not have watched without the relaxant so it does help to have it. The worst part for me is being attached to the loo all day and night, but not everyone is the same. The hospital I go to will not let anyone leave until they have had a couple of biscuits and a drink which I need as I usually have a migraine with not eating. It will be over before you know it and you will be fine. Good luck .

bob, don't you worry I kept an eye on what went where.

Maggie, we had no choice. One woman refused the offer and was told she wasn't going anywhere until she had some solid food inside her!

As I hadn't eaten anything for about 40 hours, I was only too happy to eat their sandwiches.

I hope they washed the thing after the colonoscopy before they shoved it down your throat Emma.

I wasn't offered any refreshment :-|

[email protected] was worried they would use the same
one for both ;-)

I wasn't sedated for the endoscopy, they sprayed some numbing
liquid into my throat, takes me all my time to swallow pills never
mind a tube. :-0

You will be fine Scozz <3

An endoscopy & a colonoscopy at the same time?

Geez, I hope the cameras didn't meet in the middle :-0


I had an endoscopy about 10 years ago, they said I would be sedated, but I was knocked out. Can't remember a thing about it. I hope the same thing happens with the buttprobe.

:-)

Sounds like a right pain in the Butt ;-) ;-)

good luck :-(

Mine was in the local NHS hospital. Preparation was a "gentle" drink, taken twice, once 24 hours before and the other 12 hours before. It was about 3 hours before it worked and I had some degree of control - no question of having to spend all day near a loo!!

For the actual procedure I was given pethadine and went to sleep, although I wasn't supposed to!! I woke up to find it all over and the nurse asking what kind of sandwiches I wanted.

Because OH was there I was allowed to go home straight away - he was given all the "aftercare" instructions, as I was apparently too woozy to take them in! So far I haven't had to go again.

All quite pain free, so I was lucky.

I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy done on the same
day, if I was to have the latter done again I would ask for
a sedative.

I had mine done in a Spanish NHS hospital.
The prep was the worst bit. How I got so much liquid down me I will never know.
Was given a light general anaesthetic, taken to the recovery room afterwards & asked what I would like for breakfast.
Don´t know if that was normal procedure, but it beats going to the dentist any day.
Whole thing took about 3 hours including breakfast.

Lady Scozz, I hope we are not scaring the life out of you. It is not a pleasant procedure but you will be fine - after all we've all lived to tell the tale!

I had mine in our nearest NHS hospital and I can't fault the care I received. I watched most of mine on the monitor but I had a nurse sitting at my level and during some particularly tricky bits she just chatted to me which kept my eyes and my mind focused on her. Everyone was friendly and reassuring.

In fact the worst part was waiting for the results. It was a great relief when I heard that I hadn't got cancer but even if the results had been negative I was reassured enough to feel I would have got good, immediate treatment.

I've been put on a surveillance programme and I will have to go through it again in 3 years time but I won't be nearly so worried next time. Don't listen to the horror stories and I am sure you will be fine.

I was declined a sedative because i had no-one at home to look after me for the next 24 hours.

You are not allowed to stay in the hospital overnight apparently,

They saw that i had diverticular disease and no sign of cancer but they take biopsies anyway as a precaution.

Afterwards i was allowed to go straight home.

Just lie back & think of something wonderful x you will be fine .what`s getting older you are just maturing :-D like a fine wine x

When I made the appointment, I was told I would be sedated (they must have heard about me lol)..... and I would be in the recovery area for up to two hours.

I'll have to stop taking aspirin about a week before....... I think the other medications are OK. Probably shouldn't take any pain-killers (for my wonky hip) either.

Gee It's fun getting older........... but the alternative is much less fun. :-(

I definitely don't want to watch the procedure on the monitor! I was given the chance to watch when they put a stent in my heart, and declined! Just do it and hurry up!

My S-I-L has had two. she says you need to be relaxed ask for sedative she watched second one .also oh has had two .he was in hospital half a day 8am -start has been on meds 12years .hope all is alright with you Take Care Barbra

Barry, I got offered tea or instant coffee and a biscuit, I opted for a glass of water to keep them quiet.. I don't do instant. What did they do BC (before coffee)? Mine was in the public hospital.

His was at a private clinic and he gets a decent cup of tea, club sandwiches and two ginger biscuits. They even offered me sandwiches and cake while I was waiting for him.

Scozzie you better buy water as well as you are probably going to need it to make up the prep stuff which is powdered and then you drink lots of it.

Good luck Catherine and I expect a written report and hope they don't pull the tube out whilst watching it on the monitor (he did not have a screen to look at) and you think it is over and they say we are going to get a longer tube. aarggh.

I had one the preparation wasn't as bad as i thought , but they would not let me have a sedative or painkiller.. it was so bad they had to hold me down... never again!

Make sure they are going to sedate or relax you first.